2024 Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle First Drive Review: Rocking the Boat

2024 Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle First Drive Review: Rocking the Boat
Riding on the wheelbase of a Toyota Prius with by-wire steering controlled by a square steering "wheel" twirling a lightning-quick rack (1.2 turns lock-to-lock), it feels nimble and quick-witted, and the turning circle is crazy tight. The skateboard chassis features patented composite transverse leaf springs of variable cross-section, which helps keep the entire suspension low—the tops of the shocks are about even with the tops of the tires. The LV swallows speed bumps with suppleness, while minimal body lean, squat, and dive suggest a certain sportiness. This isn't a "forward-control" van like a Microbus, but the upright, forward seating position places the driver's eyes unusually close to the steering axle. Combine this with that speedy steering and we managed to clip the first curb or two. Braking regen is programmable in three levels ranging from unobtrusively light to full one-pedal driving.
The rear-mounted 200-pound motor, which Canoo designed, builds, and holds 58 patents on, is capable of 350 hp and 304 lb-ft. Canoo envisions making output programmable between 200 and 350 hp, with lower power boosting efficiency, reducing wear and tear, and potentially lowering use-based insurance costs. It was set to 285 hp for our drive, and in a 4,750-pound vehicle with three people onboard, its weight-to-power was worse than that of a Chevy Bolt EV or Nissan Leaf. Canoo's 9.7:1 gear reduction ratio is notably shorter than those two, though, so it accelerates more snappily, but it's certainly no rail gun. A future two-motor AWD version with both motors cranked to max output may wear the muscle-van moniker more comfortably.
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