Is this the best affordable electric family car yet?

Daily Mail​

24-04-2025

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Published: Updated:
MG's popularity in Britain has skyrocketed in recent years, becoming the tenth most-bought brand in 2024. To put that into perspective, it now sells more cars in the UK than heavyweights including Vauxhall, Skoda, Peugeot, Volvo, Land Rover and Renault. That's because the Chinese marque is offering British drivers serious bang for their buck. And this is especially true when it comes to EVs. The MG4 was the first genuinely affordable EV that didn't compromise on driving, space, tech or comfort but you could buy for less than £27,000. And the company has launched a total of five battery cars here under a similar 'affordable' ethos.
It's perhaps unsurprising then that MG has sold more 'private retail' (members of the public, not businesses and fleets) EVs than other manufacturer - other than Tesla - between 2019 and 2024. And, based on our experience with MG's latest EV - the S5 - those sales figures are likely to keep rising. Motoring reporter Freda Lewis-Stempel was one of the first people in Europe to drive the new S5 EV at its launch in the Cotswolds.
Where the MG S5 EV lands in the growing EV market
Build on the same rear-wheel-drive Modular Scalable Platform underpinning the MG4, the S5 EV is the Chinese brand's most recent entry into the highly populated 'B Segment SUV' market. It's basically the MG4 in Cuban heels: it's 117mm taller but also 189mm longer, 13mm wider and has a wheelbase that's stretched by 25mm. Comparing it to its two latest rivals in this highly-competitive category, it's longer and taller than the Kia EV3 but longer and lower than the Skoda Elroq. For MG it's also a successor to the ZS SUV, but is by far a more premium offering. To quote head of product and planning for MG UK, David Allison, it's MG's most 'polished' mass-market EV to date.
MG has listened to its customers
As the saying goes: 'The customer tells us how to stay in business, best that we listen'. Whoever that sage bastion of customer experience success was, MG was smart enough to follow said words of wisdom and the proof is very much in the pudding with the S5 EV. It's obvious as soon as you get in the S5 EV that MG's listened to customer bugbears from other models and done something about them. And these improvements encompass tech, comfort, safety and driving ease. The first is keeping buttons alongside the larger touchscreens in the S5. MG's always been a firm believer in maintaining an analogue element to its cars and now that's paying off as all the latest research shows drivers are fed up with touchscreens and want buttons back .
The S5 might have the largest screen fitted to any MG so far – a 12.8-inch HD landscape touchscreen – but MG has fitted a bar of permanent shortcuts underneath for air con, hazards and volume. Then there's the introduction of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Sure, MG's probably the last manufacturer on the planet to introduce this feature, but now they have made the quantum leap into the wireless age they've executed it almost faultlessly. It was one of the easiest systems I've ever connected my phone to, which considering how many vehicles my device has to sync with, is saying something.
On some cars I've tested of late, the only reason to persevere with trying to connect to Apple CarPlay is because the alternative of using the onboard system is so wearisome. However, I say almost flawlessly because somehow my phone got disconnected towards the end of the drive and it would not, no matter what I tried, reconnect. Considering it was perfect the rest of the day, I can't necessarily fault MG, so we'll give them the benefit of the doubt and blame Tim Cook and Apple instead. Thirdly, its MG Pilot Custom feature is a genuine revelation. Why have not more manufacturers thought of this? MG's designed a button that allows drivers to customise the features of MG Pilot – the suite of safety features including lane assist, front collision assist and blind spot detection.
New safety regulations require these features to be turned on each time a car starts, meaning you have to deactivate the ones that repeatedly sound warning alerts (namely the intelligent speed assistance and driver drowsiness system) independently. But with Pilot Custom you can click a button and it sets your saved preferences for which systems are active - and, more importantly, which are not. Goodbye irritating ADAS warning bongs! The last obvious improvement made on the back of customer and review feedback is the upgrade in interior quality. Previously you could tell that MG has saved money by using hard plastics in the interior, but not in the S5 EV. The S5 is full of soft touch materials which bump the interior up into a much more premium league, as do smart and fun features such as the 'MG' pattern embossed into seat strips. Praise all round for MG for listening, implementing and executing pretty flawlessly.
What was it like to drive?
Generally, it's well-weighted, handles corners without too much body sway and is nicely composed for family car buyers who are unlikely to be driving it to the limits of adhesion. It could be a bit smoother on B-roads (motorways were better but there was more cabin noise than the Volvo EX30 I drove before it) but while it's less fun than the MG4, it's definitely a much better drive than the ZS. You can switch between Normal, Custom, Comfort, Snow and Sport driving mode; Eco and Comfort are less energetic, Sport is unsurprisingly the most fun on country lanes and we couldn't tell you about Snow mode because we drove the S5 in surprisingly balmy March sunshine. There's also one pedal drive and four levels of regenerative braking; I found the 'Adaptive' setting met my personal preference perfectly. Brakes had the usual MG jolt though!
There are two battery options; a 49kWh SE Standard Range, and a 64kWh option for the SE Long Range and Trophy Long Range which gives you 211, 298 and 288 miles respectively on a single charge. My Trophy Range's rear-mounted motor gives you 227bhp and a 0-to-62mph sprint time of just 6.3 seconds, which is sprightly enough for Cotswolds villages, towns and roundabouts (the SE Standard Range will manage it in a more modest 8.0 seconds). The driving position was perfect for my 5ft3 frame - though I can't speak on behalf of taller drivers. Sorry about that. Visibility is excellent (it's unusual to have total confidence in front wheel placement in SUVs but thanks to the low bonnet this isn't an issue in the S5 EV) and the handy 10.53-metre turning circle meant I could execute a couple of - seamless - U-turns.
Charging and tech highlights
The S5 EV can charge on a home 7kW charge in 8.5 hours (SE Standard Range) and in 11.5 hours for the SE and Trophy Long Ranges. Max fast charging speeds for all models are capped at 150kW which allows you to top up from 10 to 80 per cent in 24 minutes for the Standard Range and in 28 minutes on the Long Range versions. As well as the faster and better quality 12.8-inch infotainment there's 10.3-inch digital drivers display, and those lovely physical buttons too. The infotainment system is much easier to use than the MG4's thanks to the larger icons and widgets. The S5 comes with wireless charging, a 360-degree parking camera and, excitingly for the bored driver while charging, YouTube, Spotify and TikTok built-in.
Interior, space and practicality
The S5 interior feels a big step up from other models, especially the MG4. It's like MG has taken the new HS and upped it. It's (almost) holding its own now with the likes of the Skoda Elroq and Kia EV3, although without the sustainability credentials of Kia. The SE trims get grey fabric upholstery while the Trophy trim gets leather-style material as well as six-way heated adjustable electric seats, along with a heated steering wheel. I found the seats particularly comfortable (though you don't get lumbar support on the SE trim) because they don't have too much lateral support; if you're a shorter driver like me then lateral support tends to end up hurting your back more than helping it. There's room for four adults on board - because the S5 is quite wide for its size it's roomier than you'd expect in the back - and there's good storage throughout with a deep centre console, hooks and decent door bins. The boot is reasonable at 453 litres, it is just shy of the Kia EV3's 460-litre capacity and 13-litres less than the Skoda Elroq offers. However, there is a second floor for storage which helps, and slightly makes up for there being no frunk (front trunk).
Pricing and warranty and safety
MG keeps its pricing structure nice and simple. The SE Standard Range costs £28,495, the SE Long Range costs £30,995 and the Trophy Long Range costs £33,495. That's it, no extras. There's also a class-leading seven-year warranty (up to 80,000 miles) which is good because MG are frequently getting poor reliability scores. And while the S5 EV is yet to be Euro NCAP rated, MG is confident it will score the full five starts.
MG S5 EV: The Cars and Motoring Verdict
Is the S5 my favourite SUV I've ever driven? Absolutely not. Is it even my favourite MG? Nope – the Cyberster roadster is hard to compete with. However, if asked if this is MG's most complete package for eco-conscious family car buyer in Britain, I would wholeheartedly say that it is. MG has managed to continue undercutting its rivals on price without making you feel like you've been undersold on quality and equipment. Despite its bargain price, there aren't any big 'buts', Achilles heels or obvious corners cut. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a car that anyone is naming in their dream garage. But if you want an affordable EV that easily transports two adults and two children, then the S5 EV should be a prime candidate on your shopping list.