WHO'S IN CHARGE?

Tesla's popular electric SUV takes on a streamlined new Skoda and a well-proven Hyundai to find out who's boss

We had high hopes for the Tesla Model Y ahead of its 2021 arrival in the UK. Its lower-riding sibling, the Model 3, was well-established as our favourite electric car, and the Model Y promised a big boost in practicality without a big price hike. What wasn't to like?

Well, quite a lot, as it turned out. The ride was uncomfortably bumpy, for starters, and there was enough road and suspension noise to give you earache. It just generally felt like a rushed rehash of the Model 3 to turn it into an SUV, rather than a product honed with proper care and attention.

However, more recent experience of the Model Y indicates that Tesla has belatedly spent time giving it a bit more polish, and this is our first chance to try the entry-level RWD version. RWD stands for 'rear-wheel drive'; the more expensive Long Range and Performance versions also have a second electric motor to drive the front wheels. The RWD sacrifices some performance and its battery is smaller, but then it is quite a lot cheaper to buy.

Indeed, it's cheaper than an equivalent version of the new Skoda Enyaq Coupé iV. As the name suggests, this is a swoopier-roofed version of the excellent Enyaq iV, which was also launched in 2021. It comes with a bigger battery than its American rival and promises a healthily longer range between charges.

Our final contender is the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Like the other two cars in this test, it has a single motor driving its rear wheels, and a refresh late last year endowed it with a bigger battery and an official range almost as long as the Enyaq's. It can charge up quicker than its rivals here, too.

DRIVING

Performance, ride, handling, refinement