In contrast to the upper two dual-motor models, Comfort comes with a single, rear-mounted motor producing 308bhp. It derives its power from an 82.5kWh battery pack, and BYD quotes a 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds. That ‘Blade’ battery is capable of up to 150kW charging speeds, which should get the battery from 10-80 per cent in around 32 minutes. Range is quoted at 300 miles.

But hold on a second. Aren’t high-end Chinese cars meant to be breaking the internet with their incredible charge speeds, performance and technology? A Volkswagen ID.5 isn’t just £10k cheaper, but it’ll also do an extra 45 miles on a charge and match the BYD for performance and top-up speeds. The flagship Ultimate model ups the range and charging to 329 miles and 230kW, but at £59,000 it’s hot on the heels of BMW’s new iX3 with its 500 miles and 400kW peak.

You sit high in the BYD’s driver’s seat, and the relatively low dashboard only accentuates this. The sloping roofline and tiny rear window don’t give it a particularly airy feeling – but the panoramic roof helps. 

Connectivity has its highs and lows. The screen is relatively fast to react and has no problem maintaining a solid wireless connection for Apple CarPlay. But simple tasks are buried in multiple menus. You can also rotate the screen in a typical BYD way, but I find this utterly pointless. 

We’ll go into more detail about how the Sealion drives and the sort of efficiency we’re getting over the course of the next few months, but at the moment it’s doing around 2.9 miles per kWh. This is less than what BYD quotes and is the result of largely urban driving so far, but that’s not such a bad number considering the recent cold weather.

The BYD will have to prove it’s worth the ambitious price tag by driving, cosseting and reassuring us to the levels we expect of its legacy-branded rivals that offer very similar, if not even better value. Only time will tell.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.

Although it’s not as big as the 5008, the Qashqai has enough space for four adults and the Tekna+ model we’re testing has premium quilted-leather heated seats that include a massage setting. There is synthetic suede trim on the centre console and arm-rests, plus customisable ambient lighting. Overall, the interior feels very classy.

The 504-litre boot is large enough for all my photography gear and, as in the 5008, has a storage space under two removable shelves where I can store all the car-cleaning products that I need for photoshoots in winter. The ride is firmer than the 5008’s and there is slightly more noise in the cabin. Neither is a big issue, however, and the ride is still good. The pay-off is a more dynamic driving experience.

In fact, the only issue wasn’t the car’s fault at all. A day after it was delivered, a low tyre pressure warning popped up on the screen. I inflated the tyre to the correct PSI at a garage and I couldn’t see any damage to the rubber following a quick inspection. 

A couple of days later the warning light came on again, though, and this time I decided to have the tyre checked at an F1 Autocentre. The technician found a tiny hole in the sidewall that couldn’t be repaired. The right tyre wasn’t in stock, so I returned a few days later for a new Michelin Primacy 4 to match the other three tyres. It cost £251.56, which made for a frustrating start to the year.

*Insurance quote for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

Buy a car with Auto Express. Our nationwide dealer network has some fantastic cars on offer right now with new, used and leasing car deals to choose from…

The only significant way my situation differs from the typical EX30 buyer’s is that I’m not an empty-nester – my wife and I have an 11-year-old daughter in tow. As a result, the EX30’s introduction to Pringle family life has been a diet of short suburban journeys, mainly to and from school, football training and matches, and the shops.

That means I haven’t tested the car’s range at all, although it was a deliberate choice to pick the Extended Range model – as most EX30 buyers do. This can officially manage 296 miles per charge, and while that hasn’t been a concern so far, a welcome side-effect is that I’ve only had to charge the car once in its first three weeks with me.

Tougher tests will come, but for now the EX30 is settling perfectly into its role. I’m enjoying the smooth and responsive electric powertrain around town, as well as the excellent refinement – in terms of both the lack of noise inside the car, and the way the suspension deals with poor road surfaces.

The Volvo is practical enough for our three-person family, and the tech works well, too. I particularly like the built-in Google Maps navigation, Apple CarPlay has worked faultlessly for streaming music, and I easily linked the car to the Volvo smartphone app.

My only complaints so far are that – as in so many cars these days – some of the safety-assist features are a little over-eager (although I’ve programmed a button on the steering wheel to turn off the speed alert with a single press). I’m going to need a while to get to grips with the complexities of the infotainment system, too. Otherwise, I’ve certainly come up trumps with this Volvo.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

Now you can buy a car through our network of top dealers around the UK. Search for the latest deals…

Since the John Cooper Works arrived on our fleet, MINI has upped the price from £31,200 to £33,530. That’s a fairly significant jump, because it means the car is now more than £2,000 dearer than its closest competitor, the Volkswagen Polo GTI. 

In addition, the JCW is now £5,000 more than the MINI Cooper S and £3,500 more costly than the new Skoda Fabia 130 – two cars that I would definitely consider going for, thanks to their slightly softer, more friendly chassis set-up. 

If you do opt for the JCW, it makes sense to do what we did and choose the £3,800 Level 3 option pack. This brings much-needed tech such as a heated steering wheel and seats, a panoramic roof and a head-up display, which is a must considering the lack of a screen for the driver.

MINI John Cooper Works: Second report

Funky hatch is – mostly – helping our man recapture his youth

• Mileage: 6,331 miles
• Efficiency: 38.7mpg

If there’s one car brand that trades heavily on its youthful appeal, then it’s MINI. And potentially the most youth-oriented of its models is the JCW hatch I’ve been running over the past few months. I really enjoyed blasting it around the Curborough sprint course when it first arrived, and more recently I’ve noticed this hot hatch may have been influencing a change in my lifestyle. 

Although I’m very much on the far side of 30, I’ve decided that now is as good a time as ever to get into some of my old pastimes. Despite how creaky and distinctly un-youthful my body feels, I’ve managed to nail down a ‘pop shuv-it’ in skateboarding (you might want to play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater if you don’t know what I’m on about), started playing for my local 11-a-side football team, and even tried to make sure I’m not completely wasting the money I spend on my gym membership. 

Apparently, I’ve also followed 70 or so per cent of Duster customers by opting for the full-hybrid powertrain. In part, buyers want the promised excellent fuel economy, but choosing this set-up is, for the time being, the only way to get yourself into a Duster with an automatic gearbox.

Despite all that, this is a car with a list price of less than £26,000 – lower than the most basic version of the Ford Puma – yet it comes with lots of premium tech. My car’s Journey trim includes all-round electric windows, a multiview camera, keyless entry, sat-nav and a smartphone charging pad, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

So, once I’d taken delivery of the car, was the Duster as impressive on the Great West Road and beyond as it was in the glitzy showroom? To cut a long story short, yes. In fact, I’ve done a few hundred miles since these pictures were taken, and they’ve all been very pleasant. Admittedly, pretty much all of them have been around suburban south-west London – which plays to the car’s strengths – but I have no complaints.

The ride is smooth over the pothole-ridden roads, and the transmission is silky, switching neatly between petrol and electric power. The icing on the cake is that I’m getting more than 50mpg without making any great effort to drive economically. Given that the car’s official economy figure is 55.4mpg, this is very pleasing. Indeed, on one 19-mile round trip to play some sport in another part of London, I managed a record (so far) of 71.7mpg. If the car continues to hit these numbers, I’ll be very happy indeed.

The practicality, too, is perfect for my three-person family. My wife and I have plenty of room in the front seats, and there’s enough space for our 11-year-old daughter in the back. I’ll test the boot with a tip run soon. 

I also like the way you can personalise the driver settings through the touchscreen, then apply them at the start of each trip with just two button presses. When you can get so much for so little it’s no surprise whatsoever that so many people are signing up to drive a Dacia.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.