Microlino review: super-cute EV bubble car turns heads and raises laughs

The model we have here is that full-fat Microlino Long Range which boasts more equipment, requires a full B1 (car) licence to drive and starts from an eye-watering £21,500. It’s powered by an even larger 15kWh battery and a beefier 17bhp electric motor, boosting range and top speed to 142 miles and 56mph respectively.

Unlike the Twizy and its ill-fated successor, the Mobilize Duo, which both adopted futuristic designs, the Microlino draws heavily on the BMW Isetta bubble car of the sixties. This retro throwback is perhaps the Microlino’s greatest selling point, modernised with full-width light bars, headlamps integrated into the side mirrors and a diminutive silhouette that’s dwarfed by contemporary city cars.

Like bubble cars of years gone by, the Microlino has a single front-opening door, although in this instance it features soft-close technology. Opening it up really adds to the sense of theatre, although locating the button to do so is a task thanks to the fact it’s concealed below the passenger-side mirror. At the rear there’s a hatchback opening which reveals a 230-litre boot that houses the Microlino’s charging cables; a full charge takes around five-and-a-half hours when using a traditional three-point household socket.

Awkwardly step inside and things start to go downhill. Admittedly, rival quadricycles are far from luxurious, but we expected more from a car of the Microlino’s lofty price tag. The interior trim is reminiscent of the same fabric-wrapped cardboard-esque material as used on boot parcel shelves, while the plastic surrounding it appears to be the cheapest and scratchiest the Swiss brand could find.