2025 MG S5 EV review

MG Motor was a pioneer in affordable electric motoring in Australia, launching its first EV, the ZS EV small SUV, back in 2020. It instantly shot to the top of the charts as Australia’s most affordable electric vehicle, admittedly in what was then a small field.

Sales of EVs have exploded since those days, and the ageing MG ZS EV was soon outgunned by a slew of newcomers.

Time marches on, and after a 2023 update, the MG ZS EV is about to be no more, replaced in the brand’s line-up by a newer SUV, the 2025 MG S5 EV.

It has some big electric boots to fill after the ZS EV notched up around 7400 sales in Australia since its launch in 2020. But it’s now in runout and its replacement is an altogether different, revolutionary beast.

Sharing a platform with the MG 4 electric hatchback, the MG S5 EV is a small SUV with rear-wheel drive, a single 125kW electric motor, and a choice of either a 49kWh or 62kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery pack.

And it represents a massive step-up for the Chinese brand. The outgoing ZS EV always felt a bit compromised, adapted as it was from its petrol-powered ZS sibling. Here, though, with the MG S5 EV, we have a bespoke platform designed exclusively as an electric vehicle.

There are four variants in the MG S5 EV line-up – Excite and Essence trim levels each available with either the smaller or larger battery pack. It’s sharply priced too, with nationwide drive-away deals that enhance its standing as one of the most affordable electric SUVs available in Australia.

Pricing starts at $40,490 drive-away for the Excite with 49kWh battery. Spending an extra $2500 will secure an Essence model grade, also with the smaller battery priced from $42,990 drive-away.

Opting for the bigger 62kWh battery in Excite trim asks for $44,990 drive-away, while the all-you-can-eat Essence with the larger battery tops the range at $47,990 drive-away.

Rivals include the BYD Atto 3 that starts at $39,990 (or around $42,500 drive-away) for the Essential, which has a similar battery (49kWh) and similar driving range (345km – WLTP).

The Chery Omoda E5 starts at $42,990 (but is currently on offer, until stocks last, for roughly $40,000 drive-away) and brings with it a claimed 430km of range thanks to its bigger 61kWh battery pack.

Looking more mainstream, the Kia EV3 Air in Standard Range starts from $47,600 before on-road costs, translating to around $52,300 drive-away, and highlights the gulf between established and challenger brands when to comes to pricing.

On test here we have the MG S5 EV Essence 49kWh, which brings a claimed 335km of WLTP-tested driving range.

It’s a feature-packed offering with 18-inch alloys wheels, a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 10.25-inch digital instrument display. Wireless and cabled Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is satellite navigation and DAB+ digital radio.

Essence grades also score synthetic leather and cloth seat upholstery with seat heating up front, the driver’s seat power-adjustable.

A panoramic glass sunroof is standard in Essence grades, as is a powered tailgate, 360-degree camera, wireless smartphone charging and rain-sensing windscreen wipers.

Externally, the MG S5 EV is a step up from the ZS EV it replaces, its design far more resolved. It doesn't stray too far from the modern SUV playbook in terms of design, and uses its profile to good effect.

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Inside, the MG S5, certainly in this Essence grade, looks fresh and contemporary with decent materials and a solidity to the fit and finish. There’s a breeziness to cabin ambience too, with plenty of lighter-coloured materials and that standard-fit (in this Essence grade) panoramic sunroof.

Our test car was upholstered in the darker of two available colours; a two-tone blend of artificial leather and cloth, which sounds cheap but certainly doesn't look or feel it.

The sculpted dash continues the two-tone theme with a nice mix of materials and an aesthetically pleasing and elegant design, while the centre console is finished in a faux-suede material that looks and feels more premium than an EV priced just over $40K should.

The front seats are nicely contoured to provide support where you most need it, but do feel a touch firm in both the base and seatback, most noticeable after a longer stint behind the wheel, while the steering wheel itself – leather-trimmed in Essence grades, polyurethane in Excite models – feels good in hand.

All-around visibility is good, although I did find the thick-ish A-pillars a little intrusive when making right-hand turns.

Practical touches up front include a pair of cupholders, decently sized door pockets that can accept bottles, and a commodious central storage bin that houses two USB Type-C outlets. And full marks to MG for the smartphone-sized slot in the centre console; a thoughtful and practical inclusion to stop your phone sliding around while driving.

Underneath the floating centre console is another storage area big enough for smaller handbags and the like.

The second row surprises, and pleasantly, with the amount of space on offer. Whereas some small SUVs feel compromised in row two, in the MG S5 EV there’s plenty of foot, knee, leg and head room, certainly when plonked in the outboard seats.

Being an EV, there’s no pesky drivetrain tunnel robbing occupants of valuable foot room, and that only enhances the feeling of lightness and space in the back.

But the back seats aren’t as comfortable as those up front, with a firmer seat back and base and without the side support of the fronts. The middle seat is even more compromised in terms of comfort, with a firmer still base and back – thanks to the presence of a fold-down armrest – that make this a pew for short trips only.

Amenities for second-row passengers include cupholders in that fold-down armrest, door pockets that can swallow bottles, air vents, a single USB Type-C outlet, and map pockets in the front seat backs. For those with little ones, the two outboard seats are fitted with ISOFIX child seat mounts joined by top-tether anchors on all three seat backs.

Out back, under the powered tailgate, MG claims a decent 453 litres of cargo capacity. That expands to 1441L with the second row folded away in 60:40-split fashion. Four tie-down points and a couple of bag hooks add to the practicalities, as does a single LED light.

A false floor lifts up to reveal another storage area underneath that's ideal for charging cables and slimmer bags. There’s no spare tyre, the MG S5 equipped only with a tyre inflation kit.

The MG S5’s infotainment system is well featured and easy to use, with crisp graphics and sharp responses to inputs.

Apple CarPlay and Android both wireless and cabled are standard, as is Bluetooth connectivity, satellite navigation and digital radio.

Connecting to CarPlay the first time proved an exercise in frustration, the system refusing both wireless and cabled connections. It took multiple attempts including exiting the car, shutting it down, and then trying again before a successful connection was established. Thereafter, the system was quick to connect wirelessly and remained stable throughout our time with the MG S5.

While the tendency to bury almost all of a car’s functions inside the touchscreen continues to frustrate, MG has hedged its bets with physical switches and dials for some of the most commonly accessed functions including climate and volume. Nice one, MG.

The digital instrument cluster is standard fare in this day and age, with configurable views and a decent amount of driving data on hand accessed via toggles and switches on the steering wheel.

The MG S5 EV also comes with a 12-month subscription to what the brand calls iSmart, which allows access to the vehicle via a smartphone app. Like many systems of its ilk, it can be used to locate the car, check on the vehicle’s status including available range, tyre pressures, and comfort items such as activating climate controls remotely.

A five-star ANCAP rating underscores the MG S5 EV’s safety credentials, with 2025 testing protocols resulting in scores of 90 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent child occupant, 82 per cent vulnerable road user and 79 per cent for its safety assist systems.

Standard across the MG S5 EV range are autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert with braking function, speed sign recognition, driver monitoring system, door open warning, and tyre pressure monitoring.

The systems are largely well calibrated with no surprising interventions. But small foibles like speed sign recognition need fine-tuning, the MG S5 on more than one occasion detecting speeds signs that don't exist in Australia, like 120km/h, or suggesting a signposted 50km/h limit was, in fact, 5km/h, played to the usual accompaniment of insistent beeps and bongs. They can be switched off, of course, but default to on at start-up, meaning you’ll need to do it every time you go for a drive.

MG Motor leads the way in Australia in terms of warranty, with its 10-year/250,000km surety offering long-term peace of mind, certainly in terms of time, if not distance. The S5’s battery pack is covered under the same warranty.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 25,000km, whichever comes first, and will set you back $1119 over three years/75,000km or $1967 over five years and 125,000km.

Broken down individually, the first five services are priced at $222, $400, $497, $626 and $222.

A single 125kW/250Nm electric motor located at the rear axle provides the MG S5’s go. It’s fed by, in this instance, a 49kWh battery that gives, according to MG, around 335km of WLTP-tested driving range.

The smaller 49kWh battery can be recharged at a maximum DC rate of 120kW (the larger 62kWh battery can take a faster 150kW), while AC charging (a home wallbox, for instance) is capped at 6.6kW.

MG claims a 30–80 per cent charge time of around 19 minutes at 120kW, with a home-installed wallbox requiring an estimated 7.5 hours from 0–100 per cent.

MG Motor says the Essence 49kWh will chew through electrons at the rate of 16.9kWh per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle, which encompasses, city, urban and highway driving.

Our time with the MG S5 saw an indicated 16.8kWh/100km, an excellent return against the manufacturer’s claim.

I topped up the MG S5’s battery twice over my week with the car, the first for a quick 33-minute top-up on a 50kWh DC charger that added 17kWh and replenished the battery from 67 to 96 per cent at a cost of $11.22.

The second refill utilised a 25kWh DC charger at my local supermarket and added 21.45kW over 48 minutes, replenishing the battery from 57–98 per cent at a cost of $11.80.

With 125kW and 250Nm available from its lone electric motor, all channelled to the rear wheels via a single-speed transmission, the MG S5 EV doesn't stray too far from the affordable electric vehicle playbook.

There’s a surge of acceleration from standstill, a hallmark of the instant torque available once you step on the throttle. It’s not push-back-in-the-seat fast like some EVs, but it’s plenty enough to satisfy most driving needs.

Around town, the S5 is a capable and amiable companion, moving away briskly and smoothly, with enough in reserve to make effective overtakes or merges when needed.

It’s a similar story out on the highway, where accelerating up to speed is equally as effortless, while the surge required for passing slower traffic is never far away.

Ride comfort is impressive, MG’s chassis engineers striking a nice balance from the S5’s MacPherson struts up front and five-link independent set-up at the back. Minor road imperfections do little to upset the S5’s composure, with the damping ironing out all but the biggest of lumps in comfort.

There’s a firm edge to the way it handles larger obstacles such as speed bumps, but pleasingly the S5 is quick to settle back on its wheels without any of that annoying wobble.

My week with the S5 covered just about every driving scenario, from city traffic to suburban running around and a decent highway stint, and the MG S5 proved a comfortable and well-sorted companion.

Single-pedal driving is available, or you can opt for three less aggressive levels of regeneration. Brake pedal feel remains good, and the transition between regenerative and friction braking proved seamless.

The steering felt nice and light, but with enough feedback to ensure that you don’t feel disconnected from the road, while responses to inputs remain pleasingly accurate.

It all adds up to a pleasant driving experience. Performance, while not record-breaking, is perfectly acceptable, and all underscored by a well-sorted chassis that prioritises comfort.

MG Motor has come a long way since its early forays into electric vehicles with the original ZS EV. Nothing illustrates this better than this newest addition to the line-up, the MG S5 EV, which represents a big step forward for the brand, eclipsing its predecessor in every key metric.

Sharp drive-away pricing across the range is only part of the appeal. That’s enhanced by a nicely designed and thoughtful cabin that looks fresh and modern, but more importantly, a driving experience that is comfortable and pleasant.

In terms of which variant we’d recommend, the Essence 49 I tested here is probably our pick of the bunch. Sure, the Essence 62 with its larger battery offers more driving range (425km), but unless you’re regularly travelling hundreds of kays each and every week, the 335km afforded by the Essence 49 is, arguably, more than enough for most buyers’ needs.

For a tenner under $43K drive-away, the 2025 MG S5 EV represents good value. It’s spacious and comfortable inside a cabin that looks and feels fresh, it’s loaded with equipment and technology, and most importantly of all, it’s entirely pleasant and comfortable to drive.