It’s little wonder, then, that the T90EV is rear-wheel drive only; has a ground clearance of just 187mm, compared with at least 220mm for diesel rivals; and has slightly reduced approach and departure angles, at 27deg and 24deg – all of which makes it at best a compromised off-roader.
The rear-axle-mounted electric motor isn’t short of power, with 201bhp – the top end of diesel performance in this sector. There’s regenerative braking that’s firm and either on or off, as well as Eco, Normal and Power modes that do little to alter the power levels, adjust the 78mph top speed or affect the 220-mile range.
It’s becoming an EV cliché that the lower centre of gravity (due to the floor mounting of the batteries) improves the handling. On paper, it’s simple physics. But in reality, it doesn’t always ring true, and the T90EV is a case in point.
It feels well planted on the road, with tight body control through bends, but doesn’t exactly feel like it could do itself justice on a free-flowing country road. It has a firm ride while feeling light at the front and wayward at the back. In swapping a heavy diesel engine for far lighter electrical components in the nose, the T90 has lost its bite at the front wheels, and the more even weight distribution of batteries across the length of the chassis does little to help the handling when you bury the throttle pedal and more weight is transferred to the rear.
At motorway speeds, the T90EV’s rear wags like the tail of an excited spaniel, and you have to constantly move the wheel to correct this, because there’s no neutral point in the steering for travelling in a straight line.