Inverex Xio

Battery and motor

The Inverex Xio is a small battery-electric hatchback offered in three versions named after their claimed range: EV-140, EV-220 and EV-320. All use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and a single permanent-magnet motor driving the front wheels. The EV-140 has a 14.72 kWh battery and a 15 kW motor with 95 Nm of torque. The EV-220 (19.14 kWh) and EV-320 (31.28 kWh) both get an 18 kW motor with 105 Nm. Top speed is 101 km/h for every version, so the Xio is built for city roads rather than motorways. Inverex says running costs are about Rs 4 per km.

Charging

Every Xio has a 2.8 kW AC charger with a Type 2 socket. Inverex quotes up to 8 hours for a full AC charge on the EV-140 and EV-220, and up to 12 hours on the EV-320. Only the EV-220 and EV-320 have a DC fast-charging socket, which Inverex says takes the battery from 30% to 80% in about 36 minutes. The EV-140 cannot use DC fast chargers.

Size and practicality

The Xio is 3,584 mm long, 1,475 mm wide and 1,666 mm tall, on a 2,455 mm wheelbase. That makes it shorter than most small hatchbacks sold in Pakistan, which should make it easy to park. It has five doors but seats four people, and the rear seat folds down fully for extra luggage space. The 15-inch alloy wheels use 165/55 R15 tyres. PakWheels lists ground clearance of 120 mm, which is low for local speed breakers.

Equipment by variant

Equipment is the same on all three versions; the differences are the battery, motor and DC charging. Standard features include a driver airbag, ABS, EBD, stability control, ISOFIX mounts, tyre pressure monitoring, rear parking sensors and a reverse camera. Inside there is a 10.1-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Bluetooth, a 7-inch colour instrument display, USB Type-C ports, four speakers, manual air conditioning, push-button start, power windows on all four doors, electric mirrors and Standard and Sport drive modes. Outside you get LED headlights with daytime running lights and a shark-fin antenna. Seats are fabric and adjust manually. Apple CarPlay is not listed.

Warranty

Inverex gives a 5-year or 100,000 km warranty on the car and an 8-year or 120,000 km warranty on the battery.

Which variant to buy

Our opinion: the EV-220 is the best balance for most buyers. For Rs 700,000 more than the EV-140, it adds a larger battery, more power and DC fast charging, which makes the car much easier to live with if you cannot always charge at home. The EV-140 suits buyers with home charging and short, fixed daily routes. The EV-320 costs Rs 1,000,000 more than the EV-220 and makes sense only if you regularly drive long distances in a day, as it has the same motor and features.