MG 5 Exclusive 2020 UK review

Brand's all-important second EV has a segment to itself, but unique bodystyle can't compensate for its biggest shortcomings The latest addition to MG Motor’s range is important for two reasons: primarily because it’s the first electric estate car to go on sale in Europe, and secondly because it will play a vital role in helping the 12-year-old brand to achieve a 50% plug-in car model mix in 2021. Based on parent company SAIC’s Roewe Ei5 - a big seller in its Chinese home market - the 5 arrives in electric form only. Unlike its ZS sibling, MG bosses deemed the potential European market for a petrol-powered estate to be too small to make its import worthwhile. The brand is quickly transitioning away from combustion power, having shunned diesel some years ago now and ushered in a new plug-in version of its HS SUV alongside the 5. Even before the 5 and HS PHEV arrive in dealerships, MG already has the highest proportional EV sales mix of any mainstream with a combustion offering, the ZS EV accounting for 27% of its UK sales. The 5 will play a lead role in the brand’s journey to an all-electric future, working alongside the higher-riding model to bring affordability to a segment that remains predominantly occupied by luxury SUVs, saloons and sports cars.Brand boss Daniel Gregorious acknowledges that estate car sales have suffered in recent years as buyers flock en-masse to higher-riding SUVs, but said that MG is “pioneering a new wave”, with the 5 bringing superior aerodynamics and better handling. Like its ZS EV sibling, the 5 comes in entry level Excite trim - from £24,995 - and better-equipped Exclusive trim at £26,995. This puts it roughly on par with similar-sized, conventionally fuelled cars like the Skoda Octavia in range-topping SE L trim and the Ford Focus Focus Estate Titanium, while undercutting its closest electric rivals, the Nissan Leaf and Kia E-Niro, by around £5000.MG expects half of all 5s sold to go to fleet buyers, with its 0% BIK rating giving a not-inconsiderable edge over its combustion contemporaries, and highlights its 578-litre boot and practical rear seats as an incentive for families on a budget to make the switch to electric.