MG MGS5 EV review: Comfort food for the sensible soul

The MGS5 is a bread-and-butter car for the bread-and-butter man, but perhaps the bread in question is more a fancy focaccia than a plain white.

MG’s MGS5 aims to be a staple in the Cat A electric SUV segment, and after some time with the car, I think those goals are well within reach. It comes in at an attractive price point, looking to take the fight to BYD and Aion head-on.

The MGS5 is well-proportioned and easy on the eyes. Slim headlights and daytime running lights up front give it a sleek, modern look, if a little uninspired. That said, the design is hardly polarising and gives it a broad appeal amongst its target audience.

The interior of the MGS5 is equally as thoughtfully laid out. There are physical buttons (hooray!) in sensible places like the steering wheel and below the infotainment screen that adjust key functions. The air-con vents are also manually adjustable (hooray again!), which are better than digitally adjustable ones in every regard.

Where digital makes more sense, though, is with a digital gauge cluster, which the MGS5 has in the form of a customisable 10.25-inch screen behind the steering wheel. This complements the main 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment display in the middle, which allows users to access settings and the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are even native applications for Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok, which you can use with the car’s in-built 4G connectivity to surf on the go.

The cabin itself is spacious and airy, thanks to a huge panoramic sunroof that allows lots of light into the space. However, the front seats are only heated, not ventilated, and the passenger seat is manual, instead of electrically adjustable. MG has missed the mark slightly here.

Thankfully, they make up for it in the back with plenty of room for the rear occupants. The rear seats are also supportive and comfortable to sit on for long periods of time, as well as featuring ISOFIX anchor points on both sides so you can mount up to two child seats in the back.

But how does the MGS5 actually drive? Very well, in fact. A single electric motor produces 99kW (133hp) and 250Nm of torque, which can gently usher the MGS5 from a standstill to 100km/h in 9.9 seconds. This might seem a little slow, but remember, this is a Cat A electric SUV. They’re all a little slow.

How the MGS5 stands out, however, is by having its electric motor mounted on the rear axle, giving this family SUV rear-wheel drive. Combined with light but decently direct steering, the MGS5 actually has rather good driving dynamics for a car of its shape and size. It feels agile and eager, while still maintaining a refined ride so you don’t wake up the sleeping children in the rear.

The MGS5 claims 17.1kWh/100km of consumption and up to 560km of range as the official estimate, although in my testing, I only managed around 19kWh/100km, which isn’t all that efficient. On the upside, the MGS5 has up to 150kW of DC fast charging capability, so juicing up the 62kWh battery on a compatible fast charger shouldn’t keep you out of action for too long.

The MGS5 does its job quietly and without fuss, dutifully chugging along and carrying your family, friends, or items in silent servitude. But importantly, it doesn’t do that at the expense of creature comforts or modern luxuries, offering a refined product to the masses at a competitive price.

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This article was first published in Motorist.