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By Jonathan Crouch

The Micro Microlino might just make you smile. Jonathan Crouch takes a look at this very chic kind of urban runabout.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 36

Micro's Microlino revives the spirit of the '50s bubble car for this new EV era. On paper it makes no sense, but as a tiny charismatic mobility proposition for urban-based folk, you might just love it.

Backgroundword count: 213

You might be vaguely aware of the segment for so-called 'quadricycles'; battery-powered city runabouts for urban use that look like cars but can be driven on a motorcycle licence and aim to be one answer to smog in our cities. You properly haven't driven one and we'll save you the trouble of doing so by telling you that they're pretty crude things, totally out of their depth beyond the metropolis. But what if you could have a means of central town transport that was more car-like, but retained all the usual quadricycle advantages? The micro Microlino claims to be that vehicle. The Swiss Micro brand was formed in 1999 by Wim Ouboter, who launched the famous Kick scooter, 90 million which have been sold since. An e-scooter version of it followed in 2013 before in 2015, Wim's two sons Merlin and Oliver decided they would build a vehicle, one styled as a retro successor to 1950's bubble cars: so the Microlino project was born. After numerous setbacks, production finally started with Italian partner Cecomp in Turin in 2022. And today, a couple of Microlino models have made it to our market, one aimed at the quadricycle segment and one aimed at customers seeking something a little more car-like. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experienceword count: 389

There are two kinds of Microlino. The standard model wants to be a proper city car - or as much of a city car as any vehicle with an output of just 17bhp can ever be. The alternative is the Microlino Lite, which is restricted to 12bhp and uses a smaller battery that brings weight below 425kg, so as to qualify the vehicle for the L6 category of quadricycle. A Microlino Lite can be driven on a moped or motorcycle licence by drivers who in the UK can be as young as 16 (14-year-olds can take the wheel in France or Italy). The Lite version has a 28mph top speed and its little 6kWh battery takes it 58 miles between charges - stats which closely resemble those of a Citroen Ami (which goes 46 miles between charges). The standard Microlino has a 10.5kWh battery with a claimed 110 mile range. If you want to go further - which you might because the standard version's 56mph top speed means that this Micro would be OK on a dual carriageway - there's also a top 14kWh battery available on the standard version, offering a 141 mile range. With both the Lite and the standard models, an electric motor drives a pair of rear wheels and you get a reverse gear. The fact that there are two rear wheels and you get a reverse ratio in the gearbox are both worth mentioning because the old BMW Isetta this Micro was inspired by had only one rear wheel in its earliest forms - and no reverse. On the move in a Microlino, don't expect a lot of electric zip (the power-to-weight ratio is just 28bhp-per-tonne) but the ordinary Microlino's light 613kg kerb weight means that 30mph can be crested in around 5 seconds, enough to keep you up with the flow of traffic. To the accompaniment of a slightly intrusive rear motor whine. Which loudens when you press the rocket ship-emblazoned 'Sport' mode button, though that doesn't have much effect on outright speed. Don't expect the short wheelbase and dinky 13-inch wheels to give you a particularly comfortable ride over bumpy surfaces. And there'll be plenty of body roll through the corners. But hey, what else is really quite like one of these? Three Microlinos can fit in a single standard parking space.

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