New MG5 EV Electric Car

The MG5 certainly answers a question many would-be electric car buyers are asking. It offers family-friendly space, with the kind of price tag that would otherwise only get you an A- or B-segment car. Yes, it feels built to price, but the kit count, 100kW charging capability and the promise of a thoroughly usable 250-mile range more than makes up for it. Its relaxed driving manners and long warranty round out what is a remarkably pragmatic choice in an increasingly busy, and some may say expensive, electric-car market.

For all the talk about Britain’s drive to electrification there’s a rather sizeable elephant in the room: cost. Affordable electric cars are few and far between, particularly if you need something that has a bit more space, or a hint of family-friendliness. The MG5, then, could be more significant than it first appears, and not only because the Five remains the only electric estate car you can buy.

You might argue that it’s that focus on value which has seen MG’s sales soar: by the end of June, it’d already beaten its lockdown-ravaged 2020 record, and bosses say the Chinese-owned firm is the fourth biggest EV brand in the UK, behind Tesla, Polestar and Smart.

The MG5 only went on sale in the UK last year, but MG is already ringing the changes with the introduction of a new, longer-range version. The latest model boasts a WLTP-certified 250-mile range (up from 217 miles) 100kW charging capability and the promise of an 80 per cent charge from flat in as little as 40 minutes.

MG says that, with a starting price of £26,495, the new model has the longest range per pound of any new electric car on sale. The top-spec Exclusive model we’re testing weighs in at a still budget-friendly £28,995, but for context, that’s about the same as a mid-spec, hybrid-powered Toyota Corolla Touring Sports. If budget really is a concern, the pre-facelift model is £1,400 cheaper, and will be sold alongside the new car for a time.

The extra range is achieved through a new battery, which sees capacity grow by 8.6kW to 61.1kWh (57.7kWh usable). MG says using a 100kW CCS charger, it’ll take 40 minutes to reach 80 per cent, 61 minutes using a 50kW charger and around nine and a half hours using a home wallbox. MG quotes an average of 3.5 miles/kWh, but we easily exceeded that, chalking up 3.7miles/kWh.

The 115kW motor, equivalent to 154bhp, is unchanged meaning the 7.7-second 0-62mph time and 155mph maximum remains. That’s fair, given few buyers are likely to be pushing the MG5’s performance envelope.

MG Pilot, the firm’s suite of driver-assistance features which includes lane-keep assist, AEB, adaptive cruise, traffic jam assist and more, is fitted across the range and sees the car drop five insurance groups as a result.

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