Test Drive MG 5: Underneath the Restless Appearance, Its Essence Remains Comfortable and Practical

The exterior design of the MG 5 gives a very restless feeling, especially for young people or those who are keen on the fun of driving, and the MG 5 is so easy to make people itching to move. Therefore, before the test drive, my expectations for it deviated from the positioning of comfortable domestic use, I think it will pursue a driving feeling different from the traditional sense of domestic cars.

But the facts have proved that my expectations are biased, MG 5 has shown me how a car can attract young people while very well attracting his family. If you want to convince your parents to buy MG 5, it's not difficult, just ask them to sit in the back seat and go out for a ride.

The basic situation of the test drive model:

-Test drive model: MG 5 D+ type

-Guide price of the model: 679000 baht

-Body size: 4675×1842×1480mm, wheelbase 2680mm

-Power system: 1.5L naturally aspirated+CVT gearbox

-Engine parameters: maximum power 84kW (114PS), peak torque 150N·m

I. Power is enough to use, it feels smooth to drive

MG 5 has higher sports potential because this car has launched a 1.5T engine model in the Chinese market, and the match is a 7DCT gearbox. This power system can complete 0-100km/h acceleration in 6.9 seconds, which can be said to be a sports car model that focuses on high performance. However, this power combination has not been introduced in the Thai market. Currently, we can buy a total of 4 MG 5 sub-models, there are many types, but they all use a 1.5L naturally aspirated engine that matches a CVT gearbox.

However, from the evaluation of many Chinese media, most of them also believe that the power combination of 1.5L+CVT is the main sales force of MG 5. On the one hand, the price is cheaper. On the other hand, many people evaluate that even if it is a 1.5T model, although the power is strong enough, from the feel of the control and the comfort of the chassis, it is inclined to the family car. If the power requirements are not so high, the power of the 1.5T engine seems a bit redundant.

It is a pity that I have not experienced a 1.5T model, but when I drove this MG 5 test car, I did not feel that the power was very scarce and the CVT gearbox was very lazy. On the contrary, I felt that MG 5 gave me a light feeling that left a deep impression on me. The power provided by the 1.5L engine is enough to use when you step on the accelerator to accelerate. The CVT gearbox can actively cooperate with the engine, increase the speed of the engine, and get more sufficient torque, even in the low torque stage. I did not feel that this car has any delay and clumsiness. Instead, many Chinese media will generally think that it is not active in downshifting during acceleration when commenting on the 7DCT gearbox, which is a more conservative working strategy. This did not appear in the car I test drove.

This is perhaps not difficult to understand. The overall positioning of MG 5 is to present the driving quality of a high-quality family car, so it needs to consider comfort, the linearity of power transmission, and of course fuel economy. If you want to take these into account, the DCT gearbox needs to converge a bit, and can't show all the passion of the 1.5T engine, otherwise it would lose the more important comfort and low fuel consumption due to the improvement of sports performance. On the contrary, the CVT gearbox can fully explore the potential of this 1.5L engine without any concerns. This power system is very well matched and gives me a feeling of comfort and enjoyment.

The sensitivity of the throttle is moderate. If you quickly and lightly step on the throttle pedal, the power will not respond sensitively, but as long as you step in a little deeper, this car can sensitively capture my acceleration intention and provide the needed power quickly and smoothly. This kind of tuning has a high tolerance, for those who have just obtained their driver's license and are not skilled in driving, MG 5 is very easy to control, and it is not as defiant as it looks on the surface.

The greatest advantage of the CVT gearbox is that it has a high level of power output smoothness, while it is also very suitable for reducing fuel consumption. In addition, the compression ratio of this 1.5L engine has reached 11.5:1, which is quite high. The high compression ratio can enhance the engine's power and improve fuel economy. I am curious about how low the actual fuel consumption of this MG 5 will be, but unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to conduct a detailed fuel consumption test due to objective reasons, and I did not see any related fuel consumption data on the MG Thailand official website. For reference, the fuel consumption data given by the same power system models on the Chinese market is 6.38L/100km, which is a very low fuel consumption.

The MG 5 offers three different power steering adjustments, and the change from light to heavy is quite noticeable. The MG 5 also uses a slightly larger steering ratio setting to create a more steady and comfortable control during daily driving, and it has a high tolerance for the driver's driving skills. Actually, among the family-oriented sedans in this price range, there are not many cars that can adjust the power steering. MG 5 is also obviously designed to meet the needs of different consumers.

As for the chassis tuning, the MG 5 is pursuing comfort, without overly pursuing the support capacity of the suspension, so its shock absorption is not stiff, and the suspension doesn't have short travel. The rear suspension with a torsion beam provides more space for the rear row of the vehicle, objectively speaking, the tuning of the rear suspension is also good. When one side of the wheel encounters bumps, the car body will not have a very obvious pulling feeling, making the shock absorbing feel more like an independent suspension. MG 5 has added a stabilizer bar to the front MacPherson suspension to enhance the vehicle's handling and lateral support in corners. Regardless, the suspension combination and adjustment of the MG 5 are domesticated, and it doesn't talk about extreme handling fun, but it has no problems dealing with daily driving.

II. Ample space in the back row, rich official decorative accessories

I think the static highlight of MG 5 is reflected in the design of the exterior and interior. The body size is a very regular size for compact family cars, the 2680mm wheelbase is not very long, but the rear space is ample. What's interesting is that MG 5 offers a lot of official decorative accessories.

The MG5 has a very strong MG brand design style. This 3D-style front face is not the same as the grille design of most models, which seems very aggressive. The bonnet of the MG5 is more obviously downward, which creates a visually running forward effect. Don't forget, the fastback design of the MG5 also makes it look more like a sedan, not the common three-box sedan everywhere on the street.

There are many details in the MG5, such as the exquisite front and rear LED headlights, the rear black spoiler, and the propeller-shaped wheel hubs. The MG5 offers two sizes of wheel hubs. The 17-inch one is a bi-color aluminum alloy propeller shape, and the 16-inch one is a pure black wheel hub.

The interior design style of the MG5 is consistent with its exterior, both emphasizing its young and sporty positioning. Many of its detailed designs are driver-centric, designed to give you a strong desire to drive when you're in the driver's seat.

Look at the design of its console and its central control screen. The central control screen is tilted towards the driver, creating the feeling that the driver is the core of the car. This design also has a benefit, it can effectively avoid screen glare. In sunny weather, the traditional vertical screen design may be obscured by glare, but the design of the MG5 will be much better. In addition, the polygonal three-dimensional shape design of the air outlet position also has a strong sense of performance. Although the MG5 does not have strong performance in terms of power, it is very performant in design.

An adult male with a height of 177cm sitting in the back row of the car still has about two fists of space left in the leg area, so it doesn't feel too crowded. However, there is a significant protrusion in the middle platform of the back row, and there is no central armrest provided in the back row seats, these details will affect the ride comfort. If the back row is fully loaded with three people, it will feel a bit crowded. In addition, only one USB port is provided in the back row. It would be better if there were two.

The car test driven is the MG 5 D+ model, which is not the highest configuration. There is also a MG 5 X model above it. The configuration of the X model is obviously richer, such as the addition of the LCA lane changing assistance system, BSD blind spot warning system and the side safety air curtain. However, the model I test drove did not have an intelligent driving assistance system. I feel that too many top configurations have affected the competitiveness of MG 5 in terms of configuration. The X model is 30,000 Thai Baht more expensive than the D+ model. This not high but not low price difference can easily cause embarrassment for consumers when choosing.

MG5 offers a variety of official decorative accessories, from body decorative accessories to everyday items such as car covers, everything is available. The specific accessory situation and price can be seen in the following images.

Test Drive Conclusion:

If you want to buy a car that is sporty inside and out, I don't think the MG 5 is suitable for you. But if you want a good-driving and reasonably priced three-box family car, the MG 5 would be a good choice.

Main configuration of MG 5:

-LED headlights, LED tail lights

-Automatic headlights

-Electric foldable rearview mirror

-LED day running lights

-Rear fog lamp

-LED high brake light

-Rear window defogger

-Sunroof (D+ type and X type)

-Rear spoiler (X type)

-6-way electrically adjustable driver's seat (C type is manually adjustable)

-4-way manually adjustable passenger seat

-Foldable rear seats

-Adjustable steering wheel

-7-inch digital smart dashboard (equipped in D+ type and X type)

-One-button window lift system

-Rear air conditioning vent

-Smart key with one-button start function

-PM2.5 air filter

-EPB Electric parking brake system

-AVH automatic parking system

-ABS+EBD

-EBA electronic brake assist system

-XDS high-speed cornering brake control system

-TCS traction control

-HAS hill start assist system

-ESS emergency brake light warning system

-Light accompany me home function

-Cruise control system (D+ type and X type)

-ISOFIX child seat installation point

-Front row dual safety airbags

-Front row side safety airbags (D type, D+ type, X type)

-Rear-view Camera (D type)

-360° Imaging System (D+ type, X type)

-Emergency tire repair kit

-Side safety air curtains (X type)

-LCA Lane Change Assistance System (X type)

-BSD Blind Spot Warning System (X type)

-RCTA Reverse Warning System (X type)

-RCW Rear Collision Warning System (X type)

-Multi-function Steering Wheel

-10-inch color touch screen

-3 USB interfaces

-In-car mobile Bluetooth connectivity

-Apple CarPlay

-Android System Interconnect

-SMART CHECK (X type)

-SMART COMMAND (X type)

-SMART CONNECT (X type)