Asking the impossible - tall but narrow?
Asking the impossible - tall but narrow?
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Discussion

BobToc

Original Poster:

2,030 posts

146 months

Friday 7th February 2025
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We have an Ioniq 5 and are generally quite pleased. Eyeing up options for what comes next and my wife would like something that has a raised seating position, but which isn’t too big (we had a loan of an iX and it was a bit too wide and a bit too long). Are there any EV options out there? My wife was a fan of a mid-2000s RAV4…

SteBrown91

3,129 posts

158 months

Friday 7th February 2025
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I don’t know if it’s an optical illusion but the VW ID3 seems fairly narrow compared to its rivals. However I do not think I could live with the dreary looks, dreadful interior quality and borderline criminal infortainment screen.

Quattr04.

1,248 posts

20 months

Friday 7th February 2025
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You don’t say what range you want or how narrow but there’s loads of Small EV SUVs around

Peugeot 2008, Vauxhall Mokka, BMW iX1, Q4 isn’t massive , Skodas new elrouq, Kia EV3, fiat grande panda, Honda ENq1, Lexus UBX, Mercedes EQA, ford Puma E - or even the explorer isn’t massive (id4 sized)

SDK

3,502 posts

282 months

Friday 7th February 2025
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Probably a bit too narrow tongue out

Carver One


John87

1,119 posts

187 months

Friday 7th February 2025
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What about a Volvo ex30 or ex40? Depends on how tall and how narrow you want!

Quattr04.

1,248 posts

20 months

Friday 7th February 2025
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TheDrownedApe

1,802 posts

85 months

Friday 7th February 2025
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I can't think of anything stand out that's new but is an i3 tall but narrow enough?

JonnyVTEC

3,249 posts

204 months

Friday 7th February 2025
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Cupra born and drives well too.

hidetheelephants

35,849 posts

222 months

Saturday 8th February 2025
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Try a Soul or an EV3, they're about the same size as the Rav4 and the softroaderish design means you're a bit higher than the average hatchback.

ian_c_uk

1,451 posts

232 months

Saturday 8th February 2025
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hidetheelephants said:
Try a Soul or an EV3, they're about the same size as the Rav4 and the softroaderish design means you're a bit higher than the average hatchback.
This. My wife finds my GV60 a bit “broad” (same platform as Ioniq 5), but loves her Soul. It has the height (and squared off bonnet with easy to see corners) but much easier to thread between parked cars etc.

frisbee

5,598 posts

139 months

Saturday 8th February 2025
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An Ioniq 5 is a deceptively huge car, most cars will be narrower.

ChocolateFrog

34,954 posts

202 months

Saturday 8th February 2025
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TheDrownedApe said:
I can't think of anything stand out that's new but is an i3 tall but narrow enough?
Probably the best bet.

plfrench

4,895 posts

297 months

Saturday 8th February 2025
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Agree with someone else above about Skoda’s new Elroq. Looks pretty bang on in terms of dimensions apart from having a significantly larger boot.


rix

2,949 posts

219 months

Saturday 8th February 2025
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ID Buzz?

kambites

71,475 posts

250 months

Saturday 8th February 2025
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The Kia Niro is pretty close in dimensions to the RAV4, just slightly lower.

ETA: OK quite a lot lower, I hadn't appreciated how tall the RAV4 is! I guess that shape is quite rare in an EV because it's inherently so unaerodynamic. The EC3 Aircross might be worth a look?

newberry

511 posts

227 months

Sunday 9th February 2025
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Audi Q4 e-tron? I assume you were talking about the BMW IX, I think they are very slightly bigger than the Q8 e-tron so the Q4 should be small enough?

Sheepshanks

41,028 posts

148 months

Sunday 9th February 2025
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Gen 2 Hyundai Kona is fairly narrow these days at 1825mm wide.

Daughter got one as it was pretty well identical dimensions to the SEAT Ateca she had before, which suited her size-wise.

TheDeuce

34,073 posts

95 months

Sunday 9th February 2025
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Each new generation of car seems to get wider, especially EV's.

It does kinda make sense as the extra width is useful in terms of practicality and space 100% of the time, and only occasionally a problem when parking which is less than 1% of the time.

And many newer cars all park themselves with a high level of accuracy anyway.

Width seems an odd deciding factor for for car choice! I say that as someone who lives in a thousand year old market town, so I do understand that sometimes smaller is better...

ashenfie

3,218 posts

75 months

Sunday 9th February 2025
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https://i.redd.it/4ii7pqtznn0d1.jpeg

Edited by ashenfie on Sunday 9th February 20:01

BobToc

Original Poster:

2,030 posts

146 months

Thursday 13th February 2025
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Thanks for this, very helpful suggestions all round and a few surprises (esp. the Skoda). For what it's worth the Ioniq 5 is basically fine (despite a scratch on the rear arch when a wall jumped out). The iX looks to be about 30cm longer and 7cm wider, which combined was enough to feel awkward.