Road Tested by Hugh Maguire.
The ever-increasing volume of Chinese manufacturers arriving in Europe is hard to keep up with, let alone learning to pronounce the names of some of them! But MG is a brand we have known for decades albeit now no longer a British brand but rather a Chinese one and one that is rapidly making inroads on the European and Irish car market with a range of competitively priced EV’s.
Since their arrival on the Irish market they have been growing their market share by providing well priced well kitted out EV’s.
So to their latest arrival the MGS5. You may recall I gave a brief intro to this model a month or so ago based on my first impressions at the Irish press launch. Now after a week and some 480km behind the wheel I can tell you how it fares agents the competition.
The new MGS5 comes in two trim levels Excite and Exclusive and a choice of two battery sizes a 49kWh battery with a claimed range of 340km and a larger 64kWh battery with a claimed range of 480km. Take all range claims for all EV’s with a pinch of salt! My test car has the larger 64kWh battery.
First Impressions.
It’s no head turner but the overall style is good. The sleek angular LED front lights and low nose give it a purposeful appearance and the rear and side profiles are equally good.
What is it like inside?
Slip inside and the functional cabin is well laid out with a clean uncluttered style. I’d prefer the driver display to be a bit larger as the cabin is dominated by the huge now common central touchscreen. Standard kit includes Apple Car Play and Android auto as well as wireless phone charging, the aforementioned 12.8 inch central screen, and MG Pilot which is a package of safety systems that include emergency braking, blind spot detection, lane assist and so on. Unique to the new S5 is MG Pilot Custom which allows owners to set up the car the way they want and it stores the settings for each individual driver.
I found the cabin to be roomy and comfortable. The boot at some 453 litres with the 60/40 rear seats in situ is generous too no doubt due to the slim design of the underfloor battery.
I must commend MG for putting back some physical buttons in this car for controlling functions such as the door mirrors, heating and ventilation and radio volume. I am forever highlighting the distractions caused by having to prod endless menus’s on touchscreens while driving. Interestingly while on the subject EURO NCAP are making it mandatory for manufactures to include physical buttons for major functions once again as their studies have revealed ‘distracted driving’ due to touchscreens has been a factor in road accidents. Worth noting too is that EURO NCAP has given the new MGS5 a full top 5-star rating for safety.
What is under the bonnet?
All versions of the S5 come with a 170bhp electric motor which delivers a pretty good 0 to 100km/h time of 6.3 seconds. Performance feels spritely and there are different driving modes to suit your mood. I started my road test with 90% charge and a predicted range of 411 km. In reality it achieved 340km leaving 20km as I re-charged. To be fair this is actually a very good result when compared to rivals who are often so far off the promised range its actually unacceptable. Equally when using braking regeneration around town it holds the current level of charge very well. So top marks to MG here for EV efficiency.
On the road.
It proves quiet and refined though it won’t win prizes for dynamic handling. In short if you want comfortable A to B transport it delivers but drivers seeking something more involving need to look elsewhere.
Hugh’s Verdict
Priced from €29,995 for the entry level ‘Excite’ version it aims to appeal to those looking for a mid sized electric SUV without paying a fortune. The “Exclusive’ on test cost €33,200.
MG have priced this new S5 pretty aggressively undercutting mainstream rivals by upwards of €5,000 and more. Allied to that the S5 comes with a 150,000 km/ 7 year warranty and an 8-year warranty on the battery itself. This new S5 will do well as an entry level EV.