MG MG4 vs MG MGS5 EV

What's the difference?

MG has been one of the fastest growing brands in the Australian market in the past five years, carving a spot for itself amongst the best-selling names.

But now it’s about to take on arguably its toughest challenge yet - selling a performance car.

MG’s success until now has been built largely on value, with its affordable MG3 and ZS SUV leading the way. The arrival of the all-new, all-electric MG4 XPower means the brand will try its luck at selling cars based on performance, dynamics and an emotional connection.

It’s not the first electric hot hatch in Australia, that distinction arguably belongs to the Cupra Born. But, MG has achieved much higher sales locally than Cupra, making it the first electric hot hatch from a mainstream brand, and that’s why it has the potential to be a game changer for the market.

If the XPower succeeds it will likely reshape the hot hatch market, which until now has been dominated by long-time players and big-name brands, including the Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai i30 N, Toyota GR Corolla and Volkswagen Golf R.

MG’s latest electric vehicle has arrived in Australia. The MG S5 EV replaces the super popular MG ZS EV. But don’t think of the MG S5 EV as just a replacement because if first impressions ring true this small budget electric SUV could be the new benchmark for the class. 

The arrival could not be better timed. A multitude of new Chinese brands have been landing in Australia with small affordable electric SUVs such as the BYD Atto 3, Chery Omoda E5 and Zeekr X, while the MG ZS EV was getting older and uncompetitive even if its price was almost unbeatable. 

Now the S5 EV has landed and our first impressions show it to be outstanding. We’ve tested it and can tell you how well it stacks up against the ZS EV and after you read this review you'll also know how well it may compare to its small budget electric SUV rivals.