Carmakers have come up with the near-perfect formula for making a vehicle sell better than its forerunner: Make the next generation a SUV.
Well, at least that’s what MG have done with their latest MG 5S electric car. And there is evidence of many others doing the same.
The S5 EV is the direct replacement for the dullish ZS model. And being built on the same underpinnings as the excellent MG4 electric hatchback, it promises a good deal more than being just a shape. There’s a bit of bite as well.
Not that you’d notice tipping around town, but give it a good nudge along a twisty country road and there is definitely a bit of sport going on there.
I wouldn’t get too carried away with the sprinkling of sportiness. It’s a family motor and you don’t want the young ones getting car-sick as you fling it around bends with gusto.
Having a decent suspension with good damping is always a plus in cars such as this.
Still, I think I’d prefer a slightly softer setting for this because one of the side-effects of the taut chassis was a bit of thump rolling over the corrugated streets of Dig Up Dublin (has there ever been more roads under the digger?).
And that is despite the fact that there are five different driving modes (Normal, Sport, Comfort, Snow, Custom) you can choose to add variety to your travels. They can get the car moving according to preference but it is more a flavour than a meal of what I would have liked.
Handling was also helped by the benefit of rear-wheel-drive. That in turn facilitates the deployment of more powerful batteries and motors.
With that you can expect to get decent range, a good prod of performance, loads of head and knee room at the back especially, and a decent boot. There is serious room in the cabin overall.
And, as been the case for some time now, the company has tended to blaze a trail on price.
The MGS5model I had on test was the top-of-the-class Exclusive Long Range which starts from €35,995. It had good spec and tech:18ins alloys with aero wheel cover (17ins is standard on the other two trim levels), electric driver’s 6-way adjustable seat, heated front seats, 6-Speaker audio system as well as the watchful presence of computer aided systems to keep accidents at bay or lessen their impact.
But if you want a less costly option, the entry-level model starts from €29,995. That’s around the same price as a new Toyota Yaris hybrid. In terms of pure EV rivals, MG would be closely looking at the tasty trio of Hyundai Kona, Skoda Elroq and Kia EV3.
Other items on my test car included 4 USB ports (3 front – 2 Type C + 1 Type A), 360deg parking camera, 10.25ins, HD driver information display and a 12.8ins infotainment screen, Live services (additional include Weather, Live Traffic, Amazon Music).
Standard safety elements across the range include adaptive cruise control, active emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection, Lane Keep Assist with departure warning system, Intelligent speed limit assist with traffic sign recognition, driver attention alert rear cross traffic alert, door opening warning; automatic climate control with rear vents.
And where would we be without the 360deg parking camera and the bird’s eye view it affords us? I’ve become almost reliant on it at this stage. It’s standard on the Exclusive test car.
I don’t know where we’d be without the odd errant voice control. I haven’t had one as poor as this for a long time. I thought all the gremlins had been banished. A common word (but a great name) such as Conor prompt it to perform linguistics back-flobs that were as entertaining as they were distracting.
The graphics looked okay – without being super-helpful – while the few buttons under the central screen were more useful.
With that big infotainment screen there is no need for much decoration anywhere else on the dash. And that takes the burden off the rest of the cabin to settle for being just a little more than functional.
There are two battery sizes. The smallest is the 49 kWh Excite Standard Range with 170hp on tap. The Excite Long Range gets a kWh 64 battery while the Exclusive Long Range does so as well. Both models manage a spritely 231hp.
Estimated charging time (150kW DC public rapid charger) to replenish from 10pc to 80pc takes 24 minutes in the smaller-battery model, and 28 minutes for each of the other two. Those times can vary depending on conditions and, more relevant, the speed/ability of the car to take the charge.
Estimated, and not so madly optimistic, ranges are given as 340kms between charges for the smaller battery model, 480kms for the Excite Long Range and 465kms for the range topping Exclusive.
I drove this a lot and was pleasantly surprised by how closely the real consumption of energy aligned with the car’s computer estimate.
I trusted it to go as near the bottom of the tank, as it were, without unduly panicking that I was going to run out of propellant. Such accuracy is comforting.
Speaking of comfort. I wasn’t 100pc happy with the front-row seats. I definitely needed more support for my thighs and seat-back.
All that being said, there is no doubt the MG 5S is a big step-up on tech and room while keeping a close eye on price. Worth noting too that it has a 7-year manufacturer’s warranty.
They have taken the prevailing SUV shape and used the space at their disposal to make it a hot contender for roominess and practicality. Yes, you can see the logic of the carmakers’ option for throwing SUV shapes to attract buyers.
It is by no means the best-looking car in its compact SUV class; neither is MG too bothered about the interior being straightforward.
I would argue it shows the company has got its priorities right – create as much cabin room as possible and let the style curves look after themselves.
