MG’s newest fully electric SUV, the MG S5 EV has touched down in New Zealand. This all-new model appears highly promising on paper, particularly since it shares the impressive Modular Scalable platform of the MG4. Let’s have a look at what’s what.
MG regard the S5 EV as an “SUV” but from many angles it does, visually anyway, seem to have more in common with a sporting hatchback. Sure, you have the ground clearance of an urban soft roader, but when you see an MG S5, the hatch vibe is a strong one.
The front end doesn’t look as sporting as the MG4, but I do like the new look minimalist headlights and DRLs which, dare I say it, do have a McLaren-esque look to them. Sides are rather conventional and round the back you have a revised, but still familiar nonetheless, full width LED lightbar with MG emblem centre stage. It’s not going to set the design world on fire but it’s a contemporary design and complements the rest of the lineup.
The MG S5 EV is, of course, fully electric with two different battery sizes available, a 49kWh and 62kWh in both Excite and Essence trim respectively. The range starts at the 49kWh Excite at $44,990 and the 42kWh Essence at $48,990. The larger 62kWh comes in at $50,990 for the Excite and $54,990 for the flagship Essence. All models come with a 10-year/250,000km warranty too, adding further value to your snip over or under $50k.
While producing the same amount of power and torque, 125kW/250Nm, the big difference is the level of electric range between the Excite and Essence. This varies from 349kms on the base Excite 49 to my flagship Essence 62 which, according to WTLP figures, is good for at least 425kms. Utilizing a compatible DC fast charger, you can recoup between 30 to 80 per cent of charge in less than 20 minutes which is impressive.
Further still is that drive is sent to the rear wheels, a first for an MG EV and the MG S5 EV comes with a new Macpherson five-link suspensions system which should, on paper, keep things dynamic and involving.
Hop inside and I was delighted to see the return of switchgear to the centre console. Rather than having, in some cases, to navigate sub menu after sub menu to adjust the cabin temperature or raise the stereo volume, we now have some good ol toggle switches which allow you to do just that and more. They feel good to use and even have an air of quality to them. You can also return to the infotainment home screen by pressing the right button which is closer for the driver to reach.
The 10.25” virtual driver information display, or instrument cluster to you and I, is now integrated within the dashboard itself which I prefer, instead of having it seemingly placed on top.
The central infotainment screen is a good size at 12.8” and gives you some rather sharp graphics. I would even describe it as ergonomically sound in the way you can navigate through it, especially as you aren’t completely relying on it to operate everything.
Space is decent too. Rear seats passengers will be able to get comfy and thanks to decent sized cup holders, centre storage and door bins, you have plenty of nooks to make use of. Pop the boot via the power tailgate with one-kick function and you have 453L of boot space which becomes 1441L with the 60/40 split folding rear seats stowed away.
Standard equipment is decent for the base Excite bringing things like LED DRLs, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, Sat Nav, 17-inch alloys, MG iSmart compatibility and a reversing camera to the table. However, it’s the Essence which gets all the fruit, things like a panoramic sunroof, 18-inch alloys, wireless phone charging, a 360-degree camera, heated front seats and steering wheel, a six-speaker audio system and a vehicle to load charging function.
MG’s MG Pilot driver safety suite is also on hand with the same level of generous level of on-board safety equipment. The MG S5 EV also allows you to tailor your preferences by way of MG Pilot Custom. Press this and it will automatically deactivate or activate the driver assistance features you either or don’t wish to have. This means lane departure warning and that ever-so-slightly annoying speed sign audible warning can be muted while others will remain on.
Once you are seated inside, simply press the brake pedal to wake everything up. Moving off and it feels lithe and quite eager to get going. With a zero to 100kph time of 8.6 seconds, it is by no means a weapon of velocity, but it manages to get up and going well enough for most.
Sending drive to the rear is also a nice twist on the EV norm, where the front or all four wheels are often providing drive. All in all, its good handler, able to slice through traffic and even manage the odd section of bendy bitumen very well. Those five-point springs underneath also means that, while there is a smattering of body roll, things are kept relatively planted and true.
Now I am not usually one to make use of the “one-pedal-drive” function found on many EVs. For those that don’t know, one pedal drive is a function which, when turned on, will provide sufficient energy regeneration to slow the car without you having to push the brake pedal. With the MG S5 EV, I found it to be assertive but not whiplash-like in terms of intensity, so as a result, I would see-saw between this feature and putting the brakes on myself. Either way, we would pull up nicely. Ride comfort is good and with that supple-ness to the suspension, the MG S5 EV is just a nice and well sorted drive.
There is much to like about MG’s latest electric offering. What I liked the most is not only have MG listened regarding the desire for more buttons and more user friendly ergonomics, but its ability to serve up a dynamic and engaging way of silently commuting and enjoying the odd daytrip. Basically, you would be hard pressed not to seriously consider this one.
RATING: 8/10
