Driving report: Microlino Pioneer
Scooter with roof
Microlino Pioneer
© press-inform – the press office
The name Microlino could hardly be more appropriate and the design of the electric two-seater with strong rejection of BMW’s historic Isetta is all a show. But ultimately the Microlino is little more than a scooter with a roof.
The idea of the Microlino is already a few years old and for a long time it looked as if the minicar from Switzerland would not make it into series production. But now he’s here and after the kick scooter, the company Micro brings his cuddly Microlino to the customer after all. The visual similarities with the former BMW Isetta are obvious, but otherwise the two city mobiles, which separate almost seven decades, do not have much in common. Considering that the 2.52 meter long Microlino is a small car that is only suitable for the inner city, the price of 22,690 euros for the two-tone Pioneer variant is extremely impressive. The fact that the Swiss smooch ball, which is just 1.47 meters wide and with its largest 10.5 kWh battery pack, can still cover 177 kilometers before it has to be plugged in does not change that. The basic model with the small 6 kWh battery, which will be available later, costs at least 17,690 euros – also anything but a bargain.
All versions are powered by an electric motor in the rear, which delivers a manageable 13 kW / 17 hp / 89 Nm. That’s enough for a traffic light sprint from 0 to 50 km/h in five seconds. With its small electric motor in the rear, the Microlino trundles along happily. A curb weight of just 435 kilograms is not much. The steering wheel is small and there is no airbag in the fun mobile. In return, it rumbles down curbs somewhat awkwardly and is only too happy to pass on the structural imponderables of manhole covers on the road to its up to two occupants. In the city center, the whirring drive is enough, but on the country road, trucks quickly attack you in the exterior mirror, because it takes some time before the micromobile, produced by the Italian contract manufacturer Cecomp in Turin, pushes over the digital 70 km/h mark. Uphill more than Tempo 60 are hardly possible. Therefore, you should limit excursions to the city and not waste any thought about covering even short distances on expressways and motorways.
The standard consumption of the Italo-Swiss: almost six kWh per 100 kilometers. There is seriously only enough space inside for a tall adult or two petite people, because otherwise it would get uncomfortable on the poorly padded bench more quickly than you would like. Getting in through the forward-swinging front door based on the Isetta model is a show effect; brings with it hardly any significant advantages. Except the parking lot in the city is so narrow that you couldn’t open side doors. With a width of not even 1.50 meters rather unlikely. The narrow basic package offers, among other things, LED headlights, digital instruments, an artificial leather seat that can be slightly adjusted in length and 13-inch wheel set with steel rims. In addition to space for two adults, the small mobility scooter offers 230 liters of luggage space for up to three crates of drinks. In addition to the middle battery of the Pioneer version, there are two small battery variants with manageable six and 14 kWh, which ensure ranges of 90 and up to 230 kilometers. The Microlino charges up in just under four hours from a household socket.
Instead of the tubular space frame usual in the light vehicle class, the tiny car has a self-supporting body made of a steel-aluminium mixture. Distribution is carried out by the mobility service provider Astara, which already sells SsangYong, Maxus and Isuzu vehicles in Germany after the model can be ordered online. Whether it is a legitimate Smart Fortwo successor, which also had its origins in Switzerland with Swatch founder Nicolas Hayek, remains to be seen in the coming years.