The MG5 electric car offers good cabin space, impressive driving range and a tempting price. We’re testing the MG5 EV Sportwagon this week. We know its cheap, but is it nasty?
The MG5 looks like a homage to a VW Passat estate. Its as if a 16:9 widescreen photo of a Passat wagon was squished into the old 4:3 TV screen format. In truth the car’s exterior design looks utterly fine. There is no hint of the brand’s Chinese origin in its styling whatsoever and you could easily pass it off as European. The front end is handsome. Behind the MG grille badge is a CCS electrical charging socket.
When viewed side-on the flanks feature some styling creases that aren’t offensive and the doors open wide for easy access. The rear is classic station wagon in appearance. The boot holds 464 litres (to the load cover) and this is a useful amount. It will tackle the big shop with ease and even take those sporting sticks you put in a bag… ah yes, golf clubs. Drop the rear seat backs down and there is up to 1,456 litres of cargo space. The MG5 is a compact family car that thinks its large!
Inside the five seat cabin is a surprisingly decent interior that doesn’t reflect the cheap price point. The dash and instruments are laid out well and connectivity is good too with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. An 8-inch touchscreen display dominates the centre dash area and it also displays the Sat Nav and reversing camera. It is fair to say the MG5’s interior manages to exceed expectations.
Electricity powers the MG5. Under the floor is a 61.1 kWh battery pack that can take a charge at a rate up to 100kW. The MG5’s battery powers a 156hp electric motor that turns the front wheels. Front-wheel drive in an EV should be an asset in wintery weather as many EVs are rear-wheel drive and have yet to prove themselves in wintery conditions on regular summer tyres. The sprint from 0-100km/h takes just under eight seconds. The battery can go from a zero to 80% charge in 50 minutes using a rapid DC charger. At a regular home charger an overnight session of 8.5 hours will see the battery recharged fully. MG quotes a maximum WLTP driving range from a full charge of 345km, and up to 445km in city driving – this range is very impressive for under 30 grand.
On the road the MG5 has few vices and is quite comfortable. Corner hard and you experience body roll but the car generally puts you in a cruising type of mood. The driving position while not SUV-like is good and the kilometres pass with out much drama. The MG5 delivers a quite ‘contented’ driving experience and that kind of surprised me.
Excite and exclusive are the grades available. Solid, Metallic and Tri-Coat exterior paint options for each grade and the choice affects pricing. Pricing starts from €29,645 (Excite/solid) with the Tr-Coat Exclusive model the range topper at €33,795.
The MG5 does what is says on the tin, and the tin is good value for money! So to answer my own question – is it nasty? No!
