MGS5 EV review
MG’s conservatively styled B-segment SUV delivers on most counts, but it lacks a bit of flair
Our opinion on the MGS5 EV
The MGS5 EV takes the brand’s electric SUV range to new heights thanks to its combination of space, standard equipment and range. It also feels appropriately tuned for UK roads and is surprisingly powerful. What’s missing, though, is a sense of character or panache. As such, rivals have the new MG cornered, with some offering better outright value, and other, more expensive options feeling more special.
| Key specs | |
| Fuel type | Electric |
| Body style | SUV |
| Powertrain | 1x e-motor, 49/64kWh battery |
| Safety | TBC |
| Warranty | 7 years, 80,000 miles |
About the MGS5 EV
The MGS5 EV is a critical car for its maker here in the UK. It replaces the popular ZS EV, taking its place in the now crowded all-electric B-SUV class. But where its predecessor once usefully undercut many of its key rivals, this fast-moving segment has new challenges for MG’s latest affordable electric SUV.
MG will launch an entry-level SE Standard Range model from £28,495, which comes with a 49kWh battery pack and 221-mile range. This seems impressive on face value, but new to the class are a range of aggressively priced rivals like the Citroen e-C3 Aircross that undercut it by a fair margin.
Move up a gear in terms of electric range and MG’s mid-level SE Long Range model commands a £2,500 premium and ups the range to a more impressive 299 miles from its 64kWh battery. Yet at this point we start to see other rivals come into the frame, including impressive newcomers like the Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq.
Used - available now
2020 Ford
EcoSport
39,944 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £8,600
2019 Volkswagen
Golf GTD Estate
29,787 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £19,197
2022 Nissan
Qashqai
15,704 milesAutomaticPetrol1.3L
Cash £19,097
2023 Audi
Q4 e-tron
34,523 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £25,600Both MGS5 SE models are well equipped with a full suite of active safety aids, LED headlights, four-way electric front seats, a reversing camera, 17-inch alloy wheels and a 12.8-inch touchscreen with embedded navigation and wireless phone-mirroring apps.
Topping the range is the £33,495 Trophy model we’ve driven, which is where the sweet spot might just lie, because – in typical MG fashion – it features plenty of kit compared with rivals, accentuating its value-driven position despite a marginally higher price point. Highlights include upgraded seat trim, heating for the seats, steering wheel and mirrors, 18-inch alloys, a 360-degree camera system and a powered tailgate.
Performance & driving experience
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
MG will launch the MGS5 with two key powertrain options, Standard Range and Long Range. We’ve so far only sampled the Long Range version with its more potent e-motor, and were immediately impressed.
In general, the MGS5 EV drives very well considering its rivals and general position in the market. MG has a local development centre in the shadow of its former UK production sites, and this benefits the way the car drives. By and large, many Chinese EV models don’t feel developed to handle the roads and driving behaviours of the UK and Europe, but this is not the case with most MGs.
However, there is a niche issue that will only rarely come into effect in the UK and that’s this rear-driven SUV may struggle with traction in slippery conditions, in contrast to front and four-wheel-drive rivals that are better suited to such situations.
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
The rear-mounted e-motor itself is surprisingly powerful, producing 227bhp and 350Nm of torque. It’ll get the long-range models from 0-62mph in just 6.3 seconds, and with Sport mode engaged it easily feels good for those quoted figures.
There’s a strong sense of response from the throttle, and good weighting makes that performance easy to access without feeling clumsy or uncontrolled. The base Comfort and Eco modes feel less spritely, but give the throttle response a little more dexterity to its action.
Standard Range models feature a lower-powered rear motor and a longer eight-second 0-62mph time, but peak power figures for this model have yet to be released. We’ve yet to drive this derivative, so we can’t comment on that car’s overall performance, but it falls more into line with most rivals in terms of on-paper performance.
Town driving, visibility and parking
The MG’s high driving position and low windscreen base mean driving around town is a doddle. The bonnet has a couple of ridges that lead down to the upper headlights, which help make the car easier to place on the road than some rivals with a deeper windscreen or a more dipped front end.
The rear-mounted motor also facilitates a very impressive turning circle, meaning parking is a cinch. It’s made even easier by the rear camera and all-round sensors of the SE, and easier still in the top-spec Trophy thanks to a 360-degree camera.
B-road driving and handling
While it’s easy to dismiss the importance of handling to buyers in this segment, the MG feels natural and easy to drive. Its steering is accurate and well weighted, and while it doesn’t offer much in the way of feel, it compares well to most rival EVs.
The ride is a little firm – something that can be accentuated on rougher B-roads – but it’s fine for the class, and better than in many of its Chinese counterparts. Don’t go thinking it’s quite as slick to drive as the smaller MG4, though, which is particularly nice.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
This unsettled ride also doesn’t help in motorway driving, although it’s not a deal breaker. Many SUVs in this class often show their true colours on high-speed roads due to their supermini-based underpinnings, but this is not the case with the MG. Its more sophisticated rear suspension and well insulated e-motor make motorway driving feel relaxed and easy.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| MGS5 EV SE Standard Range | 168bhp | 8.0 seconds | TBC |
| MGS5 EV SE Long Range | 227bhp | 6.3 seconds | TBC |
| MGS5 EV Trophy Long Range | 227bhp | 6.3 seconds | TBC |
Expert view, on driving experience
"The MGS5's electric powertrain is almost silent, even under hard acceleration, although tyre noise can be slightly obtrusive. The higher powered Long Range models offer a decent burst of speed, with a noticeable difference when in sport mode." - Pete Baiden, web producer, who drove the MGS5 on its UK launch.
Range, charging & running costs
Electric range, battery life and charge time
Charging rates are good for the class at 120kW for the 49kWh battery, and 135kWh for the 64kWh variants, but there’s no heat pump and the range can suffer in cold weather as a result. A 10-80 per cent charge will take just 24 minutes for the smaller battery, and 28 minutes for the larger battery.
| Model | Battery size | Range | Insurance group |
| MGS5 EV SE Standard Range | 49kWh | 221 miles | TBC |
| MGS5 EV SE Long Range | 64kWh | 299 miles | TBC |
| MGS5 EV Trophy Long Range | 64kWh | 289 miles | TBC |
Insurance groups
Insurance groups have not been released
Tax
Tax is rated the same as other EVs at a standard £195 rate.
Depreciation
EVs suffer stronger depreciation than many petrol rivals, but the car’s relatively low purchase price should see it perform better than most rivals.
Interior, design & technology
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
The good vibes continue inside, where the car has seen a huge upgrade over not just the previous ZS, but also its MG4 cousin. The design is attractive, finding a balance between being clean, but not too stark.
Interior and dashboard design
The dashboard, doors and seats are all finished in a grey faux leather that’s soft to the touch, while other little surprises such as the monogrammed MG logos in the Trophy’s seats and suede-like material around the rotary gear selector bring a little texture to an otherwise greyscale interior.
The main issue is that, for the most part, all of this ‘nice-ness’ doesn’t bring with it much in the way of charisma, and in such a crowded segment, such an omission could be an issue for buyers.
Materials and build quality
Look a little deeper and you will find plenty of hard and scratchy plastics across the cabin, though. Beyond the grey soft-touch dashboard, the far dash top is pretty low-rent, and many of the plastics across the lower door cards and lower dash are similarly gruff.
A more subjective gripe is the use of faux carbon fibre on the dash, which is both a little dated and looks very fake. The centre console does hit back, though, with more soft-touch elements around the armrest and central cubby, and the area surrounding the rotary drive selector is finished in one piece of soft-touch faux suede that also houses the wireless phone charger.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
Despite our misgivings over some of the quality, the interior features an impressive set of digital interfaces that feel fresh and up to date. In front of the driver is a well-sized 10.25-inch display that’s easy to read and displays key information.
The rest is taken care of by a 12.8-inch touchscreen that’s bright, quick to react and has good screen resolution. MG’s digital user interface also benefits from the bigger screen, with a main menu that’s quick to access and offers all the relevant information, such as heating and ventilation, music and navigation, within easy reach.
But MG has been listening to its customers, and unique to European-market MGS5s is a set of physical knobs and buttons below the screen that give you quick and intuitive access to things like volume, track, temperature and fan speed.
As if to emphasise this, they’re finished in a high quality metal-like material, and the knobs make a satisfying clicking noise as they turn. This is a most unusual and very welcome surprise in an already generally plush and comfortable interior.
Boot space & practicality
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
In separating the MGS5 from the ZS – that car has also been updated, but is now only available with a hybrid powertrain – it has allowed MG to build the car on a dedicated platform that’s shared with the MG4 hatchback. This bespoke architecture is more sophisticated than the ZS’s, and includes a rear-mounted e-motor sitting within a multi-link rear suspension set-up, and a more effective use of space allowed by these packaging benefits.
As a result, the space inside the MGS5 feels generous, especially in the second row where the large windows and flat floor give rear-seat passengers a great view out. There are other benefits, too, such as a 458-litre boot that can be expanded to 1,440 litres when the second row is folded flat. The boot floor is also movable, hiding an underfloor storage area that’s ideal for storing the charge cables, or it can be taken out entirely, giving you a larger single storage area.
Unfortunately, despite there not being an e-motor mounted under the bonnet, there’s also no extra storage space under there.
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 1,621mm |
| Width (inc mirrors) | 1,849mm (2094mm) |
| Height | 4,476mm |
| Number of seats | 5 |
| Boot space | 453 - 1,440 litres |
Dimensions and size
The MGS5 is priced to rival B-segment SUVs, but it’s slightly bigger than them and optimised as a pure EV. This means that the space inside is very impressive.
Driving position, seats & space in the front
The driving position is high-set and while some might want to sit lower, this is limited by the relatively high floor due to the batteries. The seats are a little flat and lack lateral support, but make getting in and out easy. Long-distance comfort isn’t the best in class, though, and driving at speed in the bends does reveal that lack of lateral support.
Seats & space in the back
The second row has good space across the bench and, without a transmission hump in the floor, lots of room for feet. The MGS5 is also relatively wide for the class, and therefore will feel more specious than many similarly priced rivals. This is helped by the large windows and boxy shape.
Boot space
There are other benefits from the width, too, such as a 458-litre boot that can be expanded to 1,440 litres when the second row is folded flat. The boot floor is also movable, hiding an underfloor storage area that’s ideal for storing the charge cables, or it can be taken out entirely, giving you a larger single storage area.
Unfortunately, despite not having an e-motor mounted under the bonnet there’s also no bonus storage space under there.
Expert view, on practicality
"Cabin space is impressive. In fact, it feels so roomy inside that you'd be hard pressed to notice a size difference between the MGS5 and the larger HS from the class above." - Pete Baiden, web producer, who drove the MGS5 on its UK launch.
Reliability & safety
| Pros | Cons |
|
|
The MGS5 EV is too new to have appeared in our Driver Power owner satisfaction surveys, but MG will want to improve on its showing in the manufacturer ratings because the brand finished in last position in a 32-strong list in 2024.
In terms of active safety, all models feature MG Pilot, which is a collection of elements including the ones you see below. Importantly, drivers can set up a specific personal mode that can be set up to switch off some or all of the features. They all reactivate every time you switch the car on, but you can switch to the personalised set-up with just one click and a confirmation.
| Key standard safety features | Euro NCAP safety ratings |
|
|
Buying and owning
- Best buy: MGS5 EV SE Long Range
The MGS5 EV is an impressive car that comes with an impressive set of attributes, but at a point when the brand should have gone big with design to reiterate the fact that it already has a lead in this market, rather than offering something that looks and feels like only just enough. If you can stretch to a Skoda Elroq, we feel that’s still the car to have in this class; and if you want to save some cash and go for ultimate value at the lower end, the Citroen e-C3 Aircross has the numbers to show the MG up.
MGS5 EV pictures
More reviews
