Seat have turned their city car, the Mii, into an EV. It’s clearly a slightly more complex process than the one I’m about to describe but they have, essentially, removed the internal combustion engine and replaced it with a battery and a motor.

There is some ‘electric’ badging to distinguish the battery-powered car from the outgoing model but, that aside, it is very much as-you-were.

The most noticeable difference compared to fossil fuel-power is the reduction in range. According to the WLTP test cycle the Mii electric will cover 161 miles between charges. In the real world you can knock at least 20 to 30 miles off that figure but, even then, 130-odd miles from a single charge is a reasonable return from its 36.8kWh battery.

The motor delivers 82bhp and 156lbft of torque and while it’s true they aren’t huge numbers there’s enough oomph to show most cars a clean pair of heels when you take off from a junction. It’s in built-up areas with stop-start traffic that the Mii really feels at home.

It is relaxing to drive thanks to light and accurate steering, diminutive dimensions and boxy styling that all combine to make it easy to thread the Mii through narrow, congested streets. Its turning circle is conveniently forgiving.

The ride quality is particularly impressive. It deals with larger imperfections, such as speed bumps and potholes, with impressive composure and feels stable at all speeds. It’s quiet, too, apart from a little wind noise around the door mirrors a higher speeds but there’s little else to disturb the peace and quiet in the cabin.

It’s a little less at home on higher-speed roads, like motorways, where its limitations start to show. It will happily cruise along for mile after mile with minimum effort, though it’s top speed is limited to 81mph, but it lacks that same burst of acceleration it demonstrates at lower speeds and that makes overtaking on the motorway more of a chore.

There are three driving modes – Normal, Eco and Eco+ - that alter the balance between power and range. Normal mode places all 82bhp at your disposal, while Eco and Eco+ limit it in order to increase range. Switching to Eco+ turns off the air conditioning which, in my experience, is worth anything up to 10 miles.

Flicking the gear selector all the way back turns the regenerative braking – the system that recovers some of the energy that would have otherwise been lost during braking and converts it into electricity to top up the battery – all the way up to maximum. It’s powerful enough to bring the car to a near halt but doesn’t quite allow for one-pedal driving.

The brake pedal feels consistent and natural in use, though, which is not a description you can always apply to electric vehicles.

Bakelite. That’s always the first thought that springs to mind when I climb behind the steering wheel. It’s the white plastic with gold detail that is, I suspect, supposed to represent electrical circuitry that does it. It does, at least, add some brightness to what would otherwise be a rather drab environment.

The cabin is starting to look its age compared to its rivals and, although there’s no question about the build quality, the choice of materials does leave a little to desire. There’s a significant amount of brittle, scratchy plastic in use and the steering wheel feels particularly uninspiring.

The driving position is good but the steering wheel doesn’t adjust for reach, only rake, and the seat backs adjust with a ratchet lever rather than a dial and that combination makes it difficult to find the perfect posture. There’s no adjustable lumbar support either.

Visibility is excellent thanks to large glass areas and its boxy design. It’s just as well because, while rear parking sensors are included as standard, neither front sensors nor a rear-view camera even make it onto the options list.

You don’t get a touchscreen infotainment system. In fact, you don’t get much of a screen at all. Instead there’s a phone holder on top of the dash with a colour LCD display below and physical shortcut buttons that allow you cycle through your mobile’s functions using the associated app.

Functionality is reasonably impressive as the app will also allow you to lock and unlock the car or set the air con before you get in. It’s not as elegant a solution as a touchscreen interface and there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto but it does help keep the costs down and, well, it does work.

There’s plenty of space in the front for taller passengers and there’s an impressive amount of storage too, with decent-sized door pockets and single cupholder located at the bottom of the dash, in the centre. There’s a small cubby just in front of the gear lever too.

The battery is below the rear seats which are 5cm higher compared to the petrol-powered Mii. Thanks to its relatively tall, boxy profile back-seat passengers still enjoy a generous amount of headroom. Legroom is limited – this is one of the smallest electric cars on the market after all – but only the tallest of passengers will find sitting in the back unbearable.

It is a strict four-seater and, anyway, it would be an uncomfortable squeeze trying to fit three passengers across the rear bench. The back windows pop open – they can’t be wound down.

You can opt for an adjustable boot floor and, in its lowest setting, it is usefully deep but it isn’t particularly long and there’s a big loading lip. There’s a storage well just in front of the boot opening where you can store the charging cables. It’s a nice touch.

The Mii has a dated interior, a decent – rather than impressive – range and only seats four but the ride is excellent, it’s brilliant around town and, while it is still more expensive than comparable combustion-engined cars, its price does bring EV motoring within reach for many more people and, for that reason alone, it should prove a popular choice for the environmentally concerned among us.

Seat Mii Electric 83PS single-speed automatic

Price: £25,045

As tested: £22,305*

Motor: Permanent magnet synchronous electric

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Max power: 83PS

Max torque: 212Nm

Max speed: 81mph

0-62mph: 12.3 seconds

Consumption: 14.1-14.9kWh/100km

Range: 160 miles

*includes options and government PiCG.

For more information visit www.seat.co.uk