It has been interesting to track the progress of MG Motors, the company born out of the remains of the much-missed British-owned MG-Rover that hit the financial buffers in April 2005. The first all-new car was a mid-sized hatch and rarely seen saloon, the MG 6, that found limited popularity largely because of its value pricing but which was otherwise pretty unremarkable. The smaller MG 3 impressed the critics more, as it had lively performance and generous equipment in its favour as well as value for money, whilst the first crossover style model, the GS, barely made any impact in a class filled with very competent rivals. But in the last few years, the latest products have caused people  to take far more notice. The small ZS crossover, available in petrol and all-electric forms got good reviews and sales took off dramatically. MG followed this up with the market’s first, and so far only all-electric estate car, the MG 5. Priced in-line with much smaller electric vehicles such as the Renault Zoe and Fiat 500, but trimmed and specced in a way that would seem generous even at much higher prices, the MG 5 quickly found its niche. I had noticed that some of the early cars had appeared in Hertz UK’s fleet and was interested in trying one. As it turned out, I did not even have to ask, as I found one allocated to me when I had booked a regular mid-sized hatch. The test car came in what is probably the most stand-out of the five available colours, known as Piccadilly Blue Metallic. Would it stand out in other ways as well? Read on.

All MG 5 EV models are powered by the same 115kW electric motor (equivalent to 156PS), developing 280Nm of torque and providing 0-60mph acceleration of 7.3 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. The car is generally smooth and despite the fact that there is a bit of wind noise, it is otherwise quiet when cruising at a steady speed on the motorway. And that is where I covered most of my test miles, driving the car back home from where I collected it at Heathrow airport. At launch the 5 came with a 52kWh battery pack, positioned under the floor of the car. A few months later, a larger 61 kWh battery was made available in what was designated a Long Range version, with a quoted range of 250 miles in typical driving and 334 miles on WLTP. On the original battery spec, as was my test car, MG quote a range of 214 miles on the WLTP cycle (rising to 276 miles for city use) and say it can be taken from 0-80% charge in 50 minutes using a CCS connection. A full charge at home using Type 2 fast charging can be attained in around eight and a half hours. When I picked my test car up, it was showing a range of 170 miles from a 94% charge, a long way down on the claimed range. I drove home, a distance of 110 miles, by which point the MG was then showing a remaining range of 50 miles and 25% charge left. The car charged at 49 kWh until it got to 82% at which point the rate of electrons heading to the battery reduced quite considerably. Whilst overall this was enough for my purposes, there will still be plenty who will find this sort of range a bit too limiting. Perhaps for this reason, all newer MG 5 models now have the Long Range battery as standard.

The MG 5 is very easy to drive, but it is not what you would call fun. The steering is very light, with not much feel and whilst the car corners tidily and has plenty of grip, the handling is in the safe and secure category rather than anything remotely entertaining. There are 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. As with many hybrid and electric cars, I found the brakes could feel a bit jerky. The test car came on 205/60 R16 wheels and, coupled with relatively soft suspension, these gave quite a comfortable ride, though at the expense of some body lean on corners. All-round visibility is generally good and there are parking sensors and a rear-view camera which helps when parking up.

Each new MG seemingly has a better quality interior than the last and the standard set in the 5 is now more than class competitive. There is plenty of use made of soft plastics and there are chrome inlays to give some visual variety. There is a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The instrument cluster is pretty conventional with two half-moon shaped dials, one for speed and the other to show the state of charge of the battery. There is a trip computer display area between them. Twin column stalks do the usual indicators, wipers and lights both of which include an auto function and there is an extra stalk on the left of the wheel for the cruise control, reducing somewhat the number of buttons needed on the steering wheel boss. Integrated into the centre of the dash, there is a relatively small 8” central touch screen which does at least have clear graphics. Features here include standard navigation which works with Apple Car Play and Android Auto as well as DAB radio coupled to a six-speaker audio system. Climate control operates from buttons and knobs that are part of the centre console unit. There is a cylindrical gear selector.

The test car was in the upper spec Exclusive trim which means that you get what is called “leather-style” upholstery. For the driver the seats are electrically adjusted and they have heating elements. They proved quite comfortable. The steering column adjusts in/out as well as up/down. The 5 is spacious in the back, with plenty of room for the legs and knees of occupants, though the relatively high floor means that you may not find the seating position quite as comfortable in some cars. There is a completely flat floor, so a middle seat occupant should not feel short-changed. Headroom is ample, too. There’s an arm rest that folds down in the middle with a couple of cup holders, while the rear door bins will take a large bottle and the two USB ports mean there’s less fighting over phone charging than in cars with just the one. There are map pockets on the back of the front seats and bins on the doors for odds and ends.

At 464 litres, the boot is a good size and easily accessed. There is a space-saver spare wheel under the floor. The rear seat backrests are asymmetrically split and simply drop down to create a long, but not completely flat load area. Unlike some electric cars, there’s no front boot for a little extra storage space, though on the plus side there is some under-floor storage in the boot for your charging cables and load cover. You can buy an aftermarket front-boot for the MG5, which slots in around the electric motor, but beware motor cooling issues if you’re going to use one of these. Inside the passenger compartment there is a decent sized glovebox, and there are bins on the door and a small armrest cubby.

The MG 5 EV range consists of two versions, with prices starting at just £24,495 for the Excite (after the Plug-in Car Grant). This  comes with 16-inch ‘Meteor’ alloys, remote entry with push-button start, air conditioning, four electric windows, electrically adjustable mirrors, smartphone compatibility, an eight-inch colour touchscreen and seven-inch driver information display, cruise control, a leather steering wheel, rotary gear selector, speed-sensing locking, three driving modes, rear parking sensors and follow-me-home headlights, as well as a 7-year warranty. The Exclusive version adds leather-style upholstery with heated front seats with six-way electric adjustment for the driver, one-shot electric rear windows, silver roof rails, electrically adjustable folding heated mirrors, smart keyless entry with push-button start, an automatically dimming rear view mirror, rain-sensing wipers and satellite navigation.

Despite having been on sale for three years now, the MG 5 is still really in a class of one, if you are looking for an all-electric estate car. That fact alone, along with the value pricing has been more than enough to make the car popular in the market, and you do see them out on roads quite frequently. But to think these are the only two reasons to buy the car would be to underestimate it. This is a thoroughly practical and decently spacious estate car that is nicely finished and with a generous level of equipment that can hold its own against other lower-medium sized competitors. For sure, it is not exciting to drive, but that was never the intent. For what it does aim to do, I would say it has hit the proverbial spot pretty close to dead centre and as an indication of what fast-improving MG is capable of, this should be a pretty strong warning to established makers that their life is only going to get tougher.