► New MG electric SUV
► Replaces ZS EV variant
► Starts from £28k
MG refreshed its hybrid lineup last year, and so now it’s the turn of the electric crop – meet the all new MGS5 EV. Never underestimate the power of a cut space, as Ingolstadt’s lawyers are apparently yet to get in touch about the name. I suppose one would be hard pressed to confuse the two, the S5 EV being a British-branded, Chinese-built electric SUV, the other a warm German sportback. Perhaps not a lot of cross-pollination between respective drivers either. Who knows? Not my problem.
The MGS5 EV replaces the all-electric variant of the MG ZS, which is now offered with petrol or hybrid powertrains only. The new S5 EV is slightly bigger, sharing its Modular Scalable Platform with other EVs in the range like the MG5 and MG4.
MG’s ascension over the last five years has been immensely impressive, but the brand now says it wants to transition away from its first generation of EVs with a host of new products. They include this new S5 EV, as well as a replacement for the MG Marvel R. We never received the C-Segment Marvel R – it was sold widely in Europe – but its successor is set to hit UK shores later this year.
To find what the MG S5 EV is like to drive, I’ve given it a go. Read on for the full review from CAR, or head over to our how we test cars page to find out how I reached my verdict.
At a glance
Pros: comfortable ride, spacious interior, great price
Cons: some cheap interior parts, generally quite dull
What’s new?
The MGS5 EV is a brand-new car, complete with fresh looks and a new interior design. Product planning boss David Allison says the S5’s exterior design is very much an evolution of MG4, peppered with familiar characteristics but sprinkled with a few new elements, too.
MG looks to have ditched some of the MG4’s angles in favour of softer edges for the S5 EV, perhaps to attract family car buyers with a less aggressive look. Allison also confirmed that this same design language will feature on the upcoming EV due later this year.
What are the specs?
The S5 EV is available either in standard or long-range form. The standard car features a 49 kWh battery back with a range of 211 miles on a WLTP combined cycle. The long-range versions have a 298-mile range thanks to a bigger 64kWh battery pack. Their max DC charging speeds are 120kw and 139kw respectively.
The S5 EV is powered by a 227bhp electric motor, producing 258 lbft of torque for a 0-62mph time of 6.3 seconds. Though built on the same platform, the MGS5 is bigger than the MG4 is every dimension: 4,476mm long, 1,849mm wide, 1,621mm tall and with a 453-litre boot.
What’s it like to drive?
I think a certain degree of balance and tranquility is brought to the universe when a car drives just the way it looks. The S5 EV is devoid of nearly all emotion, character or charm, and it drives in much the same way. Around town the S5 rides well, feeling composed on supple suspension, but its leaden steering could be a little more responsive at slower speeds. Like many modern cars, the steering seems to come alive when you put your foot down; laggy weight suddenly feels more like engaging resistance, but only until the next 30 sign.
The brake pedal is rather sensitive and takes some getting used to, but overall, the S5 is an easy car to drive. It can get going well with that 227bhp electric motor beneath your right foot and its punch of instant torque. The S5 isn’t a quick car, but it gains pace with greater urgency than you could ever need – pulling onto motorways or away from traffic lights should be no bother at all.
What’s the interior like?
The S5’s interior has a slick albeit quite anodyne arrangement. I like the layout of the dashboard, complete with various knock off materials from the strip of pseudo carbon fibre weave to the small plastering of faux Alcantara on the centre console. They serve well in breaking up the dash, plus build quality is also generally quite good. Where many Chinese EVs seem to creak and flex beneath a thin veneer of business style, the S5 EV’s interior features hold rock steady.
All that notwithstanding, the cabin is painfully dull. It isn’t helped by the monotone colour palette used throughout, but there’s really nothing about it to stir the soul, no elegance or panache.
The interior is practical, with good head and shoulder room in the front plus great leg room in the rear – I was able to get very comfortable in the back as a six-foot-plus adult – but still I’d find it difficult to recommend. It looks as though it were designed orally via payphone, and that’s even taking the very useful bank of physical climate control buttons beneath the infotainment display into account, which I thought was a nice touch. The infotainment display itself is big but the software is slow and laggy, especially when swiping between pages on Apple CarPlay.
Before you buy
The S5 EV range is split into three grades, starting with standard-range SE trim from £28,495. For the money you get plenty of kit, including the 12.8” infotainment display, vehicle to load charging, a six-way adjustable front seat and more. MG’s suite of safety systems also comes as standard. It includes intelligent cruise control assistance, blind spot detection, front and rear collision warnings and many more.
The long-range SE car starts from £30,995, while the range-topping Trophy Long Range costs £33,495. The latter includes several additional features including heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rear reading lights and more.
MG has so far prided itself on disrupting industry price paradigms, and this S5 EV is no exception. Its price range ends about where competitors like the Skoda Elroq start, and so represents great value for money.
Verdict
The MGS5 EV is another MG car for people who don’t care about cars. In the capacity of a people-carrying family workhorse it would make a decent option. It’s comfortable on the road, has a smart, high-quality interior and it undercuts pretty much all rivals on price. On paper it looks great, but I think I’d forever find it a difficult car to get excited about. The electric SUV segment isn’t exactly brimmed with products to get your heart racing, but even amongst a crowd of tedious peers, the MG S5 EV feels eminently sensible.