Would a Microlino be a safer option for Malaysians?

Ever heard of the Microlino? Maybe no. One thing is for sure it is a very cute microcar made by a company that started the kick scooter. A microcar is essentially a step up from a quadricycle. Some countries, especially in the EU allow drivers as young as 14 to drive microcars (imagine Malaysians!).

Nevertheless, here are some facts and figures by Microlino. It is a compact car built to mimic the classic Isetta. The car features a single door on the front which opens outwards and an egg-like overall shape. Cute? Definitely.

Microlino claims a range of 200KM which on paper at least, is pretty impressive for a microcar. At 14KW, it is also more powerful than existing vehicles of its class such as the Citroen AMI. 250-litre trunk space is certainly a plus for a microcar. Microlino claims you can fit 3 crates of beer!

Microlino 2.0 comes in 3 variants. An Urban Edition is an entry-level version with a 6kWh battery and a range of 91 KM. It also comes in Amsterdan Orange and Santorini White. Available in Q2 2022. The next variant is the Dolce Edition. It comes in 5 colours (Paris Mint, Milano Red, Zurich Blue and the standard white and orange from Urban Edition) and has a sunroof as standard. The Dolce also allows customers to choose from all 3 battery options. It features chrome, LEDs and other styling bits. Finally, the Competizione Edition comes in 3 matte colours (London Green, Berlin Anthracite and Gotham Black). It also has a sunroof and LEDs as standard. The Competizione Edition also comes with a 10kWh battery as standard.

Early adopters can opt for the Pioneer series, with 2 colour options (Atlantis Blue and Torino Aluminium) and a 10kWh battery (about 177KM range).

Would it make sense for a Microlino to be used in Malaysia? As of now no. Here’s why. Malaysians still love their mopeds and are generally not accustomed to cars being used for a single purpose (in this case a city microcar). We love to take our city cars onto the highways and drive “like” we stole them. While a push from the government to adopt microcars would see a benefit in terms of safety, many would probably not consider this.

As for me personally, I would definitely want one. With my travel range being less than 10KM a day, a microcar like this would be a fun and zippy way to commute daily.

What are your thoughts on the Microlino? Would you get one here in Malaysia? Do you think that microcars are a death trap? Let us know down below.