Seres 3 is back: electric and fully loaded for less than €34,000

The brand name Seres may not sound completely unknown to you. At the end of 2020, the Green Mobility Group, set up by a selection of enthusiastic Suzuki dealers, brought the Seres 3 to the Netherlands. Not through the official channels, but through Germany. At the end of 2022, Seres quietly disappeared from the Dutch market, but the brand is now active again in the Netherlands. This time it is Seres himself who wants to sell his goods in the Netherlands. It chose a big party for this: Astara. In the Netherlands, that company is responsible, among other things, for Isuzu and the previously known SsangYong KGM. A club that does have some experience. The reintroduction of Seres starts with an old acquaintance: the Seres 3. But immediately in a refreshed form.

Seres 3

The Seres 3 as you know it from a few years ago has been updated, but not so heavily that you no longer recognize it. The Seres 3 has a boarded-up front, which gives the crossover a more EV-like appearance. Also new: the bumper work at the front has been renewed and the 3 has full-LED headlights as standard. More lighting news: the LED viewers are linked together by an LED strip. On a technical level, the Seres 3 remains completely itself, although the interior has been subtly refreshed. The Seres 3 has a new infotainment screen that can handle wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, has two inductive chargers and the climate control control is now moved to the 10.3-inch central display. The round selector button for choosing the direction of travel makes way for a more traditional and in crystal look selected selector lever.

The basis of the Seres 3 is unchanged. This means that it is once again a fairly down-to-earth crossover, but one with an interesting recipe on paper. The Seres 3 is 4.39 meters long, which makes it about 15 centimeters longer than a Volvo EX30 and even 7 centimeters larger than the MG ZS and therefore also larger than cars like the Peugeot e-2008. The hardware: a 163 hp and 195 Nm powerful electric motor and a 54 kWh battery pack. What does that offer? A top speed of 155 km/h, but much more interesting: a range of 331 km. Fast charging is possible with 56 kW and an 11 kW on-board charger is standard. None of this is earth-shattering, but in the grand scheme of things it may make the Seres 3 an interesting offering.

The Seres 3 is not only larger than its direct competitors, but also cheaper. The Seres 3 costs €33,990. This makes it no less than €4,000 cheaper than it was a few years ago. Apart from one paint option, you don’t have to buy anything at all. The Seres 3 is only available in one version and it packs quite a punch. Quite decent indeed. For just under 34 grand, the Seres 3 already has leather upholstery, a glass sliding/tilting roof, an induction charger, electrically adjustable seats and a 360-degree camera system. For comparison: the Peugeot e-2008 is available from €39,270 and not only offers less indulgence for the money, but also lower engine power. However, you do get a slightly larger range in many opponents. The aforementioned Peugeot has a range of 346 kilometers. The MG ZS EV is available from €35,885 and offers a smaller range at 320 km. It’s a matter of deliberation.

Seres 3. Don’t worry: in the Netherlands the steering wheel is on the left.

False start

Although Seres made a somewhat false start in the Netherlands, it is now – as it seems – back on a larger scale. Seres markets itself as High Tech, Premium, High Qualitybut also as a brand value for money offers. The Seres 3 is primarily an example of the latter pillar. Two more models will be added this year: the Seres 5 and the Seres 7. They both take a different approach, but are also interestingly positioned in terms of price. More about that later. Behind the scenes, Seres is now busy setting up a dealer and service network.