Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.

Dynamically it's comfortable and quiet - though there are quite a few rustles from the outside at speed - very soft in the suspension and notably geared for off-road rather than on. But for getting between job sites, you'd be well cared for. Just don't attempt any late braking heroics into a roundabout, drive like you would a recent classic, and you'll be fine. There's something undoubtedly Series Land Rover in the make-up, but that's not a problem. There's also something delightful about its lack of pretension. We particularly liked the transmission tunnel saddlebags for oddment stowage - why doesn't every car have them?

How about off-road?

That's where the Munro really comes into its own. It's very simple to operate, and largely bombproof. We waded it over the bonnet, ran it up steep mud hills, cross-axled it on big ruts. And even though our demo car didn't have the optional extra diff locks, it conquered very nearly everything. We did manage to beach it once, but only bigger tyres and more height would have possibly saved it - things it can have. The torque from the EV motor would be fine with a set of 37in tyres. But it's easy and supremely competent - a car that you're not afraid to beat up and use properly. Even the founder mentioned that a Munro looks better covered in mud and with a few war wounds.

It'll also happily charge on a normal EV charger at 130kW DC or 7kW AC, so it's just like a normal EV. And you could possibly run a logistics or command post off it when out somewhere.

Viva the Scottish carmaker!

This is the first Scottish car to be produced in about 40 years. Munro was started in 2019, as mentioned, originally with the idea of converting older Land Rovers to electrified power. But the team soon realised that electric isn't the hard part - it's the conversion of the base vehicle. So they developed an entirely new product that solved the problems of both the original and the powertrain.

They've ended up with a serious bit of kit - albeit a pretty costly one. The more powerful M280 comes in at £82,495 without VAT, the M170 £69,662, again without VAT. So that's another 20 per cent on those prices if you're not a business user.

That's a lot for such a specific requirement.

Yes, it's challenging. But the requirement is anything but specific. The bit is the absolute clarity of purpose. The M-series wasn't created to satisfy the SUV crowd. Or even try. Every decision is about utility, ability and competence. Yes, it's ugly and utilitarian, and yes, it's probably a bit much if you don't use the 4x4 ability at least 50 per cent of the time, but there's something utterly lovely about a vehicle that hits the mission statement. It's not for everyone, but those that find a use will love it. It's the kind of vehicle that works for a living and makes no apologies for that. It's not for showing off, it's for showing up.

Price: £82,495 (ex-VAT)

Drivetrain: Single-motor, AWD mechanical drivetrain, two-speed transfer case

Battery: 85kWh LFT, 170-mile 'real world' range

Charging: 130kW DC (15-80pc in 30 mins), 7kW AC

Power: 375bhp, 516lb ft

Performance: 5.0secs 0-62mph (est), 95mph top speed (est)

Weight: 2,450kg

Munro M280 review: ugly, utilitarian... and utterly lovely Reviews 2025