MG5 Trophy Long Range review: An affordable electric estate for families

The MG5 Long Range is the second generation version of the company’s electrified estate car which is big on space, offers a decent driving range of up to 250 miles on the entry-level SE model and carries a very competitive price-tag.

The SE and Trophy models both have a 61kWh battery pack. This version has a slightly lower driving range of 235 miles, due to its larger wheels, but is still ample for day-to-day use. Costs can be kept to a minimum by charging at home when the levels are getting low. There is a bit of a misconception that EVs need to be kept fully charged, mainly due to range anxiety issues, but that really isn’t the case. After all, would you top up your car with fuel after every journey?

The MG5 Long Range Trophy performed well and offers plenty of space for any active family with lots of luggage room, making it ideal for weekend breaks. The starting price of £30,995, or £33,495 for the model we tested, puts real pressure on mainstream brands to look at their pricing structures. And we like that a lot.

When the MG5 went on sale it was one of a few electric estate cars available, but demand has seen a gradual increase in these practical family models coming to market. I wanted to investigate whether the MG5 could cope with a varied road route and also deliver on the practicality front.

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Independent rating: 7/10

The MG5 Long Range Trophy has a 61kWh battery with an electric motor on the front axle for front wheel drive. It has 156PS of power, along with 280Nm of torque which translates into a 0-60mph sprint time of 7.3 seconds which is pretty quick for an estate car weighing in at 1.56 tonnes. But possibly the most important figure for EV owners is the driving range between charges, which is 235 miles on the Trophy version.

The car has a single-speed transmission which makes accelerating and slowing down a smooth process and there are drive modes called Eco, Normal and Sport that alter the dynamics slightly, along with three levels of regenerative braking to choose from.

Despite stretching 4.6 metres in length, the MG5 Long Range proved agile and easy to manoeuvre in congested town centres with a 360-degree camera to assist with parking. On the open road, the grip is okay but it does get a little fidgety if you accelerate too rapidly. I found the longer I spent with the MG5, the easier and more relaxing it became, and it’s also comfortable on motorways effortlessly eating away at the miles. But keep a watchful eye on the range as it will drop a lot quicker at 70mph.

Charging is easy with a 10 to 80 per cent boost achieved in 35 minutes via a 150kW fast charger or a 100 per cent charge takes 10 hours if connected to a 7kW wallbox.

While the interior of the MG5 Long Range is not exactly premium, it’s worth reminding ourselves of the price. It’s not meant to be competing with high-end brands but offers a decent environment at an affordable cost. That said, it’s not particularly shabby either. There are leather-like perforated seats that are powered and these can be heated to fend off the winter chill. Finding a comfy driving position is simple enough too with plenty of steering wheel height and reach adjustment.

There are some cheaper-looking, hard plastic surfaces scattered around that could prove prone to scratching over time, but generally the interior build quality is okay.

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Space is an area where the MG5 Long Range scores well with room for a couple of six footers up front and, thanks to generous amounts of leg and head room, a further two adults can fit comfortably in the back. The boot can hold 479 litres of goodies to the luggage cover or 578 litres to the roof. Then if more space is needed, the 60:40 split-folding rear seats can be folded flat and the storage capacity increases to 1,367 litres. I tested these figures to their limit when moving some camping gear for a friend which proved an absolute doddle with room for tents, poles, ground sheets and plenty more.

There are numerous compartments scattered throughout the cabin to keep oddments safe, but we couldn’t fathom the positioning of the USB ports which are inconveniently tucked away beneath a central storage area making them really hard to access.

The MG5 also features Vehicle-to-Load technology which means you can use the car’s battery to power up outside devices such as camping lights or to inflate a mattress etc.

Technology in the MG5 Long Range is accessed via a 10.25-inch floating touchscreen which is mounted high on the dashboard. This did throw a few issues our way during the loan. On two occasions, without any warning, it completely turned itself off and we were left with a blank screen for the duration of the journey or until we could park up, power down and restart the car again. Not ideal.

It’s not the most intuitive of screens to use either, but houses the majority of the on-board creature comforts, including the navigation set-up, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smartphone connectivity, Bluetooth, plus a six-speaker sound system with DAB radio.

There is a rotary gear selector which is simple to operate and a seven-inch driver display screen behind the steering wheel where all the important numbers, including speed, range and battery charge levels, are clearly shown.

It is worth exploring the MG iSMART app as this can be quite useful. For example, it can be used to pre-condition the car with your preferred climate settings, plan a navigational route, check the range, or even find the vehicle if you’ve forgotten where it is parked.

Since once British-owned MG came under Chinese control we have seen a number of bargain basement models arriving at showrooms up and down the country. Early models came under fire for their poor build quality, but in more recent times the standard has improved significantly.

That means with the MG5’s entry price at just £5 short of £31,000 you get a car that looks smart, is practical and features a relatively upmarket interior. If you want to step up to the Trophy version, as we did, then expect an upgraded air con system, one-touch window controls, an auto dimming rearview mirror, a 360-degree parking camera and larger wheels.

The general running costs can be kept low by charging at home, especially if you can negotiate a lower tariff with your supplier and even maintenance costs should be less with fewer moving parts than a petrol vehicle.

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Via a 150kW fast charger, it takes 35 minutes to get a 10 to 80 per cent charge, or to 100 per cent in 10 hours using a 7kW wallbox.

With prices starting from £30,995 you do get a lot of car for the price. But with more and more Chinese models coming to the UK, the competition is really hotting up.

MG batteries are covered by a seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty package.

You would expect a practical family estate car with a decent driving range would cost the earth, but the MG5 bucks that trend and proves cheap can indeed be cheerful. And my loan couldn’t have been timed better as I was helping move a whole load of camping gear for a friend that week.