The order books for the new, electric-only SEAT Mii have opened with prices and specs confirmed for the UK market. As SEAT's first commercially available electric car, the Mii kicks off an EV push that will percolate through the model range in the form of both pure EVs and PHEVs from next year.
Through the new Mii, SEAT is hoping to set a precedent with its EVs by ensuring that they are competitive with internal combustion-powered cars in terms of total cost of ownership. This should help the process of 'normalising' EVs as direct alternatives to petrol and diesel cars. More to the point, you can no longer even buy a Mii with a 'normal' engine!
Let's get down to business first of all: A new SEAT Mii will cost £19,300 after the plug-in car grant has been applied, which is a lot for a Mii, but still makes it one of the cheapest EVs on the market. With its eye on that total cost of ownership figure, SEAT has created a PCP deal through which, after a £4399 customer deposit and SEAT contribution of £500, it is possible to drive away for £199 per month.
The first 300 retail customers who order before December 31 will get a wall box fitted at home, a 3-pin home charging cable and three years' free servicing.
In place of the old 1.0-litre petrol engine is an 82bhp electric motor with a fairly stout 156lb-ft of torque. From a standstill, the Mii's most relevant performance figure is the 0-31mph time of 3.9 seconds. Other than its top speed of 81mph, it's also the only outright performance figure we have! Realistically, however, that point-and-squirt low speed urgency should make the Mii a great city car.
Holding the juice is a 36.8kWh lithium-ion battery which enables the Mii to achieve 161 miles on the WLTP cycle. Even after the rigours of real-world driving have been applied, a c.140 mile range is perfectly sensible for a small car about town. That relatively small battery also means that even with a moderate maximum charging input of 40kW DC the Mii can be charged in under an hour. Using a 7.2kW AC home charger, it takes four hours to reach 80 per cent.
The Mii electric will be available in five-door only. The exterior is mildly refreshed, but broadly the same as the old petrol version with the introduction of electric lettering at the rear, electric stickers on the side and 16 inch alloy wheels in matte Cosmo Grey. As standard buyers will get heated, electrically adjustable mirrors, LED daytime running lights and heated front and rear windows.
Inside, the changes are similarly subtle and include a new dashboard, ambient lighting, heated sport seats, black sport leather steering wheel, gear knob and handbrake. A standard technology package includes Bluetooth connectivity, a five inch colour screen with DAB radio, USB and aux-in, and six-speaker sound system. Air conditioning, cruise control and rain-sensing wipers are also standard. The Mii has a useful luggage capacity of 251 litres with the seats up and 923 litres with the seats folded.
Connectivity is dealt with via the SEAT CONNECT app which allows drivers to remotely adjust the climate control, access vehicle data and stats, control doors and lights and even know the car's parking position. In addition, the Mii electric includes safety technologies such as rear parking sensors, lane assist and traffic sign recognition as standard equipment.
Order books are already open, and between the 28th October to 9th November the car will be premièring at the SEAT store in Westfield White City, London. Customer deliveries will start at the end of Q1 next year.
Related Articles...
