MG 5 test: The first 100% electric station wagon

Already “scratching hair” of well-established brands in the categories of electric and plug-in SUVs, MG 5 offers itself the luxury of being the first to offer a type of vehicle that does not yet exist: a 100% electric station wagon.

Before going any further, let’s put the church back in the middle of the village: yes, there is already an electric station wagon on the market: the Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo. So OK, the MG is not the very first, but the first with a potential for wide distribution, because obviously much more affordable.

An electric station wagon rather than yet another SUV, this is a refreshing idea. The thing is that to interest an audience that swears by the SUV, wouldn’t it have taken a design a little less “generic”? At the same time, it does not shock either, it is sober and discreet, which some will appreciate. Inside, it’s just as sober without being sad. There is all the current “classic”, such as the digital dashboard and a connected multimedia system with a 10.25″ touch screen.

The interface of this system is not particularly modern in its look, but we have seen for example that the same criticism was very quickly corrected on the SUV ZS. The overall quality leaves a favorable impression (especially at this price), as does the list of driving aids. Finally, despite reasonable dimensions (4.6 m long), the MG 5 is a real estate, with enough rear seats for adults, and a real trunk of at least 497 liters.

Very convincing

The MG 5 is available in “Standard Range” version (50 kWh battery, 177 hp engine, 320 km WLTP), or “Long Range” (61 kWh, 156 hp, 400 km). It accepts fast charging up to 87 kW, for a “0-80%” charge in 40 minutes. On the road, we first notice that relatively modest batteries are the right choice, because the car weighs only 1,560 kilos. In addition, it is very clear that the development of behavior is always carried out by the English.

Without having the sportiness that we still associate with MG, the 5 is very “European” on the road. Understand: serious, efficient, ready to take the more committed driving sessions (and engine performance makes you want), without neglecting a good family comfort. In short, without creating crazy doses of emotions, the MG really offers a good feeling behind the wheel.

And, icing on the cake, it is a very efficient electric. For the “Standard Range” version of our trial, MG announces a consumption of 17.9 kWh. Our predominantly peri-urban route was certainly a little easy for the car, but still: a raised average of less than 14 kWh/100 km is canon! And it gives an autonomy greater than the official value. All this to say that technically, the car is convincing and that it makes sense.

Remains the price: from 26.490 € (bonus deducted), for something already more than correct. If the MG 5 does not yet have enough to be a main car, its price can qualify it as a second car for some families… Nice shot!