Hyptec HT Premium review: More than just a fancy door

Cars these days are honestly all rather good; there really aren’t that many lemons around anymore. So how do automakers stand out from the competition? Well, they introduce new gizmos, gadgets, and headline features. 

In the case of the Hyptec HT, the headlining feature at launch was easily its rear gull-wing doors, which were outstanding and unique. The question is, does the lack of those same fancy doors in the HT Premium mean it fades into the crowd? Absolutely not.

The reason is that at its core, the HT is a solid product, whether or not its doors go upwards or outwards. In fact, the only differences between the higher-spec (with the gull-wings) Luxury variant and this Premium variant we’re looking at are the rear doors, the automatic front doors, a slightly different panoramic roof, and slightly different brake callipers. 

That’s it. The rest of the car is identical, and that’s a good thing.

The HT comes with 250kW (335hp) and 430Nm of torque sent to the rear wheels only. It’s a fair chunk of power, and as such, this premium SUV can outrun a Golf GTI from 0 to 100km/h, despite the HT weighing much more.

On a full charge of its 83kWh battery, the HT can get up to 520km of range. Though charging shouldn’t be too much of an issue since it can juice back up at up to 280kW if plugged into an equally speedy DC fast charger. 

At that charging rate, 10 per cent to 70 per cent takes just 15 minutes, and you could go from a flat batt’ to 100 per cent in under an hour. 

Driving the HT is as easy as pie, with light steering making the car easy to manoeuvre and a gentle power curve making the driving experience smooth and serene, especially with the very-well-done insulation from the outside world.

In the cabin, the wonders continue, with tech features aplenty and, more importantly, all offered as standard. That means you get both must-haves (a full suite of ADAS systems, including adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist) and nice-to-haves (ventilated and massaging front seats, Nappa leather upholstery, a 22-speaker Dolby Atmos sound system, and an air purification system with a fragrance diffuser) included in the price. No optional extras here; Hyptec includes everything.

Of course, like most cars nowadays, the bulk of the car’s functions are managed through the HT’s 14.6-inch infotainment display mounted to the dashboard. There’s also an 8.88-inch (huat ah) digital gauge cluster that displays crucial car info. Both these screens are easy to navigate and lag-free.

Tech features aside, the HT also simply has space in spades. The rear cabin is one of the most spacious of any car, period. It’s got crazy amounts of legroom and headroom, and the giant glass roof gives the cabin a very airy feel. The rear seats also recline a decent amount, so you can really get yourself comfy in the back of the HT.

The HT Premium is hands down the more sensible option of the two HT variants on offer. It still provides the same upmarket driving experience but without the showmanship of the gull-wing rear doors. And unless you really want to look extra fly, you’d probably save the 30 grand too. 

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This article was first published in Motorist.