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Micro's Microlino revives the spirit of the '50s bubble car for this new EV era. On paper it makes no sense, but as a tiny charismatic mobility proposition for urban-based folk, you might just love it.
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Driving experience
There are two kinds of Microlino. The standard model wants to be a proper city car - or as much of a city car as any vehicle with an output of just 17bhp can ever be. The alternative is the Microlino Lite, which is restricted to 12bhp and uses a smaller battery that brings weight below 425kg, so as to qualify the vehicle for the L6 category of quadricycle. A Microlino Lite can be driven on a moped or motorcycle licence by drivers who in the UK can be as young as 16 (14-year-olds can take the wheel in France or Italy). The Lite version has a 28mph top speed and its little 6kWh battery takes it 58 miles between charges - stats which closely resemble those of a Citroen Ami (which goes 46 miles between charges).
The standard Microlino has a 10.5kWh battery with a claimed 110 mile range. If you want to go further - which you might because the standard version's 56mph top speed means that this Micro would be OK on a dual carriageway - there's also a top 14kWh battery available on the standard version, offering a 141 mile range. With both the Lite and the standard models, an electric motor drives a pair of rear wheels and you get a reverse gear. The fact that there are two rear wheels and you get a reverse ratio in the gearbox are both worth mentioning because the old BMW Isetta this Micro was inspired by had only one rear wheel in its earliest forms - and no reverse.
On the move in a Microlino, don't expect a lot of electric zip (the power-to-weight ratio is just 28bhp-per-tonne) but the ordinary Microlino's light 613kg kerb weight means that 30mph can be crested in around 5 seconds, enough to keep you up with the flow of traffic. To the accompaniment of a slightly intrusive rear motor whine. Which loudens when you press the rocket ship-emblazoned 'Sport' mode button, though that doesn't have much effect on outright speed. Don't expect the short wheelbase and dinky 13-inch wheels to give you a particularly comfortable ride over bumpy surfaces. And there'll be plenty of body roll through the corners. But hey, what else is really quite like one of these? Three Microlinos can fit in a single standard parking space.
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Design and build
As others have found, retro-futuristic design isn't easy to pull off but Micro has been quite successful here in recreating the '50s bubble car for a new era. As you might guess if you're familiar with this period, the looks are based around those of the tiny BMW Isetta from that era, which was built under licence in that Munich marque's early years and designed by ISO Rivolta in Italy, which made it easier for Micro to get permission to replicate the classic shape.
Inevitably, a Microlino is quite a bit bigger than the Isetta was but at 2,519mm long, 1,473mm wide and 1,501mm tall, it still feels a tiny thing by modern standards. That slight size increase was mainly necessitated by the need for the steel and aluminium monocoque, which Micro says is a first for the micro car segment. There are mirror-mounted headlights and dinky little 13-inch wheels. But the side hinged front door is of course the most notable Isetta carry-over, though here the steering column doesn't come with it, as it did in that old BMW. Which by the way came with just a single rear wheel in its earliest forms; the Microlino was only ever engineered with four wheels.
Swing that door open and you're faced with a bench seat that can take a couple of adults. There's no separated central monitor - just a tiny touchscreen set-up with a digital driver display and the climate functions. There's a neat elasticated bottle holder and a grab rail onto which you can mount various extra-cost accessories.
The boot is surprisingly large - at 230-litres, it's much bigger than what you get in a Citroen Ami (167-litres more): apparently, three crates of beer will fit. More usefully, a couple of fold-out scooters will easily fit for any final journey needed to your urban destination after you park up.
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Market and model
The Microlino Lite is priced from around £17,000 in the UK (so you could have two Citroen Amis for the same amount). The standard Microlino costs from around £18,000. Both are imported here by Krazy Horse (see www.krazyhorse.co.uk/products/microlino). Or you can order direct at www.microlino-car.com. There are three trim 'Editions' - 'Urban', 'Dolce' and top 'Competizione'. And it's possible to specify extra-cost 'Premium' and 'Comfort' packs if you want slightly nicer-feeling interior.
Across the range, you do at least get lots of equipment included in the price; it's a very different thing to a basic Citroen Ami. The Microlino comes with a seat bench upholstered in vegan black Marino leather and microfibre suede. The side panels and dashboard are covered in vegan microfibre suede and the steering wheel is upholstered in vegan leather. There's white stitching on the seat and wheel and a Micro logo stitched onto the headrests.
In addition, you get side pockets, a Bluetooth speaker and a smartphone holder. Plus there are dual displays, a speedometer and central touch display. Along with handle straps for the door and passenger in vegan leather. An anodised black aluminium dashboard bar is there to attach accessories. And there are 'black needle' felt floor mats in the interior and trunk area.
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Cost of ownership
A maximum charging speed of just 11kW means that at that speed, it takes 2 hours to charge the 6kWh Lite model, 4 hours to charge the 10.5kWh Microlino and 5 hours 30 minutes to charge 14kWh version. Plug into an ordinary domestic socket and you'll need 3 hours 30 minutes for the 6kWh and 10.5kWh batteries - and 4 hours 30 minutes for the 14kWh battery.
Micro reckons the average commuter drives only 70 miles a week at an average speed of around 20mph, so believes this vehicle is a feasible one-charge-per-week solution for most customers. We can also expect this vehicle to hold its value very well indeed, so if you're prepared to part with your Microlino, you should find plenty people who want to take it on for hopefully not much less than you paid for it.
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Summary
There's no logical reason whatsoever we can give you to choose a Microlino. Micro waxes lyrical about this model's environmental advantages, but you could also get all of those by choosing a quadricycle costing a lot less. Granted, one of those wouldn't drive as much like a car as a Microlino does, but for the money Micro wants for one of these, you could easily get yourself a proper electric car.
It's just as well then, that this Swiss/Italian model can also offer a subjective appeal with its retro 'bubble car' looks. Wherever you take it, people will point, stare and smile. For an extrovert then, the ultimate city car. For an ex-smart fortwo EV owner, perhaps the perfect next step. And for the planet, a way of meeting your environmental responsibility by engaging in something the green lobby is often unfamiliar with; the need for a bit of fun.
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