Top of the pile, to nobody’s surprise, is the Renault 5. The European Car of the Year has won just about every award going thanks to its brilliant blend of value, capability and style, offering 118bhp and 191 miles of range or 148bhp and 252 miles, with prices from around £21,000 thanks to the Electric Car Grant.
The Hyundai Inster takes a different approach, wrapping a city car in rough ‘n’ tough SUV-style looks. Just 3.8m long, it packs in houndstooth upholstery, adaptive cruise control and a surprising amount of space, with a choice of 203-mile or 229-mile batteries from £23,500.
France supplies the value picks. The Citroen e-C3 starts at less than £20,000 yet brings a 199-mile range, alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen and 100kW charging as standard, while its cousin, the Fiat Grande Panda, matches that 199-mile range and just-over-£20,000 price with retro design that will win hearts as well as heads. At the true budget end, recent grant-related price cuts mean the evergreen Fiat 500e now starts at just over £17,000, making it one of the cheapest EVs on sale.
Familiar names abound elsewhere. The second-generation Mini Cooper is as compact as ever but adds a 49.2kWh battery for 250 miles of range, more than 100 miles up on the old car, along with power outputs from 181bhp to 254bhp and the same grin-inducing go-kart handling. The new Nissan Micra, meanwhile, shares the Renault 5’s brilliant platform, meaning more than 250 miles on a charge, a deft chassis and full grant eligibility from £21,500.
Then there are the hot ones, because nothing says small cars have to be sensible. The Abarth 600e squeezes 276bhp and a limited slip differential into a compact crossover for one of the most engaging ‘hot hatch’ EVs out there, while the Alpine A290, joint European Car of the Year with the Renault 5 it is based on, transforms the sensible R5 into a characterful 221bhp hot hatch with major chassis revisions to match.
Completing the list is the Cupra Raval, the striking spearhead of the Volkswagen Group’s small car family. For now only the spicier versions are available, including the 222bhp VZ with true hot hatch handling, but 114bhp versions from £24,000 arrive later in 2026.
What is striking about the list is its breadth. There are city runabouts, retro superminis, hot hatches and family-friendly all-rounders, with prices stretching from £17,000 to nearly £40,000 and ranges beyond 250 miles. A few years ago a list like this would have struggled to reach five cars; now, with entry-level Ravals, the Suzuki e Sky and a new Twingo still to come, the hardest part is whittling it down to 10.
Each car gets its own verdict in the magazine, along with the key numbers you need if you’re weighing one up against the ever-growing competition. If you’re shopping for a small EV, or just want proof that electric motoring no longer means £40,000 SUVs, this is the place to start.
To read the full article go to page 42 of the page-flip September issue.
