We keep reading in the magazines and on the internet that Electric Vehicles (EV), or Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), to give them their proper name, are rising in popularity every day with Tesla’s Model 3 topping the sales charts in many countries across Europe and beyond. That’s all well and good but a quick check at the RRP of the base Standard Range reveals it to be rather out of range (ahem) for most of us that .
The problem with the Model 3, no matter what you think of Tesla or Elon, is that the features and range of the car are superb and would surely be on everyone’s wish list if you sat down and really considered what would convince you to swap from your Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) to Electric.
So what then to do?
Well MG think they have found the perfect solution with the recent launch of the MG5 EV Long Range, Europe’s first fully electric, fully specced up estate car. Last year saw the MG5 arrive on the shores of our green and pleasant land with a 52.5 kWh battery capacity offering up to 214 WLTP verified miles in range and proved to be very popular indeed.
But rather than sitting back and congratulating themselves on a job well done, MG have created a companion to the original 5, increasing the battery capacity to 61.1 kWh, giving a new WLTP verified range of up to 250 miles and adding MG Pilot, MG’s excellent suite of driver and safety aids, into the mix as well.
That 250 range is a game changer for MG. 214 was excellent but 250? That really helps when it comes to putting range anxiety in it’s place. In fact, after a couple of hours driving the MG5 Long Range around the Essex countryside during it’s launch, air con blasting away and no thought given to economical driving in the slightest, the 5 was still showing 78% battery remaining. Superb. When you do need to charge, up to 80% can be competed in 40 minutes using a 100kW CCS rapid charger, up to twice as fast as the previous MG5.
Those familiar with the MG5 will struggle to notice the small changes in styling that adorn this Long Range edition made to encompass the radar and camera system that enables MG Pilot to take the strain away from driving long journeys. Which brings us neatly onto discussing the tech carefully packaged within the car. There’s an 8″ colour touchscreen featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a reversing camera, sat-nav, DAB, Bluetooth and USB ports whilst MG Pilot offers the driver state-of-the-art warning and alert features including Adaptive Cruise Control to maintain a safe distance from the car in front; as well as Active Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, and Intelligent High Beam Assist that automatically dips the headlights when they detect an oncoming driver. And its all so easy to use.
Pressing the start button awakens the impressive dials surrounding the 7” Colour Driver Information Display, another clever and unexpected delight for the driver, and it’s then just a case of choosing between Eco, Normal and Sport, setting the right amount of regenerative braking, twisting the beautifully finished rotary drive selector and away you go.
For those that haven’t yet experienced the thrill of driving an electric car, you are in for a treat with the MG5 EV Long Range. Happy days.
For more information and a great deal on the MG5, MotorMartin recommends you visit Nathaniel Cars or Mega Lease (a fantastic new player when it comes to great value leasing).