We test the affordable electric estate that’s proving to be a surprise sales success
MG may not be the iconic British sports car maker that it once was, but it’s thriving as a bargain brand under Chinese ownership.
In September 2021 MG Motor UK achieved its highest ever monthly sales in the UK, passing 5,000 registrations for the first time ever with sales up 61.2% year-on-year.
Much of the success was driven by MG’s pure electric models, the ZS EV and MG5 EV. And even though it was only launched in late 2020, the MG5 was the seventh best-selling pure EV in the UK in September.
As an all-electric estate, the MG5 currently occupies a unique niche in the zero emissions market.
It may not be the most handsome load-lugger on the market, but just like its crossover-styled sibling, the ZS, it’s a spacious, seriously affordable family car.
MG5 (Image: mg.co.uk)
Priced from £25,095 (after the Government’s £2,500 plug-in grant) it’s available with two battery sizes (52.5kWh and 61.1kWh), giving a claimed range of 214 and 250 miles respectively. Both have a 115kW (154bhp) electric motor.
So, while the MG5 isn’t nudging the 300-mile range mark, it’s way ahead of many similarly priced cars, some of which are unable to reach 150 miles on a single charge (eg MINI Electric, Honda E and Mazda MX-30).
The MG5 sits much lower than most EVs, with the water-cooled battery pack integrated into the car’s chassis, giving it a surprisingly sleek profile..
Some may find it slightly more nondescript from the front, but plenty of buyers have no problem with it judging by the amount I’ve seen on the roads in and around London.
It’s perfectly acceptable inside too, if slightly dated, but there’s no debate over the space on offer. The large boot, accessed via a wide tailgate opening, delivers 464 litres of capacity with the rear seats up and load cover in place, expanding to an impressive 578 litres with the load cover retracted. Fold the 60:40 rear seat and the load capacity increases to a mighty 1,456 litres.
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The MG 5 EV can now be specified with a larger 61.1kWh battery pack, which boosts the estate’s maximum range to 250 miles
MG has launched a new, long-range version of the MG 5 EV. It’s available to order now, with prices starting from £26,495 including the government’s £2,500 plug-in car grant.
It’s powered by a 61.1kWh battery pack (up from the 52.5kWh cell in the standard car), which increases the estate’s range from 214 to 250 miles. However, MG says that range figure will increase to 334 miles if the car is only driven around town.
The new battery pack also offers support for 100kW DC rapid charging, which can top the cells up to 80 percent capacity in 40 minutes. When connected to a home wallbox charger, the battery can be fully recharged in around eight and a half hours.
The larger battery feeds an electric motor mounted on the front axle, which develops 154bhp and 260Nm of torque. The company says that’s enough grunt for a 0–60mph time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 115mph.
Like the standard MG 5 EV, this long-range model focuses on practicality. The boot can swallow up to 578 litres of luggage with the rear seats in place – and this figure expands to 1,456 litres with the bench seat folded flat.
Buyers have their choice of two specifications, called Excite and Exclusive. The base-model comes as standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, electrically adjustable door mirrors and safety kit such as lane assist and autonomous emergency braking.
The MG 5 EV’s safety equipment is bundled into the standard-fit MG Pilot package, which also includes items like adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist, meaning the electric estate can automatically keep pace with stop-start traffic.
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If you’re after a practical, well-equipped electric car that offers great value for money, then look no further than the MG5 EV
The MG5 is a no-nonsense family estate that offers decent practicality with the efficiency benefits of all-electric drive. It won’t suit buyers looking for any sparkle and shine on their driveway, as the MG5 lacks any pretension or showy, extravagant character.
Instead, it delivers on what matters most: plenty of space, good levels of standard equipment, a usable range and low running costs. The MG5 isn’t going to set your pulse racing, but if you can get past the humdrum image you’ll find a car that just gets the job done – at a price that makes it hard to resist.
About the MG5 EV
Electric cars are often criticized for being too expensive to buy. With stylish city runabouts such as the Fiat 500 priced at well over £20,000, and superminis like the MINI Electric and Honda e nudging £30,000 and above, buyers with an eye on practicality and value for money might be put off making the switch to a new EV
Enter the all-electric MG5. With its functional estate bodystyle, impressive kit list and £25k starting price (after the PiCG government grant), it brings a no-frills approach to challenge the latest models in the burgeoning electric car market.
Evergreen electric rivals such as the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe can’t compete on price, and don’t come close on interior space, while the MG5’s significantly lower running costs could persuade buyers away from the more typical options of the Ford Focus estate and Volkswagen Golf estate. In fact, the 5 even undercuts its ZS EV sibling on price, while also offering a better overall range.
The MG5 has a 52.5kWh battery which gives a claimed range of 214 miles, while a single 154bhp motor drives the front wheels. With 50kW on-board charging capability, it’ll take just 50 minutes to charge the battery from 0-80 per cent, while topping up (to 100%) from a 7kW home charger requires around 8.5 hours.
There are just two trim specifications available for the MG5: Excite and Exclusive. The former includes enough kit for most, with sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a DAB radio and Bluetooth, while the latter adds luxuries such as heated seats, leather upholstery, keyless go and extra USB ports.
MG5 (Image: mg.co.uk)
MG has already announced a facelifted version of the 5 EV for other European markets, due later in 2021. It includes an increase in power, range and 100kW on-board charging, along with slight cosmetic changes, although it’s not been confirmed for the UK as yet.
Engines, performance and drive
The MG5 is more than quick enough for a family estate, but the ride isn’t perfect.
As with most electric cars that have a single motor, the MG5 uses a single-speed fixed gear to send drive to the front wheels. The car’s soft suspension set-up doesn’t translate into a flawlessly smooth ride however, with the typical pockmarked roads around town too easily felt through the cabin. Things improve when on the motorway, although the doughy steering could be better, with inputs not feeling particularly precise.
The MG5 probably won’t suit keener drivers as, despite a decent turn of straight line speed, the estate’s dynamic deficiencies are again highlighted with lots of body roll through corners. There are three levels of brake recuperation on offer, but none are effective enough to allow ‘one pedal’ driving – a function which helps easier driving in stop/start town traffic.
Three individual drive modes are also available: Eco prioritises range, still allowing for a decent turn of speed, but taking a little longer to get up to motorway pace. In Normal you benefit from full power, while Sport mode adjusts the throttle response to unlock a slightly unexpected level of performance – although the trade-off is you’ll drain battery power more quickly.
Engines, 0-60 acceleration and top speed
With 154bhp and 260Nm of torque, the front-wheel-drive MG5 is able to dispatch the 0-62mph benchmark in 7.7 seconds, but probably more relevant to buyers in terms of real-world driving will be the sprightly 0-30mph time of 3.2 seconds. In comparison, the 181bhp MINI Electric posts a time of 3.9 seconds from 0-37mph, so the MG5 can definitely hold its own if you need to get off the line quickly.
Range, charging and running costs
Decent range and charging ability will appeal, although the MG5 is more expensive to insure than you might think.
The MG5 will be attractive to business users due to its claimed 214-mile maximum range, and zero CO2 emissions attracting the lowest possible Benefit-in-Kind rate: 1 per cent for 2021/22, and 2 per cent for 2022/23. Competitive list prices, starting from £25,000, will appeal to private buyers, while some determined haggling should secure a decent discount.
Insurance
Both MG5 versions sit in group 32 for insurance, so premiums will be a little more expensive than a typical combustion-engined estate. For example, the Ford Focus range is rated from group 10 to 23, with only the standalone 276bhp ST version in a higher group 34. The MINI Electric ranges from group 22-23, while the Honda e is in group 25-29.
Depreciation
Data suggests that, after a typical three-year/36,000-mile ownership period, the MG5 will hold onto around 44 per cent of its original list price, which isn’t quite as good as its ZS EV sibling at nearer 51 per cent, and lags even more behind the MINI Electric with 54% of its value retained over the same period.
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CAR GRANTS for those purchasing brand new fully-electric road cars have been dramatically cut from £3,000 to £2,500 under a new initiative from the Government.
Campaigners have attacked the proposals with many warning it could be families and those who need to purchase larger road cars who will be the most affected. The proposals also cap the scheme to models only priced below £35,000.
This means the UK’s most popular electric car, the Tesla Model 3 will no longer qualify as part of the plug-in grant discount.
With sales of brand new petrol and diesel road cars banned from 2040, drivers must switch.
But, road users can still secure a range of vehicles under the new measures including the popular Renault Zoe and Honda E.
Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is one of the longest-running electric vehicles on the market and is a popular option for those making the switch.
The Leaf is available for just over £27,000 while the Leaf + model can be purchased for around £33,000.
The classic Leaf is capable of up to a 168 miles of range on a single charge with the premium model said to manage up to 239 miles.
Nissan claims drivers who make the switch will also benefit from no congestion charge fees or Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates.
Nissan also states the cars are eligible for zero percent Benefit in Kind rates meaning company car owners will pay even less.
Nissan Leaf (Image: Qurren/Wikipedia)
MG5 EV
The Government has confirmed one of the most popular electric cars the MG5 EV will still be eligible for grant payments.
The model starts from just £25,495 but is capable of up to 163 miles on electric power.
However, the car is one of the best low-budget options and even has a five star Euro NCAP crash test for extra road safety.
Honda- e
The Honda-e is one of the more quirkier electric cars on the market offering a unique, compact design.
The model is one of the only cars on the market to be fitted without traditional wing mirrors in place of camera technology beamed to the cockpit.
The car is available for just £27,000 but has a small range compared to some equivalent models with just 130 miles guaranteed.
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Mirror Motoring’s Colin Goodwin says that in a torrid year for the car industry, MG was the fastest growing car brand – with spectacular sales for a good reason
Last year, as you have no doubt guessed, was a shocker for the car industry. Sales in the first lockdown were virtually non existent – and for the rest of the year dealerships struggled.
Unless, that is, they had an MG sign out front.
In 2019, MG was the fastest growing car brand registering 13,000 sales. And in 2020 it had beat that figure by September.
Why this spectacular performance?
It’s simple really: MG makes cars that are very affordable, good value and crucially, many of them are electric. Like the ZS crossover which undercuts almost all EV rivals on price.
They’re what we motoring hacks like to call ‘honest’ cars.
And now we have the latest MG model on test. It’s called simply the MG 5 SW and it has the distinction of being the only pure electric estate on sale today.
Its positives well outweigh the negatives – and price is a big positive here.
To keep costs down it’s sensible to keep your range of cars simple – and MG has done that with the 5 SW.
There are only two trim levels; the entry-level Excite which is £24,495 (including PICG) and the Exclusive at £26,995.
Not only do these prices undercut most rivals, they’re lower than those for MG’s own ZS.
This MG is no beauty – a bit like a Kia or Hyundai from a few years back. But so what? It’s hardly ugly and you’ve got to remember that price.
It’s a similar story inside as there is a fair bit of hard plastic about the place. But I could live with that because of the simplicity and ease of use of the controls.
We’re testing the dearer Exclusive which comes with leather-style upholstery, heated front seats, sat nav, roof rails and automatic wipers.
I’d save two and a half grand and stick with the entry level car. Not least because the satnav isn’t brilliant and since both trim levels come with Apple Carplay and Android Auto you can use your phone for navigating.
Roof rails aren’t a good idea on an EV anyway, they add drag.
Which brings us neatly onto range. The MG 5 SW is fitted with a 154bhp electric motor that’s powered by a 52.5kWh battery of which 49kWh is usable.
Again, the MG thrashes its nearest price rivals including the ZS. The claimed WLTP range is an impressive 214 miles.
You can charge the MG using a rapid charger via a CCS-style connector at a maximum rate of 50kWh – which means you can take the battery from zero to 80% in 50 minutes. In theory.
I’m sure EV drivers will know it’s not always possible to achieve ‘book figures’ for recharging.
I used a rapid charger on this and in half an hour had only added about 20kW.
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Electric car manufacturers MG have set their sights on the taxi and private hire market as Lancashire taxi firm adds five new MG5 EVs to its fleet.
Award-winning Premier Taxis was named GreenFleet Private Hire/Taxi Company of the year thanks to its EV initiative after it began operating electric taxis in 2015.
The new all-electric MGs have replaced Toyota Auris Hybrids on the Premier fleet and will be used across the Lancashire firm’s region, as well as airport transfers where the large luggage capacity comes in handy.
Premier Taxis Business Manager, Nikita Cutler, said: “The MG5 EV is great as it has a larger luggage capacity. This will come in handy as these vehicles are viable for airport transfers to Manchester, allowing us to offer customers the opportunity to use a Zero Emission airport transfer service for the first time.
“They will also be really handy for local journeys for those customers who have just been shopping, or for when we are collecting shopping for our most vulnerable customers during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Premier Taxis is gradually converting its entire fleet to electric-only thanks to huge reductions in running costs as well as positive feedback from its passengers.
MG5 (Image: mg.co.uk)
Cutler added: “The investment in new electric vehicles is money well spent as operating costs for the company and drivers have reduced while at the same time allowing us to contribute to improving the air quality around Lytham St. Annes, Blackpool and Wyre.
“Electric vehicles also require less day-to-day maintenance, further reducing cost.
“Our customers find them very comfortable, enjoy the smooth and quiet ride and some of them choose only to travel in a 100% Electric vehicle as they understand the difference Zero Emission travel can make to local air quality.”
Premier Taxis driver, Steve Foster, said: “I have already been managing more than 200 miles on a single charge. I plug the car in at home at 5pm and that will last me until the following day at 5pm.
“Our old cars cost £22 to get to Manchester Airport. With the MG it will cost hardly anything to complete the same trip so they make great sense for a taxi driver.”
MG’s ground-breaking MG5 EV went on sale in autumn 2020 and is the UK’s first and only all-electric SW model, with a luggage capacity of up to 1,456 litres (578 litres with rear seats up) and an EV-only range of 214 miles.
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