The BMW i3 may have more power than a Suzuki Swift Sport (168 hp vs 135 hp), but it proved no match for it around a track when AutoExpress pitted the two against one another.

The German car was hampered by intrusive electronic traction and stability aids that didn’t allow driver Owen Mildenhall to fully exploit the capabilities of its chassis. It also proved notably slower on the straights too, and the Suzuki ended up being noticeably faster in the end.

The Suzuki proved nimble and very quick for its size/power, plus having the advantage of agility on its side. It was much more eager to be taken by the scruff of the neck and thrown into corners, and with wider tires and more grip able to power out of them.

A slightly pointless test, yes, but we were somehow expecting the BMW to be a bit better than it actually was – maybe it was the extra weight of the motorcycle engine the range-extender version (tried here) had that made the difference so noticeable…

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