Spanish e-mobility maker Silence brings us a more usable kind of quadricycle for city folk, the S04. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Background

There must be a small but significant group of urban buyers wishing for something like the old smart EQ fortwo electric city car - which in many ways was the perfect electric town runabout. Quadricycles like the Citroen Ami and its close cousin the Fiat Topolino have since tried to revive that market, but those cars are too restricted in range and performance for many to be able to consider them. So here's a potentially better alternative, the Silence S04. It costs nearly twice as much as an Ami but goes more than twice as far on a single charge and has far more usable performance too, though it's still restricted by its quadricycle classification. Silence is a Spanish e-mobility company better known for its range of e-scooters, most recently the S01, which was re-badged and sold in other markets by SEAT. How does the Silence brand's first venture into cars stack up? Let's see.

Driving Experience

This is the fastest quadricycle model we've come across, but you shouldn't think of it as an alternative to the kind of motoring you'd be able to enjoy in a comparably-priced supermini. The S04 has two motors sending 22bhp to the rear wheels. Those motors are housed within the wheels (a first for a road 'car') and propel it to 30mph in 7.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 52mph. Which means that out of town, you won't have a queue of traffic behind you, as you would do in a comparable but far slower Citroen Ami. Another difference with the Ami is that with this Silence, you could conceivably head out of town because there'll usually be just enough battery charge to do so; combined range from the two removable 5.6kWh batteries is estimated at 92 miles. That figure requires permanent progress in the most frugal of the three provided drive modes - 'Eco'. The other two are 'City' and 'Sport'. There's regenerative braking too. And a super-short 3.5-metre turning circle.

Design and Build

If you happen to be a fan of the old smart fortwo, you'll be right at home with the Silence S04 because it looks just how you might expect a new-era version of that old smart to be styled. And it's just as compact, measuring 2,280mm long, 1,290mm wide and 1,570mm tall (which is smaller but a little taller than a Citroen Ami). Inside, there's only room for two and in this case it's a staggered layout with the driver slightly ahead of the passenger. You get a 7-inch central infotainment screen with the usual Bluetooth 'phone connectivity. There's a multifunction steering wheel, along with air conditioning, and the dashboard is quite smartly trimmed in synthetic leather. The boot is vastly bigger than in an Ami at 247-litres (184-litres bigger): it's even 65-litres larger than a Fiat 500 - and bigger than a MINI Hatch too.

Market and Model

Silence wants around £16,000 for the S04, which is just over £7,000 more than the more obvious contender in this segment, the Citroen Ami. But of course, you're getting a lot more for your money in terms of performance and range. There currently aren't many places in the UK when you could see a Silence dealer but by the end of 2024, the Spanish brand claims it will be represented properly across the country. The best way though, is to go to the silenceuk.com website. The asking figure includes all the main equipment items you would need: a 7-inch digital TFT centre screen with an audio system and Bluetooth, plus smartphone support. You get full-LED headlights, a rear fog light, an alarm and ABS braking. There's also a multifunction steering wheel, air conditioning, electric windows and so-called 'comfort' seats. Silence also includes electric mirrors, an electric handbrake and keyless start. And the dashboard is finished in premium synthetic leather.

Cost of Ownership

Like one of its rivals, the Estrima Biro, the S04 has batteries positioned on a removal trolley built into the car, which allows them to be easily extracted for charging. Which takes between 2 and 3 hours from a 240V outlet. A battery pre-heater can activate in cold temperatures to maximise performance and range. You can track battery charge and range via a provided smartphone app. We gave you the range figure - 92 miles - in our 'Driving' section, a stat which requires permanent use of the most frugal 'Eco' drive mode. We can also expect this vehicle to hold its value very well indeed, so if you're prepared to part with your S04, you should find plenty people who want to take it on for not much less than you paid for it.

Summary

If the S04 was £3,000 or so cheaper than it is, it'd get an unwavering thumbs-up from us. At the £16,000 price point though, it's pretty much the cost of a budget brand supermini. And you'd get an awful lot more car for your money with one of those. But of course this Silence isn't a car, it's a quadricycle and it's the best example of one of those we've yet reviewed. Yes, it's vastly more expensive than the urban dweller's obvious choice in this tiny segment, Citroen's Ami. But it's also vastly more usable than that rival in terms of range and performance. And, let's be honest, looks far less weird. It is in short what the looks suggest it to be, a smart EQ fortwo for a new era. And if that's what you want, then you might like an S04 very much indeed.