First drive: MG’s new S5 EV might just be its best car yet

MG sells a huge number of electric cars in the UK, and no wonder as they tend to be fantastic value. Its latest is the MG S5 EV, a new small electric SUV that indirectly replaces both the MG5 and the MG ZS EV. On paper, it doesn’t seem to do much different – but we’ve taken it for a drive, and after spending a good few hours with the S5 EV it turns out it may be MG’s best car to date.

You’ll have to get past a few things first, though. The first is the styling – or lack of it. The S5 EV looks as though MG’s design team began with a normal SUV and then Photoshopped out any of its distinguishing features. It’s extremely bland to look at, and even neat features such as a tidy stacked headlight design or a lower grille ‘inspired’ by the MG Cyberster sports car can’t lift it beyond a total snoozefest.

There’s also the price tag. While the MG S5 EV is still fantastic value, starting at just £28,495, that does mean it’s starting to flirt with some really excellent alternatives. The top-spec S5 EV, which costs £33,495, is more expensive than an entry-level Kia EV3 or Volvo EX30 – two of the best electric SUVs you can buy.

Step inside, though, and things start to look up. Other MG cars feel ‘good enough’ for their price tags in terms of interior design and quality – but the S5 EV actually just feels good, with no caveats. The dash is swathed in soft-touch materials and you have to be going some to find cheaper plastics – even lower down on the centre console things feel pretty good. There’s comfortable upholstery on the seats, Alcantara on the armrest, and a feeling of solidity and quality that’s been missing from any other MG to date.

Better still, it seems somebody at MG has been listening to feedback from its customers and car reviewers alike, particularly in regards to the touchscreen. It’s bigger than on the MG4 and far, far more responsive. The interface is genuinely snappy and features permanent shortcut keys at the bottom so you have quick access to essential functions. Pull down from the top and you even have a shortcut to turn off the more annoying driver assistance systems in one fell swoop – a huge improvement from other MGs, where you have to root around in tiny, awkward touchscreen menus.

There’s even a full panel of climate controls underneath the screen, so you can change the temperature or fan speed independently of the touchscreen. That’s a big tick in the usability box.

It’s really practical, too. There’s a 453-litre boot – on a par with the 460-litre space in the Kia EV3 – and bags of rear legroom, plus a totally flat floor so there’s room for everyone’s feet.

And to drive? Really quite good. The MG S5 EV uses the same underpinnings as the MG4, which means it’s rear-wheel drive with 170hp in the base model and 228hp in the Long Range version. We drove the latter and found it to be plenty powerful, with the rear-wheel drive ensuring a satisfying feeling of being pushed out of the corners rather than dragged around them.

The steering is nicely weighted and feels accurate, and if you engage Sport mode you can even have a bit of fun driving the S5 EV – that’s not something you can say about most practical electric SUVs.

It’s let down a bit by the suspension, which feels a bit too firm at low speeds but still wallows about a little in the corners.

MG offers two battery options in the S5 EV. The Standard Range version can go up to 211 miles on a charge, while the Long Range can do 298 miles. MG currently has no plans to introduce an Extended Range model like it offers on the MG4. During our testing of the Long Range model, we saw about 240 miles of indicated range – on par with a base Kia EV3 and much more than an entry-level Volvo EX30.

Overall, it’s quite hard to fault the MG S5 EV. It may be a bit boring to look at, and not quite as comfortable over bumps as some alternatives, but it’s also really practical, good value and has a feeling of quality inside that’s been missing from MG’s cars before now. You might still decide that a posher brand is worth spending a bit of extra money on, but if you want the same level of equipment in a Kia EV3 or Volvo EX30 you’ll need to step up closer to £40,000. If you’re shopping for an affordable electric SUV with space, comfort and solid tech, the S5 EV should definitely be on your radar.

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