Reliable hybrid SUV that boasts impressive range

THE attraction for British drivers of touring in Brittany is that by sticking to a small stretch of coastline, resorts on the Emerald Coast are easily accessible within a handful of kilometres.

Years ago, I would undertake long car journeys into France for what was always a brief summer holiday (the standard fortnight) going down often to the region around La Rochelle.

Of course, many drivers go much further (and on into Spain) but these days pottering along the Emerald Coast around Dinard does it for me.

We were in a large, seven-seater SUV, a Kia Sorento, so we had plenty of space for people and all the paraphernalia of holiday.

On the Brittany Ferries crossing from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo (in a new hybrid ship of the same name) we arrived in France in fine spirits after a night crossing.

Since Brexit, the passage for drivers through customs on both sides of the Channel has been slow.

This time we plodded through Portsmouth customs, the car — like the one in front and for most of the long queue of cars going to France — checked with search devices. I was invited along with one item of our luggage in the Sorento — a small rucksack — to step into a small cabin. There my rucksack was sent along a conveyor belt and through a scanner, similar to those found in airports.

We passed through without incident but the scrutiny at Portsmouth in and out of the UK and on the other side at Saint-Malo was much more intense than I can ever recall in decades of summer travel to France.

So now, more than ever, it is worthwhile for UK motorists to make themselves aware of the rules of the road while driving in France.

Many may be blasé about it, but it is worthwhile keeping up with new French rules of the road.

Having had one road accident in France some years back I am now ultra-careful about everything to do when driving there.

Our experience back then was a bout with a posse of unhelpful police officers mainly due to a wall of misunderstanding. You do not want that to spoil your summer holiday driving, so you might want to take note of the AA guidelines (in the side panel on this page).

I am not saying that the French police would in any way set out to “pick on” British drivers but I do know it pays to be very careful when at the wheel in France.

A growing complication might be if you are considering next year taking an EV (electric vehicle) to France.

Brittany Ferries says it is not possible to charge electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles on board its ferries but offers port guides for information on EV charging points near ferry ports.

The AA advises drivers to use a map of charging stations, charge your EV overnight, and download and register with apps to use and pay for charging points to “make the process smoother”.

In the new Saint-Malo ship, which operates between Portsmouth and Saint-Malo, loading and unloading cars is smoother with more deck space.

Of course it matters which car you travel in abroad. Paramount of course is reliability. The Kia Sorento was ideal as a plug-in hybrid. At present, while EVs continue to improve, I think the plug-in hybrids or self-charging hybrid cars are a good bet for better mpg and driving range security.

The Kia Sorento PHEV I was driving in France is the most powerful and lowest-emitting model in the Sorento line-up.

It features the same 1.6-litre T-GDi engine as the regular HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) model. The engine and motor are paired with a high-capacity 13.8kWh lithium-ion polymer battery.

This enables the seven-seat SUV to deliver an equivalent all-electric range of up to 34 miles from a single charge, enough to complete short journeys on EV power alone.

The plug-in hybrid model produces peak power of 248bhp and offers a possible 176.6 mpg range on the combined cycle. Use the plug-in right — with the technical help of the car’s hybrid engine management system — and you can achieve this high mpg.

Test car: Kia Sorento PHEV ‘2’ 1.6-litre T-GDi six-speed automatic. On the road price: £47,405.

For information on Brittany Ferries’ crossings visit www.brittany-ferries.co.uk