MG and its 5EV makes a positive case among the Sino automotive pioneers
Despite having lied to its back teeth about salvaging what remained of MG, post MG-Rover’s collapse, while not in a forgiving mood Iain Robertson comprehends the growing popularity of the brand, even though its prices are creeping upwards quickly.
The simple truth was that two Chinese firms, Nanjing and Shanghai Automotive, centred on Rover and MG brands respectively in 2004, acquiring the manufacturing rights and land in South Birmingham. The two firms would merge subsequently and, while we have not seen the Roewe product in the UK, MG has returned as a badge with a history. However, despite promising to build MGs and raise hopes of employment, neither of which were achieved, SAIC relied on the Britishness of the MG badge to maintain a toehold in our market.
Its Chinese built products are basically sound. Their visual quality is a little over-embellished, perhaps a touch too shiny to be entirely believable, but merchantable enough to stand comparison with early Daewoo models from South Korea, which were snaffled up by a totally unenthusiastic type of car buyer that was unconcerned about driving dynamics and needed only a set of well-warranted wheels to maintain personal mobility. In some respects, what with 2030 almost uncomfortably close and demands on the BEV sector growing steadily, an electrified MG retailing at what appears to be £5,000 to £10,000 less than its closest ‘rivals’ could be precisely what the market wants.
Backed up with seven years’ and 80,000mls’ worth of carmaker’s warranty, the MG proposition is a compelling one. While its share of the UK new car scene remains at a lower ebb than its marketing suggests, it is making headway thanks to a supportive dealer network and almost zero reports of unreliability. In many ways, I would have expected the private taxi sector to have taken MG to its heart, were it not for the fact that it seems to have matured nicely into almost total support of the Skoda brand. Perhaps that sector has recognised something that has slipped past the rest of us. It would be intriguing to know.
Of course, MG was fairly quick to market with its plug-in models (the ZS is an EV, while the HS is a hybrid), mainly because it presented its marketing operation with a smattering of unique selling points, accompanied, naturally, by ‘value-for-money’ price tagging. One of its latest examples is the MG5, which sidesteps the current fascination for electrified SUVs by offering a more conventional looking compact estate car. Despite a slightly more ground-hugging stance, although its ground clearance is more Subaru than Peugeot, it manages to conceal its battery pack and electric drivetrain quite successfully.
Although I have given the MG5 some initial coverage (September 2020), MG has jumped understandably onto the greater range bandwagon. A larger capacity lithium-ion battery pack (now up to 61.1kWh rating) hikes up the WLTP mileage from around 214 to 250mls (official combined), with a stated urban return of over 330mls. Unsurprisingly, the actual figures are likely to be markedly lower, which is much the same case as for MG’s several rivals. Yet, in what is fast becoming typical form, a 40mins charge from a 100kW public rapid-charger will whisk its capacity from zilch to 80%, while a 50kW charger will need 61mins for a similar charge. Plug the MG5 into a domestic wallbox and a 100% charge will take around 9.5hrs.
Driving its front wheels through a 115kW electric motor, the equivalent of around 156bhp, the 5 will zip from 0-60mph in around 7.3s, before reaching its absolute maximum of 115mph, which is respectable performance. Thanks to a lower centre of gravity than its SUV alternatives, the MG5 does offer acceptable levels of stability, although it struggles to disguise its hefty kerbweight that can lead to masses of tyre squealing understeer, if driven to extreme levels. Of course, no MG5 driver is likely to reach that level of test-driven excess and will be untroubled by it. In the main, the car rides sweetly enough and, while its on-road behaviour feels similar to a mid-1980s vintage Vauxhall (or a mid-1990s Daewoo), it is safe enough in average hands.
The strongest selling point of the MG5, after its inevitable EV status, is its accommodating boot area, which can extend from 464-litres beneath the extendible load cover to over 1,456-litres, when the 60:40-split rear seats are folded down. Its benefits beyond the low BIK“ tax (1%, rising to 2% next year) to small businesses are clear. Its cabin is also quite spacious, with good head, shoulder and legroom up front and decent space for rear seat occupants. The trim is cloth on Excite models and a particularly classless leather on the Exclusive. The part digital main instrument panel is easy to read and unconfusing, while the touchscreen at the top of the centre stack deals with the extensive range of connectivity, sat-nav and stereo functions.
Packed to the gunwales with standard equipment, MG5 gets a six-speaker 3D audio system, a DAB radio, 4xUSB ports, electric windows all-round, air conditioning, regenerative braking, adaptive cruise control with speed limiter, an auto-hold electric parking brake, rain-sensing wipers and push-button starter. The car also features a rotary gear selector, instead of a lever. Unsurprisingly, the MG5 also features a full complement of active and passive safety systems, with front, side and curtain airbags, electronic brake assist, ABS with EBD, twin ISOFIX points in the rear, a tyre pressure monitoring system, Hill Start Assist and seatbelt warnings for front and rear passengers. The Exclusive trim gains a few extra bits and pieces and lists at £28,995, although the Excite starts at £26,495, both figures inclusive of the £2,500 grant.
Personally, I am not recommending purchase. What seems like a ‘market-leading’ package today is going to age very quickly and be overtaken by fresh technology weighing into the EV scene regularly. The MG5 is not exactly brand new, having been on sale in China for the past four years. If you must have an EV, MG5 is a competitive package in a not very competitive market sector. There are better EVs but they do cost more. Yet, from the country that gifted us its pandemic, I would not give one house room.
