30/06/2023 The MG 5 is a good EV that ticks lots of boxes for those in the market for a flexible electric car. The long range five-door, five-seat, estate car is competitively priced from €35,895 and now in its second generation looks smarter with a design that is more pleasing to the eye.
The MG 5 is based on the estate body ‘Sportwagon’ shape but it’s surprisingly compact and is car park friendly. Unlike many overly-long estate cars the MG 5 won’t intimidate drivers. The car seats five in an impressive level of comfort, and is a very easy car to use. The changes to the MG 5 can be seen on the outside with a flush, smoother exterior that has gained a degree of sophistication. There are interesting design elements to the bodywork that are easy on the eye. A choice of six exterior colours are available. The charge port is located to the front and centre of the grille behind the MG badge.
The cabin is impressive for this price point. The dash does nothing remarkable and is nicely laid out and not in the slightest way intimidating. The car features a good amount of equipment, most being accessible through the 10.25 inch touch screen (7 inch entry model) – including MG’s ADAS suite of systems called ‘MG Pilot’. MG Pilot includes ACC (adaptive cruise control), Intelligent High Beam Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, Intelligent Speed Limiter, Lane Keeping Assist and AEB (emergency braking). Apple CarPlay and Android Auto allow smart phone integration. The boot holds 479 litres (up to the load cover) and this can expand to 1,367 litres with the rear seats down. There are two grades: Excite and Exclusive. LED headlights are standard as are the silver roof rails – what estate river doesn’t covet the ability to attach a roof box. The range topper gets a driver’s-side heated and powered seat, auto air con and faux-leather upholstery to name a few extras.
Under the skin there is a long range battery pack with a capacity of 61.1kWh (57.4kWh net). The battery powers a 156hp motor with 280nm of torque that powers the front wheels. 0-100km/h takes as little as 7.7 seconds. The MG 5 has a 7 kW onboard AC charger and has a maximum DC charging capability of 87kW. Maximum driving range from a full battery ranges from 379 (entry model) to 403km (top grade). MG 5 is rated for towing at a lowly 500kgs maximum.
On the road, the MG 5 has sufficient power to deliver reasonable performance, while using relatively small amounts of energy to get me to be. the car has no obvious vices and simply does what you ask without any complaint. The rider is good. The seats are very comfortable and vision is good too. The dash layout is good I’m going to use your smartphone integration. The screen works well and the displays are absolutely fine. The MG 5 is proof that so many other car makers are asking far too much for their electric vehicles.
The revised MG 5 is a very pleasant car. It is smart enough looking to go unnoticed among European Evie’s yet is priced at a point that shames European makers and others for exploiting. Those wishing to drive electric cars. While the MG 5 will not appear on many bedroom walls as a poster of automotive desire it is an appealing car on many levels with pricing that can’t be ignored. As a family car, the MG 5 EV makes a huge amount of sense. In coming years MG will deliver some more impressive looking cars. The start of this offensive is the MG 4 with the revised MG 5- that has picked up awards for smart looks and value for money packaging. MG is giving buyers the opportunity to be proud of their machine – and there is a 7-year warranty! Michael Sheridan
