With the 5 Electric, MG in the Netherlands gets a new model in the showroom. Although the car was already presented in the United Kingdom last year, we immediately receive the revised version.
MG is also bringing the fully electric 5 EV to the Netherlands. Here it bears the name MG 5 Electric and that is not the only thing that changes from the ‘British’ version unveiled in September. The MG 5 also immediately gets a quite different nose. In principle, the car dates from 2017 – when sister brand Roewe presented it in China as Ei5 – and the facelift that the Roewe gets also flows directly onto the MG. The grille that used to be on it, a direct hint that this car is also available with a combustion engine in China, makes way for a more closed front. After all, that also suits an electric car better. In addition, sharper-shaped headlights and a sportier-lined front bumper provide a fresher appearance.
It does not stop there, because the aforementioned Roewe also gets a stronger electric motor that we also find directly in the MG 5 Electric. The electric station wagon thus has 184 hp and 280 Nm of torque. According to MG, that is enough to accelerate from a standstill to 100 km / h in 8.3 seconds with the 5 Electric. MG gives a maximum towing weight of 500 kilos. The MG 5 Electric draws its power from a battery pack with a capacity of 52.5 kWh and, according to the preliminary figures, this is good for a range of more than 400 km according to the WLTP cycle. As standard, the MG 5 Electric is equipped with an 11 kW 3-phase charger. Fast charging with a DC charger is also possible, according to ‘Morris Garages’ you can then get the battery pack fully charged for 80 percent in 30 minutes.
Space
Of course it is also interesting to measure the MG 5 Electric and compare it with some well-known station wagons. With a length of 4.54 meters, it is about 12 cm shorter than, for example, the Ford Focus Wagon, 9 cm shorter than the Volkswagen Golf Variant and 6 cm shorter than the Kia Ceed Sportswagon. With its 1.51 meters, the MG 5 is just a bit higher than those three. In terms of width, 1.81 meters, it sits between the Focus and Ceed.
All in all, this results in a luggage compartment of 578 liters, which can be expanded with the rear seats folded down to a maximum of 1,456 liters. This means that compared to the Focus, Golf and Ceed, you stow about 30/40 liters less with the bench up and about 200 to 250 liters less with the rear seats folded. Undoubtedly, the presence of the battery pack in the ground plays an important role in this.
Interior
At the time of writing, we are still dependent on the image of the British MG 5 for pictures of the interior. That gives a good idea of ​​what you can expect approximately. It looks conventional but fine. In the center of the dashboard you will find an infotainment system that we already know from the ZS EV and EHS, which can also handle Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There is a partly digital set of instruments in front of the steering wheel. It remains to be seen how large the infotainment screen in the refreshed MG 5 will be available. Until now, it was 8-inches in size, but it will likely grow to 10.1-inches (like in the ZS EV) now that the car has been scrutinized. MG says it will release more details of the 5 Electric at a later time.
With the 5 Electric, MG is clearly focusing on a piece of unexplored market in the Netherlands: that of the fully electric C-segment station wagon. “The all-electric powertrain makes it unique. A major advantage is the total cost of ownership, which is much lower than the competition,” said MG Europe CEO Matt Lei. So count on a competitive starting price, as we already know from the ZS EV and EHS. The MG5 Electric will be launched here in October, and prices will be announced in the run-up to that introduction.