Would You Buy This Cheap, Tiny EV? (Mitsubishi eK X 2024 Review)
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- Detailed review and test of the Mitsubishi EK X, a small and perhaps affordable electric city car with 180km / 110 miles of range.
Well, I was really surprised by the Mitsubishi EK X. I expected it to feel tiny, lacking in confidence on the road, and cheap. Turns out, it feels like none of those things. It is really small, and the safety rating is a potential hindrance, but it's fun and nippy to drive - and it delivers the range that Mitsubishi claims.
Should we see more cheap, small, efficient EVs? I think so.
Rivals to the Mitsubishi EK X would include entry level versions of the BYD Dolphin, MG4, and forthcoming Chinese EVs like the Leapmotor.
Time codes:
0:00 - What is the Mitsubishi EK X?
0:25 - Kei cars
0:40 - Would be relatively cheap
1:10 - Would help with emissions laws
2:00 - How small is it?
2:45 - Ergonomics
3:00 - Tech
3:20 - Pricing
4:05 - Quality
4:28 - Storage
4:47 - Back seats
5:36 - Styling
6:05 - Boot space
6:29 - Driving the EK X
7:28 - Dimensions
8:00 - Safety rating issues
8:33 - Motor
8:50 - Light weight
9:08 - Battery
9:27 - Tested range
10:00 - Charging
10:20 - Performance
10:55 - Regen braking
11:15 - Ride quality
11:35 - Handling
11:52 - Visibility and safety
13:10 - What do you think?
13:18 - Verdict
Chasing Cars makes Australia's most independent new car reviews. - Авто та транспорт
3 star crash test and cost 25k, sign me up for my 1st ever ev. I do around 55-60km for work daily and this will be perfect for parking too. Love kei cars and Australia need to start adopting it.
55-60km it’d knock over easily, so would suit.
Practical e-range of my Rav4 prime with same battery capacity is 80km in warm weather. Sometimes 95km when optimum conditions. I think this lighter vehicle can do at least 140km.
Why is the 3 star crash test a good thing? I wouldn’t drive it if it was less than 5 stars//
@@maxstechnology6363 because ANCAP body is a joke and it's ratings
@@maxstechnology6363but in a cheap car you are not getting 5 stars, eg the cheapest sedan in Australia (MG5) got 0 stars so 3 is better than none especially under strict regulations compared to 10 years ago
This is the car Australia needs!!!
Used to own a Daihatsu K-car in the early 2000’s when I was living in Hong Kong. It’s a very practical and fuel efficient (660cc) but yet very fun to drive car. Suitable for driving and finding parking around densely populated cities. The best part is there’re tons of aftermarket body kits available to, legally, customise and personalise your car. From cute Hello Kitty themed body kits for ladies to anime-themed body kits for the “otaku”. It’s so much fun to own a k-car. Hope to see them in Australia.
Nice review, but LOTS of reviews have missed that the back seat is on a ratchet. Slide the whole seat forward for more cargo space, or slid the whole seat back for more leg room. Really clever. I'm 183cm and 120kg, so not tiny, and my daily driver is a 2010 i-MiEV, since 2020 and it's a GREAT little EV. Brisbane to the Gold Coast. Brisbane to Boonah. Zipping around Brisbane, effortless! The ek X looks to be even better! I would love to test drive one!
The only problem is it’s not its cousin the Nissan Sakura. This looks to be finished well, the Sakura is like a comfy lounge room on wheels. I was going to say the same about the rear couch on rails.
3 star rating would not be a problem, I’d even pay $30k drive away assuming Mitsubishi included the same warranty as the Outlander PHEV. We need more of these cars. 180km is more than enough for most trips, and the car can be completely recharged overnight anywhere using a regular extension cord from Bunnings. Excellent.
You aussies are so lucky, having the same steering wheel configuration with Japan and being so near to Japan makes selling a kei car possible.
Australia is still European tho
@deidresable I guess the ethnicity is mostly white Europeans, but it's far from Europe
That depends on the state and city. Suburban areas are usually mostly European, but the city centers are often predominantly Asian. Some suburbs are predominantly Asian too. Also a high amount of Arabic ethnicities in Australia too. Particularly Melbourne and sydney are most multicultural
I love these cars. Here in Japan Suzuki, Honda, Toyota, Daihatsu everyone makes them. Australia needs to get with the program and get those SUVs of city streets!
Perfect second car for our family. Will sign up for it @$25k in a heartbeat
That’s the price it should be IMO!
Me to..I’m in
Despite being 6'4" I'm fascinated by kei cars (managed to fit in a Cappuccino lol), and I currently drive a Fiesta. Here's what you don't hear about driving a small car in Australia:
You WILL be harassed by idiots in larger vehicles. I live about 50km north of the outskirts of the city limits and it doesn't matter which area I'm in, rural or outer suburban, there's always someone who has thrown an ARB catalogue at their LandCruiser/Hilux/Ranger/etc that wants to use me to try and feel big and important.
I feel like those types harass anyone who isn't in a much larger vehicle. Even SUVs the same size still have those type right up their arse.
Small manhood syndrome
As a small car driver I personally think it's just confirmation bias. People normally don't give af at a glance. But when you get them talking they think it's the dumbest purchase ever. I don't really think I'll ever buy a small car again. For one not really to many options. And the quality, comfort, capabilities are low with a high price tag.
I think something like this would be perfect for the inner city dweller who just needs something to pop to the shops or over to a friends place for coffee. That rear leg room is awesome! If you piled everyone into the car and went out to lunch (which my Aunt actually does once a month!) this would be ideal. Good review, thankyou :)
I think you may have struck gold here. This is exactly what many people need. Most of my daily driving is well within the range of this car. This is what the market is missing.
Yep
Agree. If we were in the market for a second car this would be perfect for our needs.
You need to consider range depletion. 5 years later will it still have the same range and whether the real world driving sceneries match the advertised range.
@@WhatsupKB With respect, you're a bit behind the times. Batteries today don't show significant range drop for 15-20 years. And even then, probably less than 10%.
@@martythemartian99 hey mate can you share the source for this info? The only reason is every YT video I have seen show atleast 5% percent battery degragation every 2 years. Also as charging is recommended to 80% most of the time to prevent battery degradation, so we are anyway starting with less range than advertised.
The ANCAP star rating has lost me since adding electronics to the overall score.
Prior to this when a star rating was based on structural strength it actually meant something.
Technology like emergency braking and blind from monitoring can make a car safety it's not completely stupid but I think it's going a little bit too far
2yrs of daily driving a suzuki alto works kei car with a range of 320klm to a tank of fuel. with a 15min trip to work its 2weeks between fill ups. lets go mitsubishi
Perfect application of an EV - a pure city car - small and hopefully cheap. On the possible 4 star rating... MG5 is selling with a zero star safety rating.....
He was talking about mg4 mate. it 😂achieved best car award in aus in 2023. to me this Japanese rubbish is not worth 10000aus dollars.
@@zhanhonglu903 To be clear "mate" - he asked if we think a 4 star safety rating would hinder sales. The MG4 has a 5 star rating. The MG 5 has a zero star rating. The MG 3 is not rated at all, but would probably be zero or one. The low rating / absence of rating has not hindered sales for MG on their cars.. Thus, I don't think it would be an issue for this little Mitsubishi.
@@zhanhonglu903 If this is not worth 10000aus, then the MG3s must be free
Fair point.
@@syyeung u know in China. ev cars mile range is low than 200kms which existed 7yrs ago. the end of this year. dolphin mini will enter into Aus market. minmum 300 kms mile range and its price will not be above 30000aus dollars. Japanese car manufacture has started to behind China
I see it Mitsubishi’s way. They are right on questioning our safety regime, especially considering the 5 star rating it gets in Japan. Do it for the urban run around town. I’d buy one.
If this was available to buy at around $25K a month ago I'd possibly own one now. I wanted a reliable 2nd EV to act as a local runabout along side our MG4. I ended up buying a used MG ZS EV for $28K which has a bigger battery, massive boot, 5 seats, 5 Star ANCAP, panoramic sunroof and still has years of warranty left on it. I love the vibe of the EK X and I'd happily drive one but it'd have to sell for well under $28K before it can offer better value than a used MG.
I live in Japan. The main reason for the development of kei car in Japan is that laws have been put in place to reduce the accident rate. Even with tax breaks, no one will buy if they feel unsafe. The vehicle inspection system is strict, and the speed limit for kei car on expressways is basically 80 km/h and 100 km/h for regular cars. Of course, nothing can be done about the difference in mass at the time of collision. Never forget that overseas, where there are many large cars, this is an increasingly dangerous vehicle category.
You're wrong. Speed limit 80km/h on most expressways is for ALL cars. On some newer expressways like the TOKYO to NAGOYA (shin tomei) the limit is 120km/h for ALL cars (only trucks and buses are limited to 80).
Most kei cars can do 120~130km/h. Going 120 in a kei is pretty crazy 😂
Go Mitsubishi!
Love it!
I'd "never" personally buy a Chinese owned or built vehicle, especially not one masquerading as a British built MG.
I don't believe there's any way you can buy this quality Japanese engineered and built EV for $25k, however the ICE version could be, though we're trying to move away from petrol vehicles.
I think a $29,990 driveaway price is a goer for most people.
I'm puzzled if this vehicle is a maximum five star safety rating in Japan, why not here?
I'm beginning to think that ANCAP is a little dubious with unrealistic expectations, is this forcing car manufacturers to introduce new and unnecessary technologies that could also prove to be a nuisance?
I'll buy this over BYD or MG EV any day, even if it receives a 0 ⭐ rating or no rating. I like Kei cars like Honda S660, Nissan Cube and Suzuki Spacia. Good fit for everyday commute.
Same, like, even if the MGs of BYDs turn out to be the best cars in the world - in which case I'll just quit driving altogether. Keicar or nothing!
Unfortunately, the Nissan Cube is not a light car. In Japan, a light car is a car up to 660cc.
Yep. Definitely what I’ve been waiting for as a second car for city only driving.
A stripped out van version would be an excellent addition to commercial inner city fleets.
I drive a Mitsubishi minicab miev EV Kei van here in tassie, it's great and given a 30 kwh battery like the aftermarket ones available would make them perfect for that use, 240kl range is all I'd need in a Kei class van.
Happy to see a review by Tom again. I can't lie
Great to see this coming for evaluation. Think it could do really well in the cities. That efficiency is amazing! Just what we need more of - to use less, better.. Just hope they have the courage to bring it in at a good price. I bought an MG4 51kWh as a second EV to our long range Kona - this is a perfect example of how this can work. as a short range compliment or dedicated city brawler..
Thnx for the review Tom. More cheap EV car reviews pls. Well done Mitsubishi. At $25K I’d buy one for the 2nd car for city use. Bring it on.
Looks like a porta potty, however, the idea of such a car at $25K is compelling. It can make for an excellent second car in the city.
Lol
You must have a flash porta potty.
@@aussieideasman8498 It's a luxury, I tell ya!
@@fairgo4156 I'm 70. I still remember the wooden outhouse with a thunderbox.
Is that a wedding ring that’s appeared Tom? Heartiest congratulations! May I wish you every happiness with your betrothed :)
Yep definitely as a second city car it would be perfect. Where & how do I order one?
Perfect for giving the banger a rest for the long or emergency trips
I agree at 25k this should be alright. A perfect second car. I wouldn't care about Australia safety rating tbh. It has a Japan rating that is enough for me. To make it more appealing they can replace CHAdeMO plug with CCS2 that would definitely help sales.
I think I need one. I have no faith in the ANCAP rating system and its irrelevant requirements. So the rating won't sway my purchase decision. I understand it gets 5 Japanese stars.
You didn't mention how easy it is to get in and out of due to high roof and upright seats, perfect choice for ducking down the shops.
Without much ducking.
Hope we get these, it's time to get more small cars again, I'd choose the Picanto cos I adore the way it looks, but this is still excellent ❤
Fantastically good ... fabulous....
Love it. Would buy
kei car EVs would do alot to ease traffic / congestion / pollution in urban areas. This is what Australia's capital city needs.
Finally a car we have been waiting waiting for all the daily driving with a bigger car in average family for longer trips. $25k would be the mark to sell well,personally I would buy one.
LOVE it!!!
I Will buy it. (After test drive)
I just bought a new Fiat 500 Dolcevita at $31,500 but I think I would prefer the EK.
And price??? Wait n see.
I hope they bring it out.
Bring it in! Agree on the price point. $25k is the sweet spot. If it doesn't eventuate, these will just become regular grey imports from Japan through import companies like j-spec, import monster etc. I believe the Nissan Sakura is already on the SEVs list.
I´m not in Australia (was as a kid though, but now in Germany), but the world needs more cars like this. People are crying for afordable EV´s, but the manufacturers are just not listening. One big SUV after another, getting bigger and bigger in size and bigger and bigger in Price. I wanted a small EV, but there was nothing decent at a small pricepoint, so I ended up with a used IONIQ Classic with a 28kWh battery. Bigger than I wanted, but way nicer on my wallet. Let´s see what Hyundai does with it´s Casper EV...
Nice review. It's interesting to see more and more products coming into Australia. Despite this, I still think K car is a strange product due to Japan's special social environment. The Australian market doesn't need such a small, short-range car especially when it cost so much.
Perfect as my second car for the family. If selling for AU$25K drive away, I would buy it.
They need to bring it
Agreed
@@chasingcarsat the right price as you say!
Cheap and quirky EV van? Sign me in.
I really like that car a lot! I like the styling, the dimensions and the color. Mitsubishi tried selling an EV Kei car in California in the early twenty teens and this is much better. If they got a wild hair and decided to try this in my country I'd buy one.
This looks like a great city car. 🎉. Would definitely consider this.
I love these kei cars and they should already be selling in Australia.
I personally would want the Honda N-Box but 20-25K yes I would buy this as a second car, for shops, taking the dog to the dog park, and 180km range is fine for a second car and being able to fully charge with a standard wall socket is a no brainer.
Definitely a city car we need!
25k drive away will sell well.
I predict Mitsu AU would sell it at 30k
I'd buy this for a short trip runabout no worries. 3 stars crash rating is still higher than my daily commute which is a motorbike.
Definitely have a place in the car sales Australia. Main line brand, great wty, terrific dealership network. Can't lose...I'd buy one as a town runabout
Car for everyone, please, more of this. I’m sick of seeing range rovers with empty cabin.
Perfect 2nd car! Also please bring its close cousin the Nissan Sakura! I’d enjoy the inner suburb trip with this.
These types should be where the future of EVs is going. They tick many boxes, especially in crowded places like the UK where I live.
This and other kei cars should be looked at seriously for the inner city market in Australia. They would be a great value proposition and sell like hot cakes.
Nice looking car. About time Australia started selling these smaller vehicles
That would be a perfect city and suburb car.
It looks like a normal size car from the pre SUV era
We need practical cars like this
It reminds me slightly of the Suzuki Jimney
Given that the ANCAP rating of an MG5 is Zero and is allowed to be sold in Australia anyway, then this thing should be perfectly ok.
180km.. this would be good small and cheap segment for elderly people who doesn't drive much at all but not fan of front face design.. its just too much
It’s a rather confronting face, but agree there’s a market for this.
I love this and it should be here. Remember, the new Kona is only a 4-star car
Hi Tom
Can you please review EQB plus?
A small affordable Ev is what we need but I dont think this is in the sweet spot, 300km range/30kw battery for under 20 grand is where they need to get. The byd seagul fits that description and looks the business more also.
That's a huge improvement over the old Mi-ev
We already have a 2019 Outlander PHEV. I really like the electric drive characteristics of that car. We are in the market for a primary car and I want that to be electric. This would be perfect. The weekday round trips are all sub 100klms. The PHEV could be just for long trips/weekend fun. I have submitted a Sales/Customer Enquiry to Mitsubishi AU talking about this car in the hopes that that will show them there is interest in it. 3 star ANCAP, and sub $30k would suit me fine. Also long as they don't remove any of the features.
They used to sell K Cars from Japan in the 1970s in Oz, some really cool little cars like a Honda Z.
Real shame we may not get enough of these type of very nifty cars in other markets. If only Mitsubishi moved further in this direction before leaving the UK market for the numerous drivers who only do about 150km a week
Urban EV : modest battery, high efficiency, lightweight, just enough power … just have to get the price right, and overcome the marketing FUD of “gotta have a ginormous SUV with 4WD and 5star crash rating and 500km range” … that a lot of people don’t need, can’t afford and can’t insure.
Yep, This at 25k or less would be perfect for our 2nd car 👍 There needs to be more K cars available in Australia. ANCAP ratings are useless these days IMO
I'm sold. How do I order one?
Let’s hope Mitsubishi listens!
I’ve been waiting for a car just like this. Small, light, ~200k range & cheap. I would buy this if priced well. Exactly what I want to replace family Honda Jazz.
I agree it should be in the sub 25k range, where in Australia the untapped budget EV market is ready for such a vehicle, over that and other more appealing options are available
I wonder if small parcel and letter deliveries in city centres could be done by a " van" version of this, ditch the rear seats, block the rear door glass but keep the doors.take advantage of commercial vechicle tax and enough range for a long day of city delivering with a simple and fast charge.
And a big side for signage like the Holden Combo had.
One of these would be an ideal weekday car, and then a camper van for weekends and holidays as a second car.
A car like this would be a fantastic second car. School and shops runs
If this was 25k it would be fantastic
I’m amazed the Chinese haven’t bought in something like this
8:24 Nice pun! 🚑
Re pricing, if the purpose of importing it is to subsidise the emissions of ICE models then they will have to sell these at a ratio against those models. That will mean that the price will have to be whatever it needs to be to sell the required number of these things. In their shoes I would probably start at $30K too and then discount to whatever extent is necessary.
Yes
it cant be 25k cause we have taxes protecting holden and fords local manufacturing................. o wait we dont have locally produced cars but we still have the tax
This thing would have the import tariff waived, because it’s fully electric
Yep, 3 star for around the city, travelling around Melbourne we do a lot less than 180kms per day. But it needs to be $25k
Ok, European here, not Australian, permit me to be as honest as it can be, but sometimes we need to. Great review, congrats. Apparently, I don't even need to make the currency exchange to notice that it might to be too expensive for what it offers, and it offers far more than what most need on such an urban commuter car of that size. Why not just to build it like the base Citroen E-C3 without the Infotainment screen, let you to use your smartphone as one and connect to stream music, etc., through Bluetooth? And why not just a manual AC and the likes? A simple city commuter car doesn't need all that technology shown on this evaluation unit. Verdict? For me it would be a no. Perhaps an E-C3 base will be either way cheaper or better fitted to the purpose at that front than this one, and certainly bigger. Let this one to rest in peace...
It’s basically an updated version of the i-MiEV that Mitsubishi sold here in the early 2010s. Very similar size, power & torque figures, and range. The EV market wasn’t mature enough then, maybe it is now if the price is right. The styling has gone backwards though - the i-MiEV was better looking. Mitsubishi needs to do something about their design language if you ask me.
That knee room is insane? Lmao!
At circa £14'000 sterling it could help solve a transport problem that does exist ,small easy to park town/ city driving.
And £21'000 Stirling for an mg 4 is a bargin for motoring on a budget.
I don't want an EV yet. But when I do buy an EV I want it to be like a Kia Picanto GT (previous generation, turbo motor). Warm hatch performance (fun to drive), small package (easy to live with), reasonable price and I can live with a lower range (shops are not 200km away).
Taking 2 tonnes of Tesla to Woolies is unnecessarily wasteful.
It would be cool to do a head-to-head with the i-Miev
If they get an entry level version of this for 25k, every pizza shop in Aus would order 2-3 of them straight away. 5 stars mean nothing when you are puttering around in traffic at 35kmph average.
I would buy this
I think ancap ratings means less as they introduced electronic controls in the safety equation. What they have resulted in is unnecessary beeps/voice distractions, bossy electronics like steering correction - all things we pay for and in my mind is of questionable value to safety. Ability to withstand front and side impacts should not be masked by toy features.
I loved my Mitsubishi i-miev. After 13 years the computer/mechanical gear shift component gave out and I was told they stopped making those parts in the states. A possible two month wait for it to be fixed had me purchase a Fiat 500e. Otherwise I would have stayed with Mitsubishi... The eK X size wise is fine...price..yes a bit high being in the 30's, but increase the range to 210 km (130 miles) lower the price to the upper 20's and that might bring in some buyers. If battery size is an issue perhaps more efficient batteries can allow them to keep the size/weight while increasing the range. In the real world I'd expect DC fast charging ability which the i-miev had. But a $30k car...I don't see that.
Yes yes yes. We have a Suzuki swift as our second car and would happily replace it with this for around 25k.
I think what’s more important is the steal this could be for people with novated lease capabilities. Could make this car an absolute bargain to drive daily.
As you’ve said it’s a likely second car. 3 stars or not, it’s perfect for families who just need a general runabout.
MISS U BIBI eK X
and yes def would get, imagine getting this on novated lease with gov incentives
Sodium battery:
Charging time - 15 minutes
Range - 100 km or more...
The rear seat moves forward to increase luggage space doesn’t it? I see the handle in the video.
What warranty is Mitsubishi giving you for the battery? Most batteries seem to have a 1K cycle charge limit, just wondering as the Nissan Leaf was a great car until the battery died and became land fill (so much for the environment shtick)
I can give my opinion in context of North America. Idea of such vehicles being legislated is need of the hour. NA going from petrol/diesel guzzlers to kwh guzzlers, sticking with excessive vehicles will continue to keep Environmental impact high. On the other hand, benefit of such judicious and sufficient vehicles will be much high.
We need cheaper EVs in Australia and if this sells for less than $30K driveway it'll definitely sell. I don't think Mitsubishi will sell these here for $25K but I'd sure like them to.
It would be great if we had cheap EVs like we used to have cheap cars such as the Mitsubishi Mirage or Suzuki Alto.
A cheap EV like the Wuling Air (selling for about AUD$15K in India) would be great as it's already being made in right hand drive but probably wouldn't meet our safety standards.
Definately interested as a second car. Price key. Sub 5 star rating never hurt ford mustang sales. This car is for low speed driving around town - not transcontinental journeys.
Any Kei cars would be welcome. Any Mitsubishi cars are reliable and good to drive.
Couldn't care less about the crash rating. Most of us in Australia are driving cars that wouldn't even be as safe as a 2024 3 star car anyway, and we aren't chewing off our fingernails about it.
It'd need to have at least a 250km range for $25k for it to pique my interest, but it'd be the perfect second car for us if it could manage that.
Yeah I'm interested, but I would be more interested in an electric kei ute or van.