MWM SPARTAN EV

There are only a few cars these days that make me grin like a Cheshire cat - a full fat Range Rover, Suzuki Jimny, the Lady Niva, and of course a V8 Mustang. However, since last month there’s a new 4x4 that’s just been added to the list - the MW Motors all electric Spartan.

You may look at the photos and think, “Hang on, isn’t that one of those cold-war era Russian UAZ 469s that were thrashed by Soviet armed forces on some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world?” And the answer would be yes, kinda.

You see, using the old philosophy, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, UAZ still produce the 469, but these days it’s called the Hunter.

So what is the MWM Spartan EV all about?

MW Motors decided that there was a need for an all electric workhorse, and the UAZ Hunter fitted the bill perfectly. So, cutting a long story short, they made a deal with UAZ for them to manufacture the base vehicle in Russia, with the right hand conversion completed at factory. Once ready full electrification of the vehicle is completed by MWM in Czech Republic ready for UK, and this is how the Spartan came to be.

Spartan by name, spartan by nature. Just as you would expect for a 4x4 that’s been designed and built for hard work, it’s quite minimalist. There are no fancy interiors or accessories - imagine a Series Land Rover but far comfier and more spacious.

The whole point of the Spartan EV is to be a simple and rugged 4x4 that’s ready and willing to access the most remote places, yet with the ultimate ecofriendly credentials.

Is it any good?

Oh yes!

I met up with Rosh down at Tixover quarry near Stamford, where I had the site all to myself for the whole afternoon, and the and the best thing was, Rosh wasn’t precious about where I drove it.

This particular vehicle is a testing mule that was still being used for development purposes, so you can excuse any rough edges.

After jumping behind the steering wheel, my first thoughts were how comfortable the seats were, despite how basic they looked. Then, after setting off around the quarry, I was taken aback by how subtle the ride was, which was hardly surprising as the Spartan has front independent coil springs with an anti-roll bar and semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear.

As you sit quite high, visibility is not dissimilar to an old style Ninety as you look down on everything around you, none of those sloping bonnets that make you wonder how far you are away from rocks and trees.

The more I drove the Spartan around Tixover, the more confident I became with its capability, to the point I wasn’t just driving up steeper inclines, but I was choosing more challenging ascents with both loose surfaces and deep undulating ruts.

On one particular daunting hill, as I was driving as slow as I possibly could, we reached the top and as one front wheel fell into a hole, the opposite grabbed around a foot of air, and traction was lost. Reversing back down I could have tried it again but with a bit more momentum, but this Spartan had a rear locker, which will be an optional extra, so why not put it to good use?

Again, I drove up the hill, and again as we reached the top the off-side wheel took to the air, but this time, with minimal effort, the Spartan carried on as if it had just mounted a kerb!

Further on the rear locking diff did its job superbly when the Spartan was faced with an even steeper hill covered with a loose stones. Rosh told me that before I had arrived he’d attempted it without success, but he hadn’t used the locker. This time, with locker engaged, we both managed to conquer it, many times in fact, once for photos, another time for a cheeky video, and again for fun!

The 120kW motor has an enormous 600Nm of torque and it’ll pretty much idle up the steepest of terrain, and on the road the 63kW battery is good enough for around 125 miles. But it’s off road where it comes into its own, as after 3 hours of intense and technical off-roading it was only down by 15%. In fact, Rosh told me that when a potential customer in the mining industry borrowed it, after three days of hard work, it still had 20% of battery life left.

With an energy recovery system as standard that is able to recover up to 60kW through kinetic energy, the 63kW battery pack also has a fast charging capability and can be charged up to 80% during a typical lunch break.

As if the Spartan couldn’t get any better, not only can it tow up to 2.5 tonnes, but it has a strong rigid ladder style chassis, selectable 2 and 4-wheel drive, five doors and five seats with a fully opening rear tailgate. Prices for the Spartan EV start at £28,450 + VAT and delivery, and the final price depends on the colour of the body and optional equipment. A 90kWh battery pack will become available in the future, possibly later in 2022.

MW Motors have designed the Spartan for customers such as real 4×4 enthusiasts, the agricultural community, forestry workers and underground mining companies who believe they’ve been abandoned by large car manufacturers.

All vehicles come with 2 years warranty, and currently the lead time is 26 weeks with a plan to reduce to 20-22 weeks in the future.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon with Rosh and the Spartan, let there be no doubt that it’s a very capable 4x4.

For more details website - https://spartan.mwmotors.cz

Email - rosh.mendis@mwmotors.cz

Landline - +44 (0) 1784 465 681

Mobile - +44 (0) 7395 245 210