MG 5 EV Review 2024

MG is carving an enviable niche as a maker of a affordable electric vehicles. The MG 5 EV is the first mainstream family electric car on the market – yet it's priced in line with much smaller and cheaper electric car alternatives like the Peugeot e-208, Renault Zoe and Fiat 500 Electric. Read on for our full review of the MG 5 EV.

All MG 5 EV models are powered by the same 156PS electric motor, and the firm has rationalised the range so both trims now come with the same 61.1kWh battery pack. That means a range of up to 250 miles for the SE on its smaller 16-inch wheels. The Trophy sits on 17-inch wheels and has a combined official range of 235 miles.

It's an unintimidating car to drive, particularly if you haven't driven an electric car before, much like driving an automatic petrol vehicle, really, albeit without any engine noise. Acceleration is swift although, while it's easy to spin the front wheels, it's not going to push you back in your seat like a Tesla.

Electric cars are usually quite firm – the suspension having to work particularly hard to cope with the weight of the batteries. The MG 5 EV is surprisingly soft, though, soaking up lumpy road surfaces with ease. The flip side of this is that it leans quite a lot during cornering, but the higher MG ZS EV SUV is more likely to make you seasick.

There are just two trim levels available: SE and the top-spec Trophy. The SE covers all the bases with its air conditioning, 10.25-inch colour infotainment touchscreen, safety kit, and lumbar adjustment for the driver's seat. However, the Trophy ups its game with synthetic leather upholstery, electrically adjusted and heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, larger alloy wheels, and rear privacy glass.

As a result, the MG 5 certainly doesn't feel like the budget option you might expect. It generally seems well-made, while the brand's seven-year warranty should put to rest any concerns that it's going to fall apart quicker than a mainstream alternative.

Of course, it's the 5's practicality which sets it apart from rivals. It's available solely as an estate car, with more interior space than aforementioned electric city cars – while it's more suited to family life than the Nissan Leaf hatchback.

It also represents exceedingly good value for money. Even a top-spec Trophy Long Range model is well under the £35,000 threshold for the government's plug-in car grant, meaning you'll save £2500 off the list price if buying new. We'd recommend looking for a pre-registered or ex-demonstrator model, though – we've seen as-new MG 5s offered from as little as £23,500.

Looking for a second opinion? Check out heycar's review of the MG 5 EV.

The MG 5 EV is fun to drive thanks to its nippy acceleration, but don't expect sports car handling. Indeed, the tyres are easily overwhelmed, particularly if you're harsh on the accelerator coming out of a corner or pulling away from a roundabout. It's really not difficult to get the traction control light flickering.

If you're sensible, though, it handles perfectly respectably. It leans less than the MG ZS EV, and light steering means driving around town is a doddle. Rear parking sensors and a reversing camera help here, too; it might be a significantly bigger car than a Zoe, but it's no more challenging to drive.

It's also surprisingly soft for an electric car. Many EVs have very firm suspension to cope with the weight of the batteries. Not so the MG 5 EV – it'll glide nicely over broken road surfaces and you won't find yourself wincing on the approach to potholes.

All MG 5 EV models are powered by the same 115kW electric motor (equivalent to 156PS), developing 280Nm of torque and providing 0-60mph acceleration of 7.3 seconds.

Like all electric cars, the MG 5 EV's acceleration is instantaneous. Boot the accelerator pedal and it'll surge forward at a startling pace – ideal for hustling through congestion or joining a motorway.

While the MG 5 EV feels livelier than a Peugeot e-208 or entry-level Volkswagen ID.3, there are faster electric vehicles on the market. A Hyundai Kona Electric will out accelerate it from the traffic lights, for example.

Both SE and Trophy models feature three driving modes (eco, normal and sport) as well as three levels of regenerative braking. The latter is controlled via a toggle switch on the centre console – the higher the regen, the more the car will slow down when you lift off the accelerator (pumping energy back into the battery). It's not strong enough to allow one-pedal around town but, with a little practice, you'll find yourself using the brakes less.

This is a key area where MG has listened and greatly improved the specification of the 5 EV. Both models now come as standard with the MG Pilot pack. This brings automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist and departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and traffic jam assist. Also part of this pack is high beam assist and an intelligent speed limit aid.

The MG 5 EV comes with six airbags, ESP, hill start assist, and two Isofix child seat mounting points for the outer rear seats.

The MG 5 EV is yet to be crash tested by Euro NCAP.

The MG 5 EV is rated to tow up to 500kg, which means you're limited to small trailers.

Compared to small electric cars like the Peugeot e-208 and Renault Zoe, the MG 5 EV is enormously practical. It can carry 479 litres of luggage, which ought to be enough for a family holiday. That said, it's not quite as versatile as conventional estate cars – a Dacia Logan MCV can handle 573 litres, while the massively capacious Skoda Octavia Estate will take 640 litres of baggage. Tip the 60-40 split rear seat down and you can access up to 1367 litres of cargo space.

There aren't many electric alternatives that'll outdo it in terms of luggage space but, if you really need as much space as possible, you might want to look at its SUV sibling, the MG ZS EV.

Boot aside, the MG 5 EV is a fairly spacious family car. Tall adults will be able to get comfortable in the front, while there are plenty of stowage areas for your odds and ends. Even with the front seats positioned as far back as possible, there's a reasonable amount of room in the rear. It doesn't feel claustrophobic back there, either.

The MG 5 EV might have an affordable price tag, but there's nothing particularly downmarket about its interior. Sure, it's far from premium, but it actually feels more appealing inside than the popular Nissan Leaf.

The upper spec Trophy comes with synthetic leather upholstery, but don't let that put you off as plenty of other brands use this, such as Mercedes. The Trophy also has electrically adjusted and heated front seats, so it ticks many of the luxury boxes.

MG has addressed the criticisms of the 5 EV’s main dash and infotainment with the updates in late 2022. Where the dials were once an odd mix of analogue and digital, there’s now a 7-inch colour information display that feels suitably on-trend for a modern EV.

In the centre of the dash, the 10.25-inch colour touchscreen for the infotainment is not as neatly integrated as in some rivals to the MG, but it’s clear to read. It’s also within easy reach and is reasonably simple to navigate. Better still, it can be linked to your smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

The Trophy version comes with a 360-degree parking camera shown in the infotainment display, which is very good and a step up from the SE’s standard reversing camera.

In simplifying the 5 EV range, MG has also made its pricing very straightforward. Although the company still applies the “Long Range” tag to the model’s name, both versions use the same 61.1kWh battery, so the SE model is very keen value with a list price of £30,995.

If you’d prefer the higher specification of the Trophy Long Range model of MG 5 EV, it comes in with an official sticker price of £33,495 to remain solidly good sense when adding up the numbers.

If you're happy to look at a pre-registered model, you can save even more money. We've seen examples with delivery miles on the clock on dealer forecourts for as little as £23,500. That's for a pretty much brand new electric estate car. Bargain.

The MG 5 EV now uses a 61.1kWh battery regardless of which model you plump for. The SE version on 16-inch wheels can travel 250 miles between charges. Take the Trophy that rides on larger 17-inch wheels and its official combined driving range is 235 miles.

All models can charge at a rate of up to 100kW with an appropriate public charger, meaning an 80 per cent top-up takes about 40 minutes (or around an hour with a 50kW unit). A full charge at home using a Type 2 fast charger will take around 10 hours.

Being electric, you won't pay any annual road tax. And the MG 5 EV comes with a seven-year warranty, so it's not going to cost you a fortune in maintenance costs, either.

MG sticks with just two trims for the 5 EV, but they are now called SE and Trophy. Each also has the “Long Range” tag still attached even though they both now share the same battery pack.

The SE covers all the basics and more with its 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, roof rails, rear parking sensors, and reversing camera. There’s also keyless entry and starting, 7-inch colour dash display and 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with sat-nav that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The cloth-covered seats are comfortable and there’s lumbar adjustment for the driver’s chair.

Switch up to the Trophy version of the MG 5 and you get synthetic leather upholstery that looks and feels better than it sounds. The front seats are heated and electrically adjusted, and the Trophy also has a 360-degree parking camera to the SE’s mere reversing camera. On the outside, the Trophy offers rear privacy glass, rain-sensing wipers, electrically folding door mirrors, and 17-inch alloy wheels.