MG has a new EV and it’s a good-looker. This week, MG Motor Malaysia unveiled the fully electric MG S5 EV. This crossover comes in three different models and starts at RM115,900 on the road.
The S5 EV boasts dimensions of 4,476 mm in length, 1,849 mm in width, 1,621 mm in height, and a wheelbase of 2,730 mm. This places it in the same size range as the BYD Atto 3 and the Proton eMAS 7, which the EV crossover will compete with in the same C-segment SUV market.
The S5 EV has a more muscular and sculptural exterior appearance than the Proton and BYD, which employ simpler, more subtle exterior designs. The MG’s belt line, which progressively flows into a sculpted piece on the tailgate that resembles a ducktail spoiler over the full-width taillights, is what distinguishes this design.
Standard exterior features include automatic LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED tail lights, power folding side mirrors, rear fog lamps, active grille system, 17-inch alloy wheels and roof rails.
The S5’s cabin houses a 10.25-inch driver’s digital gauge cluster and a floating-style 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment display which significantly enhance the sophistication levels inside.
A rotary dial on the centre console, which has a sizable area at the bottom for storage spaces, is used to choose gears. With the rear seats folded, the S5 EV’s 453-liter boot can be increased to 1,441-liters.
Standard interior features include fabric upholstery, six-way manually adjustable driver seat, four-way manually adjustable front passenger seat, rear aircon vents, USB ports (3x Type-C), 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 10.25-inch drivers’ digital gauge cluster and a four-speaker sound system.
A rear-mounted electric motor producing 170 horsepower and 250 Nm. For the Com version, there are two battery packs available. The range of these is either 340 km with a 49 kWh lithium-ion phosphate unit or 430 km with a bigger 62 kWh pack (WLTP).
For charging, both 49 kWh and 62 kWh battery packs support AC charging at 6.6 kW. For DC charging, the smaller 49 kWh battery pack supports 120 kW, which enables 10-80% charging in just 24 minutes. The larger 62 kWh battery pack enjoys faster DC charging at 150 kW, but its 10-80% charge time is slightly longer at 26 minutes.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
To be bluntly honest, SUV designs coming out of China, whether they be BYD or Geely or MG for that matter, have reached a stage where we have to nod at the stylish proportions and rather good-looking silhouettes. Plus, these SUVs come with competitive pricing, sophisticated interior appointments and decent range making them hard to ignore.