Is the Chinese brand’s entry into the UK market a flit or a flop?
Before we delve into the merits of the Skywell BE11 as a car, let’s briefly consider where the marque comes from.The Chinese brand emerged in 2017 as a joint venture between one of the world’s largest consumer electronics groups – called Skyworth – and electric bus maker Nanjing Golden Dragon. Its cars are being brought here by Gloucestershire-based importer Innovation Automotive.The BE11 is being introduced as not only Skywell’s first car, but its attempt to grab a share of the UK fleet market and rival everything from the Ford Mustang Mach-E to the Skoda Enyaq, and Nissan Ariya to the KGM Torres.We initially drove a prototype, and, if truth be told, we didn’t much like it. Its steering was too light, its infotainment system was unfathomable, the speedometer only showed in kilometres per hour and the brakes were spongy.But Skywell has since gone back to the drawing board and fitted the car with a new BYD-sourced motor, reduced the wheel size from 20in to 19in, reconfigured the suspension for comfort, and downsized the infotainment screen by 2.2in so that users can see the ‘start/stop’ button once hidden behind it. This, then, is our chance to drive the finished product, and find out if this new player has a fighting chance of success.The Skywell BE11 range at a glanceThe BE11 range is very simple, because there’s only one trim level. Two different battery sizes are available, including a 72kWh unit offering 248 miles of range or an 86kWh Long Range version that yields 304 miles. Both are nickel-manganese-cobalt in chemistry and sit within the car’s wheelbase. They are mated to a single motor that powers the front wheels, making 201bhp and 236lb ft of torque, which is good for a 0-62mph time of 9.6sec and a top speed of 93mph. All cars sit on passive suspension with a torsion beam at the rear, and none can be had with four-wheel drive.