Move aside MG ZS: Seres 3 is now the UK cheapest electric SUV

The title of ‘UK’s cheapest electric SUV’ is a hotly contested one; the MG ZS EV has long held the prestigious crown, although recently the likes of the Smart #1 and Fiat 600e have been closing in on the MG’s £30,495 asking price.

Now, however, there’s a new king of the hill as the Seres 3 has arrived with a starting price of just £29,995, making it the only new electric SUV on the market to cost less than £30k.

So, what is it? You’d be forgiven for never having heard of Seres; the brand is a new arrival here in the UK that originates from China – as is often the case with new EV brands nowadays. 

Measuring just 4,385mm long and 1,850mm wide, the Seres 3 is a small electric SUV, similar in size to the likes of the Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona Electric, and slightly larger than the Jeep Avenger and Vauxhall Mokka Electric. 

In the UK, all versions of the 3 are powered by a 54kWh battery and 161bhp electric motor which gets the car from 0 to 62mph in 8.9 seconds and provides a range of up to 205 miles on a charge. As a result, this makes the Seres best-suited for city driving, although the maker has stated that it’s possible to charge the car from 20-80% in “just 30 minutes” thanks to DC rapid charging at speeds, we suspect, of up to around 100kW.

As you can see, both the exterior and interior designs of the Seres 3 are quite simplistic, however, even the baseline ‘Active’ model gets 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, leatherette upholstery which extends to the bottom of the dashboard, climate control, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

For an extra £2,000, stepping up to the top-spec ‘Spirit’ nets you a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, front parking sensors, an upgraded sound system, keyless entry, a wireless phone charging pad and power-folding mirrors.

Both versions of the Seres 3 are on-sale in the UK now, with sales taken care of by a company called Innovation Automotive – a distributor of other Chinese makes and models. 

As of the time of writing, there are currently nine sales/aftersales centres for Seres models in the UK. Interestingly, most of these locations mainly deal with commercial vehicles, which may be worth considering before you get dazzled by the Seres’ rock-bottom starting price.