Overview

There’s a growing wave of electric SUVs built by Chinese car manufacturers arriving on the UK market, among them the Skywell BE11. It’s a car that fits the mould of ‘mid-size family SUV’ so closely you wonder if the designers cribbed a patent. And it looks pretty promising: a spacious and practical interior, lots of standard tech, a long warranty and a relatively low price. But looking promising on paper doesn’t necessarily make it a car worth considering.

Like so many other new-to-the-UK Chinese brands, Skywell has quite a complex back story. It’s ultimately the product of Skyworth, an electronics manufacturing giant that also owns one of China’s biggest electric bus makers. It started building cars under the Skywell brand in 2012; the BE11 was its first SUV, launched in China in 2020. The company has an aggressive strategy for the UK over the next few years which includes a sporty hatchback, a premium saloon and a large van. UK sales are handled by Innovation Automotive, which has imported Chinese electric vans for the last decade or so.

We previously tested a pre-production version of the BE11 which showed there was much room for improvement. We’ve now tested the version that you can buy in the UK, at its launch. If you want to know how we’ve reached the conclusions given here, you can read more about how we test cars at Parkers.

The BE11 wades into a fiercely competitive sector of the car market. Pretty much every major car manufacturer already has or soon will have a comparable mid-size electric SUV/crossover in its model range. And it’s the sector that most incoming Chinese brands are targeting first. Among the more familiar names are the Skoda Enyaq, Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Explorer, Nissan Ariya, Peugeot e-5008 and Parkers’ 2025 car of the year, the Renault Scenic. Then there are lesser-known contenders such as the KGM Torres, Leapmotor C10, and Omada E5.

So, what does the BE11 have in its arsenal that might make some impact in an increasingly crowded crowd? Behind the inoffensively generic exterior styling, there’s a rather pleasant interior with a generous amount of space including a big boot and the car comes loaded with standard kit.

That includes a 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, electrically adjustable front seats, wireless charging pad, eight-speaker stereo by Metz and an opening panoramic glass sunroof. But there are notable omissions for a car described as ‘fully loaded,’ including adaptive cruise control and heated seats and steering wheel.

There are two models to choose from, both of which have the same standard features. The Standard Range model has a 72kWh battery capacity that realises 248 miles of range on the WLTP test cycle. The Long Range model has an 86kWh battery for 304 miles of range. Notably, both cost less than £40,000, therefore avoiding the extra ‘expensive car’ vehicle excise duty charge.

In pre-production form, we criticised the BE11 for its overly-light steering, wayward handling and lack of refinement. Have those concerns been addressed in the production model? And, more importantly, does it do anything to stand out from its myriad rivals?

Click through the following pages to find out everything you need to know about the Skywell BE11. We cover its practicality, how its feels to drive and how the costs stack up. Then you can read our verdict where we decide whether or not to recommend buying one.