Skywell BE11 review: The price isn't too high, but the electric SUV is far behind the competition
The Skywell BE11 has its advantages – mainly its attractive price – but it's hardly comparable to many of the more established electric SUVs already sold in the United Kingdom
conclusion
Skywell may be completely unknown in the United Kingdom market, but the Skywell BE11 seems to be able to offer buyers a lot of electric cars for a small amount of money. While it scores well for value, space, and comfort, it falls far short of most electric family cars that have been sold in terms of chassis complexity, powertrain calibration, performance, efficiency, and charging speed. If you just need a big car that doesn't cost much, then it's hard to find fault with it, but if your main concern is value, we recommend checking out the second-hand market.
The shift to electrification in the new car market has opened the door for many manufacturers to enter the United Kingdom market, many of them from China. Some manufacturers, such as MG and BYD, have become large players and are showing increasing influence. Others are in their infancy.
One of the new brands is Skywell. The group has no affiliation with any of China's household names (even emerging ones); Its products in China are mainly skewed towards commercial vehicles, starting with electric buses, but also trucks, heavy machinery and vans. In addition to that, Skywell also has a consumer electronics division, and the car you see in front of you is called the Skyworth EV6 in China. Given that Kia already has the EV6 name in China, the BE11 name is clearly considered less confusing.
The car has been sold in the local market since 2021 with both petrol and electric powertrains, but here only EVs. Great value for money and designed to appeal to buyers, the car is large in size (4.7 metres long, about the same length as the current BMW X3), comes standard and is priced at around £35,000, although yet to be confirmed.
While our early non-United Kingdom spec cars don't have all the features yet, buyers here will enjoy SUVs with panoramic sunroofs, heated and cooled front seats, interior ambient lighting, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an eight-speaker sound system, among a host of other technologies.
All of this is housed in a clean-looking interior and, undeniably, with influences from more familiar manufacturers. Some of the smaller details, like a row of buttons on the center console, a metal speaker grille, and a double-hinged central storage compartment, remind us of Mercedes. And the single-span imitation wood across the dashboard, with a large 12.9-inch touchscreen protruding in the middle, is reminiscent of the Tesla Model Y.
The surface quality feels good, but we think it's closer to the Hyundai MG than to the more luxurious (and more expensive) options like the Peugeot E-3008 or the Skoda Enyaq. The touchscreen is clear enough, but when Android Auto expands to its full size, it looks a bit blocky and low-resolution, and you can't easily change the climate control on the screen. To do this, you need to close the smartphone mirroring software and go back to the proprietary system – a tedious task on the move.
Looking further back, though, the situation is much better, as the BE11's rear seat area is simply too large. In particular, the knee room is almost the same as that of a limousine, and the headroom is also great. But aside from the fact that the floor area is a bit high compared to the seat base, the passengers in the second row do feel great.
But behind the wheel of the BE11, all of these values are on full display. In addition to best-in-class, there are some essential areas that are worth improving.
While EV drivers are now accustomed to the instant throttle response that an electric motor can provide, the opposite is true here. It takes almost a full second from pressing the gas pedal to getting any response. Try to mentally calculate this time and think about how it feels every time you want to pull out of an intersection, overtake, or just keep a smooth ride on the straight.
And when the throttle is activated, it's not easy to adjust. As we pulled out a couple of intersections, the inside front tire suddenly skidded and glowed brightly – one time, when we tried to do so at a moderate speed, it was enough to cause a single wheel to burn and smoke. It would be easier to understand if the BE11 was fast, but with a 0-62mph acceleration time of 9.6 seconds, the 201bhp engine lags behind most electric competitors. Our cars are equipped with Giti tires; Until Skywell confirms the rubber that will be supplied to United Kingdom cars, we will keep a full judgment on the traction issue.
Elsewhere, there are also problems with brake calibration. The brakes are very grippy at low speeds, and when the recuperation is set to the strongest mode, the brakes are still not particularly aggressive. We like that the recuperation can be adjusted proportionally, though, and if there's enough room for one-pedal driving, the driver can adjust it exactly to their liking.
While there are undoubtedly some drawbacks to the way the BE11 is driven, it also has advantages. The chassis setup is soft by class-leading standards, making it one of the more comfortable options in this price range. Of course, this means that it's not the most responsive car to drive – which isn't much of a problem for a car in this class – but there's plenty of clearance in steering response, especially when going straight, and there's no excuse for that.
In our opinion, the efficiency is okay. Driven on the highway for a long time in warm conditions, its electrical energy release is 3.4 mph, which means you can expect a real-world range of around 250 miles thanks to its very large battery. An electric SUV of similar size will release slightly more power; The Skoda Enyaq Coupe emits 3.8 mph in similar conditions, while the Peugeot E-3008 emits more. However, these cars have a charging power of 135kW and 160kW, respectively; The BE11 has a peak power of only 80kW, so it takes 45 minutes to charge from 20% to 70%.
The £35,000 price mentioned above is for the model with a slightly smaller 72kWh battery, while Skywell's sources tell us that this version will still cost less than £40,000 with a huge list of equipment and an 86kWh unit. Both come with a seven-year warranty and an eight-year battery warranty. The price is similar to our 2023 Car of the Year, the Hyundai Kona EV; Admittedly, it's a smaller car (though still spacious enough for four six-foot-tall people), significantly better to drive, more efficient (thanks to its smaller size), and close to the BE11 in terms of standard equipment.
If you're willing to buy a used car, the outlook for the BE11 is even harder to predict. We found a two-year-old BMW iX xDrive40 that costs £40,000, and in terms of driving and refinement, it's not only better than the BE11, but better than almost every other electric SUV you can think of. On top of that, the iX handles well, delivers great performance, has a stunning cockpit and best-in-class in-vehicle technology.
| Model: | Skywell BE11 86kWh |
| Price: | Less than £40,000 (estimated) |
| Prices from: | £35,000 (estimated) |
| Powertrain: | 1 electric motor, 86kWh battery (total) |
| Power/Torque: | 201 hp / 320 Nm |
| Disseminate: | Single-speed automatic, front-wheel drive |
| 0 to 62 mph: | 9.6 seconds |
| Top speed: | 93 mph |
| Range: | 304 miles (WLTP) |
| Toll: | 80kW (from 20% to 70% in 45 minutes) |
| Dimensions (length/width/height): | 4,720/1,908/1,696 mm |