There’s a lot of reasons not to buy an electric vehicle (EV). From range anxiety to a lack of infrastructure, but one of the biggest is actually quite simple – cost.
So many EVs on sale today are simply too expensive for many people, even if petrol and diesel-powered car prices have also risen dramatically in recent years. Take the Toyota bZ4X as a prime example.
Toyota’s first EV is priced from $66,000 for the entry-level two-wheel drive model and $74,900 for the all-wheel drive. It’s effectively the same size as the Toyota RAV4, which starts at just $39,760 for the cheapest variant, $42,260 for the most affordable two-wheel drive hybrid and just $58,360 for the range-topping, all-wheel drive hybrid. That’s more than $7600 difference between the cheapest EV and most expensive hybrid – no wonder the RAV4 out-sells its electric sibling.
But what if I told you there was an EV that is not only cheaper than the average electric rival, but also cheaper than some of its petrol-powered competitors?
That’s exactly what the MGS5 EV offers, starting at just $40,490 drive-away and topping out at $47,990 drive-away, it’s amongst the most affordable EVs on the market, but also offers genuine SUV space and practicality.
This small SUV, which is officially named the MGS5 (most likely to avoid any legal issues with Audi), rivals the likes of the Kia EV3 and Hyundai Kona EV, but also the Toyota C-HR hybrid, Mazda CX-30 and Nissan Qashqai.
Considering that the EV3 range starts at $47,600 and the Kona Electric from $54,000 and both exclude on-road costs, it’s clear that MG has a major price advantage in this part of the market.
But is it cheap or is it good value? Because there’s no point being affordable if the vehicle itself is actually pretty dreadful.
MG has certainly had some teething problems, from a quality and dynamics perspective, with its reintroduction to Australia, but the brand is clearly learning the lessons it needs to. While still not on par with the best-in-class there are definite signs of improvement with each new MG.
The MGS5 feels very familiar as soon as you look at it, even though it is a new model (replacing the previous MG ZS EV), and especially when you climb inside. Because it is no longer based on the petrol-engined ZS and instead on a bespoke EV platform, MG has been able to liberate more space in the cabin.
While the design is quite likeable, clean and uncluttered, the finishes and the switchgear betray where MG has been able to save money. Still, the extra space makes up for the lack of ‘wow factor’ in the interior design, it’s so roomy inside you could cross-shop it against some mid-size SUVs.
But what about the driving experience? Well, because it’s based on the same underpinnings as the MG4 hatch, the MGS5 is actually a rear-wheel drive SUV. There’s a single electric motor that makes 125kW of power and 250Nm of torque, but it’s paired to a choice of a 49kWh or 62kWh battery.
Obviously the larger battery is more expensive, but it has a claimed range of 515km compared to 410km for the smaller pack.
Don’t let the rear-wheel drive element fool you into thinking the MGS5 is sporty, the 0-100km/h sprint takes more than eight seconds. But if you’re buying a small, electric SUV you probably aren’t looking for a performance car.
That’s not to say the MGS5 is unpleasant to drive. It actually feels quite responsive and handles well for a small SUV. The ride could be improved, as it still feels too fussy on Australia’s patchwork roads.
Another area where some work is required is the active safety systems. In particular, the driver attention system is one of the worst I’ve experienced, not in its reactions (it’s actually quite well calibrated in that sense) but the extended beeping if you make the mistake of yawning is maddening. I yawned during an early morning drive in the MGS5 and the beeping went on for longer than any other car warning I’ve ever experienced. Not three or four chimes, but rather nearly a minute of bing… bing… bing…
Still, for the money MG is asking, none of these problems are really deal-breakers if you’re in the market for an affordable electric SUV though. So while it’s not the ‘best EV’ – others offer more performance, better finishes or more dynamic character – it’s almost-certainly the ‘best-value EV’ on the market today.
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