Skywell BE11 (2024 - )

The Chinese are targeting the UK car market in a big and serious way. Omoda and Jaecoo - as well as BYD - are just a few of the brands that have hit these shores lately, and now it's Skywell’s turn. 

Skywell isn’t as new as it might seem to us, though. It is an electric vehicle marque with a rich heritage of automotive manufacturing dating back 24 years. In 2000, it was known as ‘Nanjing Golden Dragon’ and soon became one of China’s electric bus producers. Then, in 2011, it became a member of the Skyworth Group, one of the largest consumer electronics firms on the planet, with an annual turnover exceeding £21bn. 

Since rebranding as Skywell in 2015, the business has diversified into other automotive classifications, including vans, trucks and now cars, with the ushering in of the BE11 electric SUV. 

At 4.7m in length, the competitively priced BE11 sits firmly in the C-segment SUV segment. It is priced below £40,000 - and quite deliberately. You see, under the Expensive Car Supplement, cars that cost over this amount when new are charged an extra £410 annually in road tax for five years. Tax rates will change next year in 2025, and electric vehicles (EVs), once exempt from this 'premium car tax’, will no longer be. So, Skywell hopes this might encourage people to buy its BE11.

Rivals, such as KGM’s £44,495 Torres EVX 73kWh and Skoda’s £36,970 Enyaq 55kWh, might find Skywell’s £36,995-£39,995 BE11 taking interest away from them. Other foes, such as Nissan’s Ariya, BYD’s Atto3 and Ford’s Mustang Mach E, might have the same concern.

The large SUV has sexy razor-like LED headlights and a sporty (for an SUV) profile. The BE11 sits on handsome 19-inch alloys - and around the back, where it looks the best, you’ll find a full-width lightbar with Skywell written into it. Silver roof rails add a nice touch to the car, too. 

Inside, all looks quite premium. The rose gold door interior handles and detailing around the speaker covers are a nice touch but leave finger marks - and that would do our heads in if we owned the car. Mind you, the comfy suede and leather-style seats might distract us and take our OCD down a notch - as might the classy wood-style veneer and black panelling.

The cabin is well-lit by a panoramic sunroof, making you feel anything but claustrophobic. Technology includes a responsive 12.8-inch touchscreen, a DAB radio, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a 360-degree around-view monitor. The BE11 also features an eight-speaker sound system with a subwoofer, keyless entry and start, and an electric motion-sensing tailgate. Furthermore, the car contains three USB slots, a 12v socket, and a 220v power supply in the rear. 

The Skywell BE11 is a sizeable SUV. Its 204PS motor, which, by the way, is manufactured by BYD, propels the car via a single-speed automatic transmission from 0 to 62mph in 9.6 seconds. That doesn't look fast on your screen, but it’s enough poke for a family vehicle in the real world. Torque is 320Nm, the maximum speed is 93mph, and the car is front-wheel drive. 

The BE11 might look sporty for an SUV – but it’s not athletic to drive. That is no surprise – but you have to watch the corners. Take them without concentrating, and your heart will palpitate as the car washes worryingly wide. That is probably a reflection of our driving – but it reminds you how big and heavy the Skywell is. It is not helped by the light steering, which leaves you feeling disconnected from the road surface. 

The ride isn't too harsh on 19-inch wheels. However, early pre-production BE11s sat on 20-inch alloys, and the feedback then was that the ride was too hard. If anything, all is too bouncy now – making you focus hard on bumpy, narrow rural roads. Hit anything hilly at speed, and it can again make your heart thump a little too hard - and your hands will grip the wheel a tad harder. 

On straighter, faster roads, the BE11 is a comfy cruiser - and it's even pleasant pottering around villages - making it ideal for school-run style activity. The only drawback in this scenario is its size - you may struggle to find a gap big enough to park in busy school day traffic.      

The Skywell BE11 could be your ideal electric SUV if you’re part of a family of five. The front is roomy, and getting comfortable behind the wheel is easy. There is an abundance of space for three adults, let alone kids, in the rear. Legroom is fabulous - even if you’re a six-footer sat behind a six-foot driver. There is also lots of shoulder and headroom. Storage space in the cabin is ample, and the 467-litre boot is bang on for swallowing all the gear a family might need to take on holiday. It is certainly large enough for everyday shopping - and trips to the tip might be something you’ll do more often with 1141-litres of cargo capacity with the rear seats folded down.

As alluded to earlier, parking the car, especially in a tiny busy village, might not be practical, as we tried. But with a bit of patience - and the BE11's parking aids - it can be done without too much of a fuss. 
 

There are two versions of the Skywell BE11 – a standard-range 72kWh edition and a long-range 86kWh variant. The former will do 248 miles (WLTP combined), and the latter, as we tested, can achieve up to 304 miles. Both models house an NMC lithium-ion battery. The AC charging time of the standard-range BE11 is four hours and 30 minutes, or five hours and 30 minutes with the long-range version. The DC charging time is 36 minutes and 45 minutes, respectively.

Skywell offers a Kia-matching warranty of seven years or 100,000 miles. The BE11's battery is also guaranteed for eight years or 155,000 miles. Servicing is only needed every year, or 15,000 miles. For extra peace of mind, every BE11 is supported with AA roadside assistance for a year - which can be extended to 10 years for an extra cost.
Skywell is too new in the UK to get reliability data, yet - so we’ll have to wait for time to reveal just how trusty it is. However, with a very generous warranty being offered, it looks as though Skywell has everything ticked off to ensure reliable motoring.
 

Skywell is a young brand with exciting plans for the future. It plans to usher in a sub-four second 0-62mph Renault Megane competitor at the end of 2025, along with a commercial vehicle in April 2025 and a large executive saloon in 2026. That suggests you are in good hands with the BE11. Why? Well, Skywell wouldn't make all these plans if it wasn't sure of its products - and the marque needs to make an excellent impression with its first offering to the UK. With the sub £40,000 big, well-equipped family-targeted BE11, it looks on course to achieve that. If you pay no heed to the less-than-precise handling - and focus on the practicality, good value, and comfiness of the Skywell BE11, then this is an electric car worth buying or leasing.