MG S5 EV Review & Prices

The MG S5 is the sequel to the MG ZS EV - it’s a compact, all-electric SUV, and like the rest of MG’s range majors on value-for-money - putting it right in the firing line of really excellent electric cars such as the Volvo EX30, Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq. It’s also the first MG we’ve reviewed that doesn’t really have any caveats - no ‘it’s great for this, but…’ modifiers need to be added.

While that does mean it’s not quite as standout as MG’s other cars, like the cheap-as-chips MG 4 or the BIK champion MG HS, it also means that it’s easier to recommend for more people. It’s like a chef who starts their career out with wild and divisive combinations like salmon teacakes with a candyfloss mousse, but matures into making a really solid sea bass with risotto.

Like some of the most reliable dishes, the new S5 EV doesn’t exactly shout about its prowess. The styling is the first thing to get past - or the lack of styling, you could say. The S5 EV looks as though MG’s design team started with a normal SUV and then Photoshopped out any of its distinguishing features. While this definitely means it blends into the crowd, you’ll have to be a really magnolia kind of person to be excited by its featureless front end or lower grille ‘inspired’ by the Cyberster sports car.

MG S5 EV: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 211 - 298 miles
Efficiency: 4.3 - 4.7 mi/kWh
Battery size: 49kWh/64kWh
Max charge speed: 120kW/139kW
Charge time AC: 7hrs / 9hrs 15m @ 7kW
Charge time DC: 24min / 28min 10-80%
Charge port location: Left rear
Power outputs: 170hp / 228hp

Things start to look up when you get inside, though. The S5 EV has MG’s best interior to date. Just about everything you touch is covered in soft-touch material, and you really have to look quite hard to find any cheap, nasty plastics - that’s not something you could say about the MG 4, which shares its underpinnings with the S5 EV.

Better yet, MG’s listened to feedback from reviewers and journalists, and implemented a few features to make life just that little bit easier. There are physical climate controls underneath the screen so you don’t have to go rootling round in touchscreen menus just to change the temperature, and there’s an easy shortcut to switch off the more annoying driver assistance features too.

The S5 EV is great for families as well, as it has bags of rear legroom and a 453-litre boot - nearly matching the roomy Kia EV3.

There are two models available - a Standard Range car that can do up to 211 miles on a charge and a Long Range variant which claims up to 298 miles of range. It’s a shame MG has no plans to introduce an Extended Range model, as that could really take the fight to the Kia EV3 which has up to 375 miles of range.

So behind the dull looks, the MG S5 EV is really quite a good electric car indeed. If you’re interested, you could check out our best MG S5 EV deals here, or find a great MG S5 leasing offer. You can browse used MGs for sale here, and remember that Carwow can even help you to sell your old car when the time comes.

The MG S5 EV may not be the total bargain you’d expect from MG. While a starting price of just under £28,500 is still very reasonable, and cheaper than the Volvo EX30 or Kia EV3, when you move up to the Long Range version there’s more overlap - and so your choice is between a top-spec MG or an entry-level model from a more established and premium brand.

At least the S5 EV’s interior now feels posh enough to justify that, and there’s no shortage of equipment either. All versions get a 12.8-inch infotainment screen with wireless smartphone connectivity, full LED lights, a reversing camera and 17-inch alloy wheels. Step up to the Trophy, meanwhile, and an electric tailgate, heated seats and steering wheel, 360-degree camera and 18-inch alloys all come as standard.

All versions also get the MG Pilot suite of assisted driving features too, though they do miss out on some nice-to-have features such as a glass roof or head-up display.

Quite good in the corners and even a little bit fun - but the payoff is that the MG S5 EV is quite firm over bumps in town

In town

You’ve no shortage of pep around town, regardless of which MG S5 EV you go for. There’s the usual electric car surge of acceleration, though it’s better controlled in the S5 EV than it was in the old MG ZS EV - you won’t find yourself spinning your wheels out of every junction.

Visibility is good, especially over the shoulder thanks to a large rear window and relatively slim rear pillars. And you get parking sensors on all models - plus a 360-degree camera on Trophy cars - to make parking in tight spaces a doddle.

There are several levels of regenerative braking available, and though there are no paddles to adjust these you can set the shortcut button on the steering wheel to do just that. There’s also a one-pedal drive mode, but this feels a bit clunky to use.

The only real criticism around town is that the S5 EV’s suspension can feel a bit uncultured over bumps - it doesn’t iron out poor road surfaces very well and can feel quite firm and bouncy over bigger obstacles like speed bumps.

On the motorway

The MG S5 EV settles down quite nicely at a motorway cruise, and there’s still loads of power in reserve - though it’s not anything like as effortless as a Tesla Model 3. Long motorway trips will tank the car’s range, but during mixed mileage we saw around 240 miles indicated, which suggests at least a good 200 miles between charging stops on the motorway.

The ‘MG Pilot’ suite of safety aids are pretty good - better than a lot of premium manufacturers can manage, in fact. The adaptive cruise control works well and the car’s lane-keeping aids aren’t too irritating - and there’s a quick and easy menu to turn them off, which is an improvement over MG’s other cars.

The S5 EV isn’t noisy, but there’s a touch more wind and road noise than you get from a Volvo EX30 or Kia EV3.

On a twisty road

The S5 EV is rear-wheel drive, which gives you quite a satisfying feeling on a fast, twisting road - the sense that you’re being pushed out of the corners, rather than dragged through them. The steering is nicely weighted and accurate, too. Engage Sport mode and you could even say that the S5 EV is a little bit fun to drive, which isn’t something you can say about many small electric SUVs.

Don’t expect a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N in miniature - but if you’re comparing it to the front-driven Kia EV3, or even the rear-wheel drive Cupra Born, the S5 EV is a bit entertaining. At more relaxed speeds, you will still notice that the suspension is a little too firm to be comfortable, though.

A large boot and loads of rear seat space, though storage for smaller items isn’t fantastic

The front seats in the S5 EV aren’t as supportive as they could be, but they do have plenty of adjustment for drivers of all shapes and sizes - as does the steering wheel. It’s a shame, however, that you have to opt for the Trophy model before you get adjustable lumbar support.

In terms of storage, you get a pair of cupholders and a wireless phone charging tray, as well as a long storage cubby under the centre console and one under the armrest. The door bins and glovebox are on the small side, though, and when it comes to smaller items you’ll find yourself missing a tray or cubby to sling things like keys or wallets in.

Space in the back seats

In the rear of the S5 EV, passengers will find plenty of room to stretch out. A six-foot passenger can luxuriate behind a driver of similar size - and unlike some alternatives, the floor isn’t so high that their knees will be around their ears. There’s even space under the front seats to slide your feet, as well as a totally flat floor so it’s easy to slide across and there’s space for the middle passenger’s feet too.

A Skoda Elroq or Kia EV3 have more supportive seats, while the S5 EV’s are more like a flat bench - it’s likely that it wouldn’t be quite so comfortable on a long journey. And they’re not as flexible as some alternatives, either - while there’s a nice comfortable central armrest, there’s no through-loading or ski hatch, nor do they fold in a 40:20:40 arrangement to allow for different arrangements of passengers and luggage.

Boot space

The MG S5 EV’s boot space is 453 litres, which is pretty good - it’s easily comparable to the 460-litre Kia EV3 and 470-litre Skoda Elroq, while eclipsing the Volvo EX30’s 318-litre space.

There’s a little bit of underfloor storage ideal for keeping cables, and there’s no load lip with the adjustable floor in place so it’s easy to slide items in. It’s a shame there’s no front boot, though.

MG’s best dashboard yet - clear, easy to use and higher-quality than before, though still not perfect

It really feels as though MG’s been reading Carwow’s reviews of its existing models - where we complain about its awkward touchscreens and plasticky interiors. The S5 EV addresses almost all of our complaints with previous MG models, and is a much nicer place to sit as a result.

Starting with the touchscreen - it’s larger in size than on the MG 3 and MG 4, with a taller aspect ratio. This means the interface doesn’t feel as cramped as the letterbox-style arrangements on those cars. The screen itself is bright and very responsive, and the menus make a lot of sense. We’re particularly enamoured by the pull-down bar at the top, which houses a shortcut key to disengage the speed limit warning - that’s a function that took at least ten button presses on the previous MG 4.

Speaking of buttons, MG’s also added a full panel of climate controls under the touchscreen, which is a great addition - it allows you to change the temperature or fan speed without having to dive into a touchscreen menu.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard, with a wireless phone charging pad on Trophy models.

The biggest surprise, if you’ve sat in an older MG before, is the quality. Materials feel solid to the touch rather than flimsy, and almost every surface gets swathed in supple artificial leather which makes it feel considerably more premium than the ZS EV it replaces. It also feels quite a lot nicer than the base-spec Kia EV3 Air, which gets harder plastics than the rest of its range.

The basic MG S5 EV has a claimed range of 211 miles, while the Long Range version offers up to 298. During our time with the car, we saw an efficiency figure which suggests around 240 miles is achievable in the real world from the Long Range model.

Those figures are on a par with the Volvo EX30 - which claims 209 miles from its regular version and 295 miles from its Extended Range variant - but both are eclipsed by the 270 or 375 mile claimed range of the Kia EV3.

The S5 EV does get a heat pump as standard, so its cold-weather performance should be a bit more repeatable than the Kia’s, but it’s a pity that MG currently has no plans to introduce an Extended Range model like it has with the MG 4 EV, as that would give the S5 EV greater flexibility for those who regularly travel further afield.

Charging times for the S5 EV are on par with the competition, and you should be able to get a 10-80% top-up in less than 30 minutes from a sufficiently powerful public charger. As an electric car, the S5 EV pays the lowest rate of road tax and company car benefit-in-kind tax, too.

The S5 EV has yet to be tested by safety experts Euro NCAP, but there shouldn’t be too much to worry about. MG’s latest models have all achieved four- and five-star safety ratings, and the MG 4 with which the S5 shares most of its mechanicals score the full five-star rating.

You get all the basic safety features plus the MG Pilot assisted driving features bundled in, and they seem to work quite well. The addition of some more physical switchgear to the cabin can’t have hurt safety, nor can the quick shortcut to turn off some of the more annoying beeps and bongs.

MG’s record on this front is poor to say the least. Though the S5 EV gets the same impressive seven-year/100,000 mile warranty as the rest of MG’s cars, the brand finished stone dead last in the 2024 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, with owners reporting not just problems with their cars but unhelpful dealers and problems with long lead times for repairs.