Triple test: Fiat 500 vs MINI Electric vs Honda e

Brands borrowing from their heritage or redesigning their most iconic models for the modern day is hardly a new trend. But now, some of the most popular, most eye-catching and arguably most interesting electric models on the market are these retro-inspired small cars that have truly captured our imaginations.

Yet these models can’t only be good at garnering likes on social media or posing on your driveway. They have to work as useable everyday electric cars, too. So, while we await the arrival of the reborn electric Renault 5 and Volkswagen ID.Buzz to further expand this category, we're pitting three of the hottest retro-inspired electric superminis – from Honda, Fiat and MINI – against one another to see if any are worth the premium price tag that their technology and style command.

Honda e

Pros: Looks, interior, manoeuvrability

Cons: Range, price, small boot

Fiat 500

Pros: Range, handling, value for money

Cons: Price, interior quality, base model poorly equipped

MINI Electric

Pros: Sharp handling, healthy performance, as practical as petrol

Cons: Standard equipment, limited range, no five-door

Looking at the list of pros and cons for the three cars in this test, each seems to take a different approach when it comes to justifying its near-£30,000 price tag. The MINI is clearly aimed at those looking for the go-kart driving experience its petrol-powered counterpart is famed for. The Honda, on the other hand, has a technology-centric philosophy, with styling to make millennials swoon, while the Fiat adds more usable range to its appealing city-car package. Read on to find out which of these stylish electric superminis comes out on top...