What's the difference?
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.
Zeekr is a new electric brand and the X small SUV is one of its first cars to come to Australia.
Owned by the Chinese carmaker Geely, which also has a big stake in Volvo, the X is designed in Sweden, built in China and now sold here.
Rivals to this little electric SUV include the Smart #1, Volvo EX30 and Xpeng G6.
The Zeekr X line-up is currently very simple - there’s the rear-wheel drive version and the all-wheel drive we tested.
Benchmark is a big word. But I’ve been testing cars long enough to know when and where to use it, and if my motoring instincts are correct the MG S5 EV could be the new benchmark for budget small electric SUVs.
Still we’ve only driven one grade - the Essence with the bigger 62kWh battery. We need to get the other grades into the garage to test them too, but on first impressions the MG S5 is outstanding for price, practicality, styling, ownership, and the way it drives.
The Zeekr X all-wheel drive surprised me in a great way. Not only is this the first Zeekr I've driven, it's also one of the best small electric SUVs I've ever driven. There's so much to like - from the good price and quality design to the high level of safety and how easy it is to drive.