MG 5 EV Review 2026

You might associate the MG brand with 60s sports cars or maybe rebadged Rovers from the early 00s but, under Chinese ownership, it's now carving its own niche as a maker of a affordable electric vehicles. The MG 5 EV is the first mainstream family electric car on the market – yet it's priced in line with much smaller and cheap electric car alternatives like the Peugeot e-208, Renault Zoe and Fiat 500 Electric.

All MG 5 EV models are powered by the same 156PS electric motor, while buyers get a choice of two battery sizes. The smaller (52.5kWh) unit provides an official range of 214 miles, while the bigger (61.1kWh) pack can cover 250 miles between charges.

It's an unintimidating car to drive, particularly if you haven't driven an electric car before. It's just like driving an automatic petrol vehicle, really, albeit without any engine noise. Acceleration is swift although, while it's easy to spin the front wheels, it's not going to push you back in your seat like a Tesla.

Electric cars are usually quite firm – the suspension having to work particularly hard to cope with the weight of the batteries. The MG 5 EV is surprisingly soft, though, soaking up lumpy road surfaces with ease. The flip side of this is that it leans quite a lot during cornering, but the higher ZS SUV is more likely to make you seasick.

There are just trim levels available: the Excite model and the top-spec Exclusive. Standard kit on the Excite includes an eight-inch media system (with DAB radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), cruise control and a rear parking camera. The Exclusive adds navigation, leather-style upholstery and heated front seats.

The MG 5 certainly doesn't feel like the budget option you might expect. It generally seems well-made, while the brand's seven-year warranty should put to rest any concerns that it's going to fall apart quicker than a mainstream alternative.

Of course, it's the 5's practicality which sets it apart from rivals. It's available solely as an estate car, with more interior space than aforementioned electric city cars – while it's more suited to family life than the Nissan Leaf hatchback.

It also represents exceedingly good value for money. Even a top-spec Long Range Exclusive model is well under the £35,000 threshold for the government's plug-in car grant, meaning you'll save £2500 off the list price if buying new. We'd recommend looking for a pre-registered or ex-demonstrator model, though – we've seen as-new MG 5s offered for less than £21,000.

The MG 5 EV is fun to drive thanks to its nippy acceleration, but don't expect sports car handling. Indeed, the tyres are easily overwhelmed, particularly if you're harsh on the accelerator coming out of a corner or pulling away from a roundabout. It's really not difficult to get the traction control light flickering.

If you're sensible, though, it handles perfectly respectably. It leans less than the MG ZS EV, and light steering means driving around town is a doddle. Rear parking sensors and a reversing camera help here, too; it might be a significantly bigger car than a Zoe, but it's no more challenging to drive.

It's also surprisingly soft for an electric car. Many EVs have very firm suspension to cope with the weight of the batteries. Not so the MG 5 EV – it'll glide nicely over broken road surfaces and you won't find yourself wincing on the approach to potholes. The longer-range model has a slightly higher ride height, meaning it's perhaps slightly better at tackling bumpy roads. You'd have to drive it back-to-back with the standard car to notice any real difference, though.

All MG 5 EV models are powered by the same 115kW electric motor (equivalent to 156PS), developing 260Nm of torque and providing 0-62mph acceleration of 7.7 seconds.

Like all electric cars, the MG 5 EV's acceleration is instantaneous. Boot the accelerator pedal and it'll surge forward at a startling pace – ideal for hustling through congestion or joining a motorway.

While the MG 5 EV feels livelier than a Peugeot e-208 or entry-level Volkswagen ID.3, there are faster electric vehicles on the market. A Hyundai Kona Electric will out accelerate it from the traffic lights, for example.

All models feature three driving modes (eco, normal and sport) as well as three levels of regenerative braking. The latter is controlled via a toggle switch on the centre console – the higher the regen, the more the car will slow down when you lift off the accelerator (pumping energy back into the battery). It's not strong enough to allow one-pedal around town but, with a little practice, you'll find yourself using the brakes less.

Disappointly, the standard MG 5 EV does without the usual array of driver-assist features. These are lumped into the MG Pilot package, which is provided as standard on Long Range models. MG Pilot features Active Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Jam Assist, Intelligent High Beam Assist and Intelligent Speed Limit Assist.

The MG 5 EV is yet to be crash tested by Euro NCAP.

The MG 5 EV isn't rated for towing a trailer.

Compared to small electric vehicles like the Peugeot e-208 and Renault Zoe, the MG 5 EV is enormously practical. It can carry 464 litres of luggage, which ought to be enough for a family holiday. That said, it's not quite as versatile as conventional estate cars – a Dacia Logan MCV can handle 573 litres, while the massively capacious Skoda Octavia Estate will take 640 litres of baggage.

There aren't many electric alternatives that'll outdo it in terms of luggage space but, if you really need as much space as possible, you might want to look at its SUV sibling, the MG ZS EV.

Boot aside, the MG 5 EV is a fairly spacious family car. Tall adults will be able to get comfortable in the front, while there are plenty of stowage areas for your odds and ends. Even with the front seats positioned as far back as possible, there's a reasonable amount of room in the rear. It doesn't feel claustrophobic back there, either.

The MG 5 EV might have an affordable price tag, but there's nothing particularly downmarket about its interior. Sure, it's far from premium, but it actually feels nicer inside than the popular Nissan Leaf.

We've only driven the top-spec Exclusive which might influence our judgement. This comes with 'leather-style' seats (don't let that put you off – even premium brands like Mercedes use faux-leather), including electric adjustment for the driver.

While the entry-level trim might do without fake leather, all MG 5 EV models come with an eight-inch media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.

It's quite a simple system, which means it's easy to navigate while the graphics are clear enough. Responses could be a fraction quicker, but at least you get a few useful shortcut buttons and a physical volume control button. The climate control system isn't lumped into the infotainment, either.

Oddly, the MG 5 EV uses old-fashioned analogue dials, seperated by a basic digital display providing information like your current speed and how much juice is left in the battery.

All MG 5 EV models qualify for the Government's plug-in car grant, taking £2500 off the price. That means the cheapest MG 5 EV – an Excite model with the smaller battery – costs from just £25,095. That undercuts much smaller electric hatchbacks like the Renault Zoe and Peugeot e-208, as well as hybrid alternatives like the Toyota Corolla Touring Sports.

No matter which way you look at it, the MG 5 EV represents excellent value for money. At the time of writing, an MG 5 EV Exclusive is available for £27,595, while the Long Range battery starts from £26,495 in Excite trim. A top-of-the-range Long Range Exclusive is £28,995 – about the same as a mid-range Ford Focus Estate. Who says electric cars are expensive?

If you're happy to look at a pre-registered model, you can save even more money. We've seen examples with delivery miles on the clock on dealer forecourts for as little as £20,000. That's for a pretty much brand new electric estate car. Bargain.

The MG 5 EV is available with two different batteries: there's the standard 52.5kWh unit and the Long Range 61.1kWh model. The former provides an official range of 214 miles, while the latter can travel 250 miles between charges. Given the relatively small price difference between the different versions, we'd recommend the bigger-battery MG 5 EV Long Range unless you really don't need to travel far day-to-day.

All models can charge at a rate of up to 100kW with an appropriate public charger, meaning an 80 per cent top-up takes about 40 minutes (or around an hour with a 50kW unit). A full charge at home using a Type 2 fast charger will take around nine and a half hours.

Being electric, you won't pay any annual road tax. And the MG 5 EV comes with a seven-year warranty, so it's not going to cost you a fortune in maintenance costs, either.

There are just two MG 5 EV trim levels: Excite and Exclusive.

The Excite model covers the basics. Standard kit includes an eight-inch touchscreen media system (with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and DAB radio), a rear parking camera and cruise control. Air conditioning is standard, as well as fabric seats and a leather steering wheel. Electric windows are standard in the front and rear, while there's a 12v power socket and four USB ports.

We'd recommend looking for the slightly more lavishly equipped Exclusive. This adds smart keyless entry (with push button engine start), navigation and leather-like seat coverings. Heated front seats are standard, with six-way electric adjustment for the driver (as well as adjustable lumbar support). You'll find rain-sensing wipers as standard, as well as an auto-domming rear-view mirror and silver roof rails.