MG Malaysia has been selling vehicles in Malaysia for quite a while now. However, the Malaysian government recently updated its EV policy to encourage automotive companies to begin local assembly of their electric vehicles. Following this policy update, MG Malaysia has also followed suit by introducing the MG S5 EV SUV in CKD form. This is also the first time I’ve had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a modern MG vehicle. With that, I’m really curious to find out: how good is a modern MG? Let’s find out.
For a start, the MG S5 isn’t a huge vehicle. It sits in the same category as the Proton e.MAS 7, which is already a highly competitive segment. The MG S5 is an okay-looking vehicle. There are some parts of the design that I like, while there are also some elements that I find questionable. From the front, the S5 comes with a sharp-looking front end. As an EV, there is no traditional front grille here, apart from the air intake areas at the lower part of the front bumper. Since this is one of the few areas where MG can express some of the company’s identity, this is also where you’ll find some of MG’s family design elements. 
As for the headlights, they are separated from the daytime running lights. This helps set the S5 apart from some other Chinese cars, as there is no light bar running across the front, so it doesn’t look too generic. The headlights are full-LED units, making them quite clear at night. At all four corners, you’ll find a set of 18-inch rims wrapped in 225/55 R18 tyres. The rims also come with aerodynamic covers designed to help reduce drag. Other than that, the side profile of the vehicle is rather plain. The body lines aren’t particularly obvious, and everything blends into the bodywork quite seamlessly. 
Moving to the back, this isn’t my favourite part of the vehicle. I actually find the rear to look a little weird. It feels like MG tried to incorporate some of the design elements from the MG4 into the S5, but I’m not entirely convinced by the result. I don’t really understand the small lip below the rear windscreen either. It doesn’t look particularly harmonious with the rest of the design. But that’s just my personal preference; there’s nothing necessarily wrong or bad about it. At the rear, you get full-LED taillights paired with a full-width light bar. Overall, I wouldn’t call the S5 a bad-looking vehicle. There are just some design decisions that don’t quite fit my personal taste, that’s all. 
Inside, the MG S5 feels like a mixed bag. On one hand, you have a rather boring interior, as most of the components are finished in black and grey. On the other hand, this is the most user-friendly interior I’ve experienced in a Chinese vehicle so far. While the fit and finish are good, some of the buttons and switches don’t feel particularly premium. Of course, you still get soft-touch materials in most of the areas where your hands naturally rest. To make sure the interior doesn’t feel too dark, there is also a large panoramic sunroof that lets plenty of light into the cabin when you want it. 
On the dashboard, you still can’t escape the dual-screen setup, as this has become a common feature in Chinese cars. The S5 comes with a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch infotainment screen. While the air-conditioning vents are manually controlled, MG has tried to copy BMW’s style of vent adjustment. My main issue here is that the AC vents don’t blow high enough. Under the hot sun, it takes some time for the cold air to reach my face as the driver. Lastly, I was actually expecting to find ambient lighting on the dashboard, but somehow there isn’t any in the S5. To be fair, though, it’s not a deal breaker. The dashboard is perfectly fine without it. 
The instrument cluster is easy to read, and the layout is straightforward to understand. It also gives you a certain degree of freedom to customize what you want to see on the display. There is a sense of Volkswagen in the way the instrument cluster has been designed. Next to it, the infotainment system feels different from the usual Chinese-car infotainment systems. There is a sense that MG has actually put effort into developing the system for the S5. 
Within the system, you get wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. One thing MG does better than some other Chinese cars is how it handles Android Auto. When you’re inside Android Auto mode, there is a separate bar with shortcut keys that allows you to navigate the infotainment system without having to fumble around before reaching the home page. Speaking of shortcut buttons, the MG S5 comes with proper physical buttons — the kind of physical controls that I actually use as a driver. These include the fan-speed controls and climate-control temperature adjustment. That is what I would call user-friendliness. Within the infotainment system, you also get a 360-degree camera to help you park the vehicle more accurately. As for the sound system, there isn’t anything particularly special to shout about here, but the sound quality is decent for what you pay. 
In the driver’s seat, you’ll find a comfortable seating position. The seats are wide, and I fit into them ergonomically. But don’t expect huge side bolsters for extra support, as this isn’t a sporty seat. The driving position and seat height are also well placed. The front seats come with seat ventilation to keep the driver cool, and as a driver, I appreciate that a lot. For the rear seats, you get tons of legroom and headroom. The rear feels airy and spacious, thanks to the large panoramic roof and windows that allow plenty of light into the cabin. On the downside, thigh support is a little lacking for the rear seats. I would prefer it if the engineers sacrificed a little bit of legroom to provide better thigh support. But again, that’s more of a personal preference. The rear-seat floor is also completely flat, so rear passengers can move from left to right or right to left more easily. 
In terms of convenience, rear passengers get their own AC vents to keep them cool, while they also have a USB-C port in the rear to share. Behind the second-row seats, the S5 comes with 453 litres of boot space. This is a decently sized boot considering the size of the vehicle, and it should be enough for most families. If you need more space, you can fold down the rear seats. This creates a fully flat floor, allowing owners to load longer or heavier items more easily. This is the kind of design that feels like it was created by someone who understands how people actually use a boot when the rear seats are folded down. 
For the Malaysian market, the S5 comes with just one specification. It is powered by a single electric motor located at the rear of the vehicle, making the S5 a rear-wheel-drive SUV. The electric motor draws power from a 62kWh battery, which provides a claimed 430km of range based on the WLTP rating. The single electric motor produces 204 PS and 350 Nm of maximum torque. This allows the MG S5 to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just seven seconds.
As an EV, the driving experience is quite straightforward. Instant torque makes the SUV feel light on its feet, and keeping up with traffic barely requires any effort. For daily driving, the MG S5 feels really civilised, and it zips through traffic with ease. However, when driving in Normal mode, I do find there is a slight delay between stepping on the throttle and the SUV moving forward. I’m not sure if this was engineered to prevent the car from suddenly lurching forward, but it is something I noticed. Since it is rear-wheel drive, the instant torque doesn’t create torque steer. Rear-wheel drive is also kinder to the front tyres, as it takes away the job of putting power down to the road. On a full charge, the S5 is good for about 430km of real-world range. Considering the size of the battery, that’s a decent figure.
One of the more surprising things about the MG S5 is that it comes with suspension tuned for a sportier feel. I think this is partly to reflect MG’s European aspirations, where ride and handling play a major role in a vehicle’s selling points. Even with its sporty setup, it still does a great job of absorbing most road imperfections. But then again, it does have its limits. Once speeds increase, the suspension starts hopping around on uneven roads. The suspension also feels somewhat one-dimensional, lacking the sophistication needed to provide a more comfortable ride at higher speeds. On the plus side, body roll is kept to a minimum through corners.
Speaking of corners, the MG S5 comes with a sharp steering system. While it isn’t performance-car sharp, it’s good enough for its application. It provides decent feel through the steering wheel, which not only enhances the driver’s confidence but also gives the driver some feedback about what the front wheels are doing. In terms of braking, the MG S5 also delivers good braking performance. But that’s mainly down to the physical brakes. As for the regenerative braking, I feel that the S5 suffers from a similar issue to BYD models, where the regenerative braking feels rather vague through the pedals. By the time the vehicle starts slowing down, the physical brakes have already begun to kick in.
Safety-wise, the S5 is fully equipped with the modern ADAS features you would expect in a vehicle today. However, there are some good points and some bad points about its ADAS. The good thing is that some systems, such as Lane Keep Assist, stay switched off after you manually disable them. On the flip side, systems such as the Speed Limit Recognition system always come back on every time you start the vehicle. This is actually a little annoying, especially when you go slightly over the speed limit. The MG S5 comes standard with ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking), BSD, LCA, RCTA, DOW, DMS (Drowsiness Monitor System), ELK (Emergency Lane Keeping), FCW (Forward Collision Warning), IHC (Intelligent Headlamp Control), LDW (Lane Departure Warning), LKA (Lane Keep Assist), RCW (Rear Collision Warning), and TJA (Traffic Jam Assist). 
To be fair, the RM117,528 price tag is actually quite attractive, and it puts the MG S5 squarely within the price range of its competitors. I’ve also come to learn that, among the many Chinese cars I’ve driven, the MG S5 is by far the most user-friendly. At this price point, even some more expensive Chinese EVs can’t come close when it comes to the S5’s overall usability. And if you’re in the market for an MG S5, I highly recommend giving it a test drive.
Check out the full photo album here. 
