Hyundai Kona vs MG MG5

What's the difference?

It’s easy to see why the Hyundai Kona leads the Aussie small SUV category, with this hybrid version enhancing the car’s abilities in key areas. Sharply priced and well-specified, comfortable and practical with a hugely efficient powertrain as well as refined dynamic performance. It’s a compelling package. 

The MG5 works well as a budget-friendly small car, and it’s genuinely good to drive.

Some small let-downs in terms of packaging don’t detract from this car in any major way, but the lack of active safety is a concern considering the features most of its rivals offer.

If it’s on your shopping list, make sure you know what else is on offer in terms of safety before you lock in the MG5 for the savings.

The Kona’s exterior mixes smooth curves across its softly rounded nose and swollen haunches with sharp lines and geometric shapes in the lower grille, wheel arches and rear bumper.

And when the current, second-generation version arrived in mid-2023 it swapped out its predecessor’s already slimline LED daytime running lights for an even thinner strip running the width of the car, in similar fashion to the Hyundai Sonata sedan and Staria people mover.

The single line light signature is repeated with the tail-lights, a brake, reversing and indicator cluster confined to the outer rear edges.

Throw in a conspicuous diagonal character line across the doors, and bright metallic accents making a visual connection between the top of the tailgate and the lower edge of the side glass and there’s a lot going on. 

Always a subjective call, but I don’t mind the Kona’s design, although our test car’s ‘Mirage Green’ paint finish leaves me (and my significant other) cold.

Inside, the colour palette is uniformly grey which contributes to a restrained, relatively low-key feel, although light trim for the headliner and pillar covers brightens the mood somewhat.

The dash treatment is cool and contemporary, comprising a wide wrap-around instrument and media screen panel next to a narrow tray on the passenger side.

Fit and finish is impressive and details like perforated centre panels on the leather-faced seats dial up the premium feel.

The MG5’s styling might be a little divisive, with the overall shape and look of the small sedan sitting somewhere between its direct rivals, like the Hyundai i30 Sedan, and aspirational models like the Mercedes CLA.

In this Essence variant, the grey insert for the grille gives the front a darker, more aggressive look, though the way the grille mesh weaves makes it look a little like moustache hair.

The large ‘intake-style’ design at the sides gives it a sportier look than its outputs have perhaps earned - not to say the MG5 is sluggish - and following those around to the side of the car leads to a fairly minimalistic and tidy silhouette.

Here, probably most notable is the rather tall gap between the tyres and wheel arches.

The rear, with that sloped-up roofline, transitioning into a gentle lip spoiler, flanked by those lights, is where CLA fans might have the most to say about the MG5’s design.

Notably, the exhaust vents at the bottom are fake. The real exhaust exit is hidden well underneath.

Even though the Kona measures a relatively modest 4350mm end-to-end, it offers up copious amounts of interior space. Dr Who would be proud.

Lots of breathing room up front, with the ‘shift-by-wire’ auto transmission shifter’s location on the steering column freeing up extra space in the centre console.

There’s a lidded bin between the seats (the padded top of which doubles as a centre armrest) with an open tray the size of a shoebox in front of it (which includes a pair of swivel-out bottle or cupholders) as well as a wireless phone charging bay ahead of that.

Generous bins in the doors include a recess for large bottles, plus there’s a decent glove box on the passenger side and a handy open tray above it. Plenty of room to keep the bits and pieces of everyday life under control.

Power and connectivity for the driver and passenger runs to two USB-C sockets and a (180W) 12-volt outlet.

Switching to the back is where the Tardis factor steps up a notch, the Kona offering space more in line with a next-size-up medium SUV.

Sitting behind the driver’s seat set to my 183cm position there’s loads of leg and headroom and even enough shoulder room for three adults to get to know one another on shorter journeys. A close to flat floor also helps with foot room in the centre position. Worth noting the rear seat backrests recline slightly for extra comfort options.

No door bins as such but, again, there are recesses for bottles. Netted map pockets on the front seat backs are helpful as is a fold-down centre armrest, which includes a pair of cupholders.

Individual air vents for back-seaters (in the rear of the front centre console) is always a welcome inclusion, and there’s a small oddments tray underneath them. Another pair of USB-C sockets will keep devices charged.

Boot capacity is healthy at a class-competitive 407 litres (VDA), expanding to 1241L with the 60/40 split-folding second row seat folded.

There are storage wells behind the rear wheel tubs, multiple bag hooks and four tie-down anchors to help keep loads secure.

There’s a temporary space-saver spare under the boot floor, which gets a tick over the increasingly common repair kit option and you’ll be able to tow a 1.3-tonne braked trailer (600kg unbraked).

Some newer brands to Australia, often MG’s compatriots from China, get some of the ergonomic or tech basics wrong as they focus more on an impactful first impression. Fortunately, MG doesn’t do that, for the most part.

Inside the MG5 is a cabin that looks more expensive than it is, but has some useful features to back it up without the superfluous add-ons.

Aside from the lack of physical climate controls - an annoying cost-saving or interior-tidying trend embraced by brands from budget to bougie - the MG5’s interfaces and ergonomics are pretty sensible.

Accessibility ticks for the steering wheel buttons being few and large enough to use without needing to look, as well as the lack of a panel of buttons and switches in the centre console. Looking at you, BMW.

The screen is also functionally sound, with obvious menu layouts and fairly large buttons as touch points, so it doesn’t feel like trying to operate a tablet while you’re driving.

It does, again, lose points for the climate control situation, which weirdly features a temperature slider as a colour gradient rather than numerical temperatures.

No wireless phone charger means needing space for a plugged-in phone, which the MG5 has just enough of, though similarly ‘just enough’ is the size of the cupholders, which won’t fit a big water bottle.

In the rear, there’s space enough for an adult to sit comfortably behind another adult, though it’s not the place for long journeys.

Strangely, there’s only one central vent control in the rear so only one passenger gets cool air or heat, plus there isn’t a great deal of storage. No armrest or cupholders for rear passengers, either.

Also noteworthy is the single-piece rear seat, which means if longer items need to be transported in the 401-litre boot, the whole rear seat must be folded down and the MG5 temporarily becomes a two-seater.

Under the boot floor is a space-saver spare, though, so bonus points for a more useful addition than a simple repair kit.

MG has managed to cram quite a bit into the MG5 for less than $25K drive-away in its Vibe entry-level variant.

More specifically, you’re forking out $24,990 to head off from the dealership in one, even with its missing active safety features, but we’ll come back to that.

In Vibe specification, the MG5 comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, auto LED headlights, a reversing camera and a tyre pressure monitor, while inside you’ll find a 10.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability (both wired) with four speakers for the sound system, as well as a push-button start, synthetic leather seats and three different selectable steering modes.

Stepping up to the Essence, which we’re testing here, costs $28,990 drive-away and adds a sunroof, a six-speaker sound system, electric seat adjustment for the driver, steering wheel paddle shifters - for a reason we’ll return to - and turns the rear-view camera into a surround-view parking camera.

The Essence is also visibly different on the outside thanks to slightly larger 17-inch alloys, auto-fold (when locked) side mirrors, and a grey grille insert rather than body-coloured.

On that, you can have white or yellow as no-cost paint colours in either MG5 variant, but metallic red, blue, black or grey are all $700 options.

The Kona Hybrid is powered by a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine working in concert with a single electric motor, both driving the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The all-alloy engine features dual variable valve timing and direct-injection to produce 77kW at 5700rpm and 144Nm at 4000rpm, the permanent magnet synchronous motor chipping in with 32kW/170Nm for a total combined outputs of 104kW/265Nm.

That power output is in the middle of the small hybrid SUV pack and torque is at the higher end. 

Kerb weight is a fraction over 1.5 tonnes and you can expect 0-100km/h acceleration in the high 10-second range with a top speed around 170km/h.

Both versions of the MG5 come with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels, but the similarities mostly end there.

In the entry-level Vibe, that engine is naturally aspirated and makes 84kW and 150Nm - similar to the MG3. Power is transferred to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

In our Essence variant the engine is turbocharged and makes a suitably higher 119kW and 250Nm, driving the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Hyundai’s official fuel consumption figure for the Kona Hybrid Elite, on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is a miserly 3.9L/100km, the 1.6L engine emitting 89g/km of CO2 in the process.

Minimum fuel requirement is 91 RON ‘standard’ unleaded and with a 38-litre tank theoretical range is around 975km.

On test, over several hundred kays taking in city, suburban and freeway running, we saw an average of around 4.4L/100km, which is impressive and a big contributor to the car’s appeal.

Using our real-world test number, the range figure comes in at a still handy 860-plus km.

The naturally aspirated Vibe's official combined cycle fuel economy figure is 5.7 litres per 100km, while the turbocharged Essence drinks a little more at 5.9L/100km.

For comparison, Toyota claims its non-hybrid Corolla Sedan will sip 6.0L/100km, while a Mazda3 Sedan claims 6.1L/100km. Not bad, then, if you can keep it near MG’s claim.

During our testing, with a mix of city, suburban, highway, and rural driving, the MG5 Essence burned through 95 RON premium fuel at a rate of 9.1L/100km, checked at the pump, though I wouldn't expect this to be representative of normal, calmer day-to-day driving.

The first things that come to mind when it comes to driving the Kona Hybrid are comfort, quietness and lack of stress.

From an ergonomic point of view the dash and cabin layout make life easy. There are physical controls for key functions like heating and ventilation, as well as audio and drive modes. Not a fan of the hard driver’s door armrest, though.

The engine is quiet and the transition between combustion and electric power is seamless. It’s fun to watch the (available) graphic screen in the driver’s display illustrating where drive is coming from at any given moment. Without it you’d be hard-pressed to know.

Acceleration is more than adequate and the powertrain’s bias towards electric propulsion means take-offs are ultra-smooth. 

Suspension is by MacPherson-type struts at the front with a multi-link rear set-up and ride quality is outstanding. Despite the Kona Hybrid’s relatively large 18-inch rims, bumps and ruts don’t cause major disruption and the Kumho Ecsta PS71 tyres (215/55) are exceptionally quiet.

Steering accuracy and road feel are both good and drive mode switches between ‘Normal’, ‘Eco’ and ‘Sport’ are noticeable, the latter dialling up urgency and dynamic response.

That said, we found ourselves in Eco most of the time, without any penalty in terms of throttle response or cruising ability.

Torque vectoring helps keep everything buttoned down if you decide to press on through your favourite set of corners, the front seats remain comfy on longer drives while keeping you securely located and the ‘shift-by-wire’ electronic gearshift is slick.

Physical brakes are ventilated discs at the front with solid rotors at the rear and they operate with reassuring smoothness. An active hydraulic booster controls regenerative braking, adjustable through three levels. Warning: the most aggressive setting makes the car annoyingly ‘shunty’ at slower speeds.  

Driver-assist safety tech makes its presence felt occasionally, but never to a disturbing degree… with one exception.

Despite the ability to program a steering wheel button to short-cut directly to the appropriate screen, the need to cancel an incessant and sometimes inaccurate overspeed warning every time you start the car is a pain.

A tidy 10.6m turning circle helps in slow-speed manoeuvres as do front, side and rear parking distance warnings and a high-quality reversing camera.

The Kona Hybrid is as good or better than anything in the class when it comes to the drive experience.

Perhaps the biggest surprise about the MG5 is that it’s quite good to drive. And not just ‘for an MG’ or ‘for a car from China’. It’s actually good.

The turbocharged engine takes a moment to get going, and the dual-clutch can be a little hesitant off the mark.

The combo of the two means sometimes you need to plan your take off ahead of time - but in its above-3000rpm sweet spot, the Essence has a good bit of urgency to it.

That’s fortunately paired with a combination of comfortable suspension and a composed chassis, with well-weighted steering.

On urban roads and with a little awareness of the slow take-off, the MG5 is capable and well-suited to small roads, though it can be a little frustrating in stop-start traffic.

On the other hand, outside the confines of city driving, the small sedan is more dynamic than you might expect, able to get up to speed and comfortably overtake on highways, as well as handle corners on twisty roads confidently.

Potholes and rough sections of road don’t rattle the MG5 as much as you might expect from a car in this segment, though road noise can be a intrusive on coarse roads - of which Australia has many.

Dare I say it - the MG5 is rather fun.

Here’s the bit that might turn potential owners off the MG5. Or here aren’t the bits, more accurately.

The MG5 comes with a short list of safety features that amount to the minimum standard for a car to be sold in Australia.

That is, six airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), anti-lock brakes (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC).

MG also lists hill-hold under its safety features, as well as its active cornering brake control and auto door unlock and activation of hazard lights in case of an accident.

There are also ISOFIX and seat tether points for the outer rear seats.

The reverse camera in the Vibe is replaced by a surround-view camera in the Essence, though the visual quality of the feed leaves a bit to be desired.

Crucially, it’s missing a host of safety features that would be standard, or at least optional on a rival like the Toyota Corolla Sedan or Mazda3 Sedan, like steering assist, a pre-collision safety system, pedestrian detection, active cruise control and even lane departure alert.

Rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring? Nope.

MG Australia CEO Peter Ciao told CarsGuide not long ago it’s about keeping the price of the car accessible for more customers, which means you’ll have to make your own call regarding whether it’s safe enough for you.

To that, ANCAP hasn’t crash tested the MG5, but if it did we wouldn’t expect it to score any higher than three stars.

While we don’t know how it would hold up in the area of crash protection, it lacks too much of the active safety gear that ANCAP expects of a maximum five- or even four-star car.

The Kona is covered by Hyundai’s seven-year/unlimited-km warranty (upgraded from five years mid-last year), which is ahead of the mainstream five-year warranty pack.

Roadside assistance is complimentary for the first year, with the deal extended for another 12 months every time the car is serviced at an authorised Hyundai dealer. 

Speaking of which, scheduled servicing is recommended every 12 months/10,000km, which is a little lower than the (15,000km) norm for the category. After a complimentary check up at six weeks/1500km, the first seven services (in line with Hyundai’s ‘Lifetime Service Plan Pricing’) come in at $3782, for an average of $540 per workshop visit.

That’s on the high side considering an equivalent Toyota Corolla Cross (in line with ‘Toyota Service Advantage’ pricing) will set you back an average of $354 per service over the same period.

Hyundai has a network of 185 dealers covering every Australian capital, state and territory.

MG offers a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on the MG5 as with all its models - even electric cars. That also comes with roadside assist for the duration of the warranty, though only 160,000km is covered by the warranty if the car is used for commercial purposes.

Servicing prices for the MG5 range from $266 or $272 for the Vibe or Essence, respectively, up to $581 or $661 for the most expensive of the seven 10,000km/12-month scheduled services.

The total cost of servicing the Vibe over its seven years under capped-price servicing comes to $2661, or about $380 average per service. For the Essence, that bumps up to $2764 or an average of about $394 per service.