MG5 electric – loads to love

CHOICE is limited for estate car fans who want to go fully electric.

There are some smart and economical hybrids out there as well as a couple of fully electric estates due later in the year, otherwise you’re just looking at premium offerings from Porsche.

Well almost, because thankfully the first, and still only, electric load lugger available on the UK market is one that looks attractive, has an impressive range and costs sensible money – the MG5.

Already into its second generation following a mid-life revamp, the MG5 was the eighth best selling electric car in the UK last year, and it’s easy enough to understand why.

For starters, with prices from £30,995 it’s anything but overpriced for an electric car while both available models – the MG5 EV SE and MG5 EV Trophy – feature the Chinese-owned company’s 61kWh long range battery as standard.

That equates to an official driving range of 250 miles (235 miles Trophy) and the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 35 minutes using a 150kW rapid charger, though it makes economic sense to use a home wallbox.

There’s plenty of power too with 156PS of punch developed, good enough to see the MG5 reach 62mph from standstill in 7.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 115mph.

Visually the car looks every inch the traditional modern estate car but now even more low-slung and sleek with its racy new front end, LED lights all round and upmarket appeal.

Inside there’s loads of room up front and space for three adults across the back, where even the centre rear passenger gets a soft, level seating position with ample legroom thanks to a flat floor.

Inevitably though, the priority for estate car drivers is load space and in the case of the MG5 there’s a maximum load capacity of 1,367 litres, impressive by any standard, plus an adjustable dual-height boot floor. There’s also a towing capacity of 500kg.

Out on the road our tested SE model proved a relaxing and enjoyable yet still quite engaging car to drive in our route that took in 250 miles of mixed urban and motorway driving, including a tour of the Yorkshire Dales.

Drive modes of Eco, Comfort and Sport can be selected, the second of which is a reasonable default and has little impact on economy.

As for tech there are two major advancements over the previous model with the arrival of something called Vehicle-To-Load technology plus MG’s iSMART app connectivity which connects in-car functions to your smartphone.

The V2L feature is a neat initiative which allows you to use the MG5’s battery to charge electrical appliances – everything from an electric scooter to a kettle or coffee machine – so long as it can be connected to the car’s battery.

All models come with a 10.25-inch touchscreen and seven-inch driver display while transmission is via a rotary dial.

Standard kit is comprehensive, though you need to pay the extra £2,500 for the Trophy model to get the likes of rear privacy glass, a 360-degree parking camera, heated front seats and auto-aircon.

And all cars come with MG Pilot advanced driver assistance and a seven-year/80,000-mile transferable warranty.

It all adds up to an impressive package – and represents sound value for money.