This week our esteemed road tester returns his verdict on the updated MG5 EV estate.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

MG5 EV Trophy

List price (BiK): £33,440 (2%) CO2: 0g/km Economy: 235-mile range Test efficiency: 205 miles

Monday

Several friends own classic MG sports cars, so there was a muttering of interest in the MG5 EV Trophy estate that arrived today when I told them it was coming. A couple were dismissive, but more were intrigued about an EV family car with their favourite brand badge on the bonnet. I’m due to meet up with a few at a car show on Saturday, so we’ll see how the MG gets on when it meets these enthusiasts.

Tuesday

The update of the MG5 at the tail end of 2022 has sharpened up the looks and, more importantly, there is now just the single, longer-range battery fitted. It claims to give a range of up to 235 miles in this higher-spec Trophy model. Given recent EV experience, I’m reckoning on around 160 miles from a fully charged battery. In the meantime, performance in the MG5 is decent and I’m relieved it doesn’t come with crazy EV acceleration, just a peppy turn of speed.

Wednesday

One element of the MG5 estate became abundantly clear today and that is it’s simply a very good family car. Carting my son and his chums to a football match this evening, all their caboodle and kit fitted in the boot with plenty of room to spare. Four rangy teenagers then sat inside without any complaints, and they even praised the infotainment system for being easy to use as the radio was rapidly tuned to something that was definitely not Radio 4.

Thursday

Batting about on some local errands today, another positive about the MG5 comes to light: the ride quality. It might not be Mercedes S-Class plush, but the MG mops up split surfaces with ease and doesn’t suffer from the usual leaden feel of many EVs as they struggle to deal with the heft of their battery packs. Instead, the MG5 feels surprisingly agile and, if not fun to drive, it’s certainly very easy to live with.

Friday

Time to charge up the MG5’s battery and tot up how far it’s gone on a single charge. Pleasingly, the car has already covered 180 miles on a full charge with plenty in reserve, so I’m not panicky about finding a charge point. When I do hook up, the 50kW charger has the MG back to 80% in an hour while I pop to the shops and answer a few emails. If only all EVs were as simple to deal with on this front.

Saturday

With the whole clan packed in the car, it’s off the car show. My classic MG-loving friends are quick to come over to check out the MG5. One is less than keen, but this seems to be more a general beef with electric cars than the MG in particular. The rest are all much more welcoming and appreciative than I thought they would be, and it turns out one of them has even ordered an MG5 already. You don’t get more of a thumbs up than that.

Sunday

Something has been nagging at the back of my mind all week about the MG5 Trophy and I finally realised what it is: this is a practical estate car that happens to be an EV. When so many EVs are crossovers or SUVs, the MG stands out for keeping it simple and doing its intended job very well. It’s not an exciting or especially desirable car, but as a fleet driver’s wheels it makes a great deal of well-priced, well-specced sense.