Overview

MG MOTOR Australia recently launched its S5 EV into local dealerships, the model replacing the ZS EV as a rival to the likes of the BYD Atto 3 (from $39,990 plus on-road costs), Chery Omoda E5 (from $42,990 + ORC), and Kia EV 3 (from $47,600 + ORC).

Offered with a choice of 49kWh and 62kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries – allowing a driving range of up to 415km and 515km (NEDC) respectively – the S5 EV is available as the entry-grade Excite (from $40,490 driveaway) or flagship Essence (from $42,990 d/a).

All variants are powered by a single electric motor producing 125kW of power and 250Nm of torque. MG Motor quotes a 0-100km/h time of between 8.0 and 8.6 seconds depending on configuration.

The Chinese importer quotes a 30-80 per cent charging time of as little as 19 minutes is possible when connected via a 150kW DC fast charger.

Built upon the same platform as the MG 4, the S5 EV features rear-wheel drive and a spacious interior hosting familiar technologies including wireless Apple CarPlay and iSmart remote connectivity, a powered tailgate (Essence grade), vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, and light and dark interior themes.

The Excite features equipment highlights including 17-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 12.8-inch infotainment array, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB+ digital radio reception, native satellite navigation, four-speaker sound, cloth upholstery, single-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera.

Safety equipment includes seven airbags, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, door open warning, driver monitoring, lane centring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert with braking function, and tyre pressure monitoring.

The Essence grades add 18-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel with heating, six-way powered driver’s seat adjustment, powered tailgate with kick sensor, panoramic sunroof, six-speaker sound, wireless device charging pad, a 360-degree camera system, power folding wing mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, voice control, rear privacy glass, rear seat console and reading lights, and online entertainment services.

A choice of seven paint colours – Black Pearl, Camden Grey, Champagne Gold, Diamond Red, Dover White, Piccadilly Blue, and Sterling Silver – will be available.

Cargo volume is listed at 453 litres with the rear seats in place, or up to 1441 litres all told. The cargo area has a useful shelf for hiding charging cables and the likes, as well as tie-down points, a retractable cover, and a light. But there is no spare wheel to be found.

As with other MG Motor models sold locally, the MG S5 EV will be backed by a 10-year/250,000km warranty. Service intervals are set at 12 months or 25,000km (whichever comes first) with the total cost of scheduled maintenance over a three-year period costing $1119.

Driving Impressions

If you have experienced MG’s offerings in the past and come away with a less than favourable impression of the marque, it might be time to revisit your local dealership. The S5 EV is a 100 per cent improvement on the ZS it replaces – in every respect – showing just how far the Chinese brand has come in a very short space of time.

Build quality is up there with Japanese and South Korean entrants, the paint finish uniform and lustrous, panel gaps consistent, and material qualities excellent for the price. While we did find some evidence of door-in-jamb noise over rough surfaces, it’s really the only quality related issue we could identify during our time with the car, finding no squeaks or rattles elsewhere.

The cabin of the S5 EV in high-grade Essence format is clean and contemporary. Again, the materials finish is hard to fault, the simple layout and light-coloured décor offering a calm aesthetic many passengers assumed come at a far higher price.

We found the relationship between the seating and the primary controls to be excellent, and the seat comfort hard to fault. If we were to pick, we might ask for a little extra cushioning in the seat base, but this is a sub-$50K car after all…

Amenity is likewise well considered with cup-holders, storage bins, and useful cubbies plentiful in both the first and second row. The wireless phone charger is particularly well placed, though we’re not sure how well the suede-like material beneath it will stand the test of time.

Further back, the rear seat feels more spacious than the contenders we listed at the top of this report, showing MG has invested considerable effort in ensuring adequate accommodation for adults and lanky teens. Unfortunately, the second-row seating cushioning is not as malleable as the first, which could be a bother for those enduring longer trips.

Our time with the MG S5 EV Essence showed a couple of issues with the human-machine interface (HMI), mostly from the stability of the wireless Apple CarPlay connection (we ended up resorting to the use of a cabled connection) and the settings screen where many of the vehicle’s ancillary controls are accessed.

Dimming the panel lights, for example, is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair, the screen allowing one light touch before reverting to the Home page. Indeed, many infrequently used functions are buried two, three, or four menu layers deep, distracting the operator from the task at hand (driving!).

MG has installed a short-cut function to quickly access your preferred secondary control screen – a feature we used for quick access to our preferred ADAS settings each time we hopped in the car.

While the adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance are excellent in calibration, the driver monitoring system and speed sign recognition software are both overreactive and erroneous. How this got passed the keeper we’ll never know.

Those accustomed to the ridiculous (and often exaggerated) power and torque claims of certain EV manufacturers might see the 125kW/250Nm offered by the single-motor S5 EV as less than appealing. But the combination of a single-speed transmission and rear-wheel drive offers satisfying acceleration, with plenty in reserve for those times a little extra ‘oomph’ is required.

The NEDC driving range claims, which like all estimates achieved in laboratory conditions, might be somewhat fanciful, aren’t terribly far from the mark in the case of the S5 EV Essence 62kWh tested. On test, and in a mix of urban and freeway driving, we achieved an energy use average of 17.8kWh per 100km, resulting in a single-charge range of 349km.

The vehicle is mostly quiet at cruising speeds, save for a little tyre rumble over coarse chip surfaces, the tune of the MacPherson sturt front / multi-link rear suspension arrangement providing an appropriate blend of agility and comfort. Matched by light but accurate steering, the chassis tune is an ideal fit for the daily grind.

We found the braking action of the MG S5 EV equally consistent, the usual regeneration levels and one-pedal settings (again accessed via that pesky HMI) trialled before landing on a favourite. The pedal stroke is well metered with suitable assistance allowing excellent control over the four-wheel discs below. If like us you appreciate the ability to come to a stop with chauffer-smooth softness, you’ll appreciate the quality of the tuning demonstrated here.

With a little finesse, the human-machine interface and ADAS technologies of the MG S5 EV could give it the edge required to outsmart the competition and allow it to leave an even more positive impression than it has.

Are those factors a deal-breaker for us? No. This is an otherwise excellent vehicle for the price and one we’d be happy to park in our own driveway. Let’s see if other Aussie buyers agree with us when the model’s sales momentum starts to build.