Living with the MG5
Review by Jacob Lerklint
An electric car with a good range and a big boot must be pricey, right? Wrong. Let us introduce you to the MG5 EV – an estate car that combines a decent battery with an attractive list price. How far can the MG5 go on a full charge? Officially, the 57kWh (usable) battery pack gives the model a range of up to 400km. That's not bad considering most rivals able to match costs much more. And how much can you fit in the boot? Well, certainly a lot more than you can squeeze into all the similarly priced electric rivals. If all that hasn’t piqued your interest, the MG5 should also save you a packet in tax if you get one as a company car compared with petrol, diesel and even plug-in hybrid (PHEV) alternatives. That's partly because it's a zero-emissions vehicle – great news if you're keen to make the switch to greener transport. The MG5 we’re talking about here is the facelifted model, which received massively revamped looks inside and out compared with the version that first went on sale in the UK. So, is this latest '5' too good to be true, or could it slot perfectly into your life at a pocket-friendly price? You'll notice that none of those are estate cars – the MG5 is unique in this price range as an electric estate, although there are plenty of electric SUVs around.
All MG5s get an electric motor with 154bhp and a 57kWh (usable) battery pack that’s good for an official WLTP combined range of 400km. That’s significantly more than the Honda E, Mini Electric, Mazda MX-30 and Peugeot e-208. If you need more range, take a look at the big battery versions of the MG4, MG ZS EV, Hyundai Kona Electric or VW ID.3. With 154bhp from its electric motor, the 5 takes a respectable 7.7sec to blast from 0-62mph. For electric cars in this price range, it’s quick. It will beat the Renault Zoe and the MX-30 in a drag race, but if you do really care about performance, there are faster alternatives out there including the Mini Electric and ID.3. The 5's pace is spritely up to 40mph, with enough heartiness after that to make light work of a fast motorway merge, and it can tow up to 500kg. It is quite easy to set the traction control light flashing, though. The car can struggle to calmly deploy all its power when asked for a burst of speed. In fact, with traction control off and Sport mode engaged, it's alarmingly easy to spin up the front wheels. If you’re not looking to do massive burnouts, the MG5 is relaxing to drive. It’s quite a softly sprung car, so it soothes away most road imperfections around town and is really settled on motorways. It's better controlled than a lot of rival cars, including the ZS EV and the firmer ID.3, and is not far off matching the best-riding small electric cars, such as the e-208. It also handles better than the taller ZS EV and has precise steering, sensible grip levels and reasonable suspension control over bumpy roads. However, compared with the more lithe ID.3 and MG4, and the fun-to-drive MX-30, the 5 leans more in corners and is nowhere near as spry. You’ll notice the electric motor’s whine more than you will in most rivals, especially when you’re pottering around town, but at speed the 5 is pretty mute. There's much less wind noise than in the ZS EV, and less road rumble than in the ID.3, but the Citroën e-C4 and e-208 are much better, and the MX-30 is slightly quieter. The brakes are far less grabby than the e-C4’s or e-208’s. The 5's regenerative braking system, which recharges the battery as you slow down, doesn't overtly corrupt the pedal feel, so you can come to a smooth stop easily. You can increase and decrease the effectiveness of the regenerative braking – as you can in a lot of electric cars – but it’s never strong enough to allow ‘one-pedal’ driving (the Nissan Leaf lets you come to a stop just by lifting off the accelerator).
Entry-level trim gives the MG5 six-way manual adjustment and adjustable lumbar support for the driver's seat, while Trophy trim adds electric adjustment. We wish the seat height adjuster allowed the seat to drop a little lower, but with the height and reach adjustable steering wheel and soft seat cushions, most people should be pretty comfortable on a long trip. The steering wheel in the Nissan Leaf moves up and down only. The MG5's 7.0in digital instrument panel is bright and clear, and shows a variety of information, with easy-to-use controls on the steering wheel. Just don’t expect snazzy 3D graphics like you get with the digital dials in the Peugeot e-208. On the plus side, it's easier to work the 5's dashboard controls because of the big, clear buttons, which are much better than the e-208's fiddly touch-sensitive controls. There's more glass area and narrower windscreen pillars than in the e-208, so from behind the wheel, forward visibility is better in the 5. The rising side window line and chunky rear pillars do limit your over-the-shoulder visibility a little, but it's far from the hardest car to reverse. The 5 is leagues ahead of the Mazda MX-30 with its chunky side pillars and tiny back window, for example. All models get rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, but not front sensors. Range-topping Trophy gets a 360-degree camera. The 10.3in touchscreen for the infotainment is mounted high up on the dashboard, while the home screen icons are usefully big. There are physical shortcut buttons below the screen to make swapping between menus easier. It’s not flawless. You have to prod the screen quite hard to get it to respond, and even then it’s sometimes hesitant. Not only that, but the climate controls are hidden in the touchscreen, and it’s annoying that you can’t change the temperature without leaving your chosen nav or media screen. The facelifted 5 does have lots of kit, though, including a DAB radio, Bluetooth, built-in sat-nav, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring with both trims. There's even a six-speaker surround-sound stereo. What about interior quality? Well, it's much better than the pre-facelift version. This may be a relatively cheap car but it's nicer inside than the Leaf. There’s a surprising amount of soft-touch material – even compared with the much pricier VW ID.3 – and chrome and piano-black trims improve the ambience further. Standard Range trim has a leather-trimmed steering wheel, while the Trophy trim adds leather seats. It's good inside, then, but for a really plush look and feel, try the Honda E, MX-30 or Mini Electric.
If you’re after an electric car with a long range, enough room for a family and a high level of standard kit, this could be the model for you. The more expensive VW ID 3 is quicker, and the similarly priced Mazda MX-30 is better to drive, but it is comfy, quiet at speed and has punchy acceleration.
Commentaires