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Last Updated on: 17th July 2025, 01:20 am

This morning, Majella and went to check out MG’s latest entrant to the crowded Australian electric vehicle market — the MG S5. (What, only one number and one letter? I felt cheated.) And, yes, it comes in red. After being briefly sidetracked by the red Cyberster on display at the dealership, we had a great chat with the young salesperson and a test drive around the Newport seafront near Redcliffe, north of Brisbane. Sadly, we had to drive a grey one.

According to the MG website, the MG S5 is based on the same platform as the MG4. As such, we expected it to drive like its older sibling. It did not — it handled like the SUV it is, not quite as sporty as we had hoped. Readers may remember that I had referred to the MG4 as a Tesla-lite in its ability to take corners and accelerate. I would describe the drive as much better than the MG ZS EV (which the S5 is replacing) but not quite as tight as the MG 4. Having said that, it is a much more comfortable family SUV with tons of space for all the attendant needs. You can download the spec sheet here.

The S5 is powered by LFP batteries. The 49 kWh gives an expected range of 410 km, and the 62 kWh 515 km range. More than enough for a run around town vehicle, or to get you around the vast Australian landscape with the ever-increasing number of public chargers. The MG S5 can recharge from 30% to 80% in 20 minutes. Vehicle to Load (V2L) comes standard. Of course, a Facebook group has already started and has over 200 members to date.

I asked the early adopters (who appear to be first time EV owners) what they thought of the vehicle and they told me:  “Overall, happy with the car and it is basically the primary vehicle now. Have done country runs and local runabouts. The ICE hasn’t been to service station in 8 weeks as not being driven.” That’s what I like to hear.

On the positive side: “Great driving experience — sits low on the road, driver assistance not too intrusive, even tall passengers can fit, menu layout not too bad, lots of usable space, so quiet — great for listening to music on the drive. Bought in the midst of a cold wet spell — really appreciated the heated steering wheel and seats.”

Some of the issues raised: Connectivity glitches. Charger was not available when the car was handed over. Others were having difficulty allowing other drivers to access the car. Others were receiving inconsistent advice from MG re: servicing intervals. There was a desire expressed for the ability to customise the menu on the main screen. I think this a great idea — all new EVs should have this facility.

“For example, having quick access to websites that show me flooding, bushfires or other major events in my vicinity or area I am travelling to/through would be far more valuable than checking the newest trend on TikTok whilst I am parked up somewhere.”

Back to the dealer’s lot: Walking to our demo S5, I noticed an MG ZS EV on the lot. I asked about the price of this discontinued 2023 “Manager’s Special” and was told it was selling for mid AU$20K. This car launched a few years ago for almost AU$50K and sold extremely well. It is a lesson in how fast the EV revolution is moving that the price has dropped so much so quickly. New technology goes out of date very fast.

The young sales rep showing us around told me he used to sell mobile phones. I quipped “EVs are phones on wheels so a good fit, an apt transition.” He told us that he had given three test drives with people mainly over their 40s. That’s just in the last month. Since launch, two months ago, this dealership alone has sold almost a dozen MG S5. The car opens with a fob key. Four variants are available with prices ranging from low AU$40K to low AU$50K, including on roads. Of course, there are also options you can add.

We found the interior of the MG S5 to be very similar to many of the other cars we have driven. There are two screens, one behind the steering wheel, one to the left. MG has kept tactile buttons and knobs — they had a great feel and made it easier to change things (like the air conditioning) while driving. The car had the level of finish and comfort that has become standard. You don’t rough it in an EV.

The car tells you when are driving over the speed limit — not just the mildly annoying “bong,” but a voice reminder. Initially, the modulated female voice was pleasant, but it did become irritating until I found the screen that allowed me to change the language. Then the fun began: We went from the seductive French to the sensual Italian. I liked the Norwegian the best. We had a good laugh. It reminded me of fart mode in the Tesla.

Eventually, we had to behave, turned it back to English, and used cruise control. We missed the one-pedal driving of our Tesla. Even on the highest regen braking setting, we found we had to use the brakes on the S5 more often than we preferred. The car comes equipped with a granny charger. We seem to be driving a new EV every other week, and the experiences tend to blur a little. I am always looking for that standout feature. Apart from the fun with the warning voices, we also noted that the S5 has a very useful phone cradle.

We tried out the Sports mode. It gave us better regen and handled the suburban road conditions well with great acceleration. The large boot contained a well labelled “Tools” compartment. Majella found the screen intuitive to use and easy to adapt to. Although, she thought the steering wheel had too many buttons. “You would need to set up lane and cruise control before you started driving.” She felt it would be of benefit to spend more time with the steering wheel buttons. “There is just not enough time on a standard test drive to do that. I would need a weekend test drive to learn the car properly.” She did note that the Cyberster had similar steering wheel buttons, and so going from one MG to another should be less problematic. Is she hinting at something? Apparently, the Cyberster is selling well — great value for money.

With further enquiries with a senior sales representative the next day, I was told that updates would be done at visits for regular servicing. I asked about the customer experience and he told me “Electric is not for everyone. A lot of our purchases are repeat customers who are already electric. They might be getting a second car. They are amazed at the space, comfort and leather finish of the S5. Ninety percent of those who test drive buy the vehicle. Some have cross shopped against the BYD and the Chery. They are impressed with MG’s 10 year warranty on the drivetrain, 10 year manufacturer’s warranty on the car and 10 year roadside assist.” The manufacturer warranty covers the car for 250,000 km (this includes a “service-activated extension.”)

“The customers have already done their research and know what they want. They just want to drive the car.” I asked if he suggested electric. He said: “If they just want a vehicle for around town, I suggest electric. But they usually respond: ‘Nah I just want to stick with petrol.’ And the customer is always right.” We made a point of showing the sales reps the PlugShare app.

The MG phone app allows remote connection to the car — climate control, locking, and unlocking. It will even locate the car for you, avoiding those embarrassing “Dude where’s my car?” moments in large shopping centre car parks.

Electric vehicles are being launched thick and fast Down Under. I have just covered the launch of the Xpeng P7, and there are two more Xpengs to arrive shortly. We spent some quality time with the MG S5 today, and there will be launches of the luxury IM 5 and IM 6 soon. Stay tuned. The excitement never ends, and the future is electric. Or, as MG says: “Together, we can accelerate the electric movement, making zero-emission driving accessible to everyone.”