MG S5 News

You’re a new-energy world leader Australia, don’t let anybody tell you any differently. You’re on the cusp of a cheap electricity boom which will only supercharge the transition to electric vehicles.I really don’t like the term “new energy” and I’m embarrassed I used it at all, let alone in the first four words of this story.Forgive me, but it’s now what the industry is calling electricity in relation to EVs and hybrid cars. There’s nothing new about electricity, it’s been keeping the lights on for 150 years, although its success in powering vehicles took longer and this was partly due to not being able to store it in batteries.There’s a lot of emotion in how electricity is produced and also in the viability of electric cars and I don’t really understand why. If I hear another EV naysayer roll out the tired old line about energy prices being prohibitive to running an electric car I’ll ask them which oil companies or coal mines they own.And the same goes for those who talk about the electricity grid not having the capacity to handle the uptake of EVs. Because neither view is based on actual evidence - well not current evidence.That's because currently batteries installed in both private homes and public community locations are creating the next big change that'll see energy prices drop.Australia is a world leader in both the home installation of solar panels (photovoltaic) and the uptake of home batteries to store the electricity the solar generates.According to the Clean Energy Council, at the close of 2025 a third of residential homes in Australia had roof-top solar.  As of 2026, according to International Energy Agency data, Australia leads the world in photovoltaic (solar) uptake per capita.The affordable price of home solar panels of about $8000 on average for a 6.6kW system (after the Federal Government rebate) has made the technology accessible and popular.  Australia also leads the world when it comes to battery installation. Global energy consultancy Rystad Energy says energy storage in the form of batteries is surging, with Australia, China, the UK, US and Germany the main drivers.Batteries small enough to power homes or large scale to power entire suburbs store energy from solar or wind. It’s these batteries that take the unpredictability out of renewable energy.The arguments of solar not being readily available at night or on cloudy days are no longer valid when the energy from the previous month has been bottled and ready for use.It’s this availability that's expected to bring energy prices down. That’s because in times of high demand fossil fuel power stations are expensive, especially gas-fired power stations which are often brought online in times of high demand. This is a major cause of high electricity prices.Storage of electricity in batteries works on the same principle as rainwater in a dam for public use or a tank attached to a house for home use.Home batteries are on the pricey side up front, with a decent-sized unit (10-15kWh) costing up to $16,000, but the Federal Government battery rebate can reduce that by $252 per kWh, or about $4000.Yes, that’s an initial outlay of $20,000 for solar and a battery but you won’t be at the mercy of energy providers any more because you’ll be storing whatever you don’t use. If you’re running an electric car and have a wall unit installed you’re laughing.Not everybody can afford that outlay and many houses aren’t new enough to support larger batteries. The good news is massive public batteries are being introduced. They’ll store electricity from renewable sources and supply it to households.It’ll have to be supported by the old ways too - coal and gas-fire power stations - but change doesn’t happen overnight.The cost of construction of a large-scale battery storage station is now equal to that of building a gas-fired plant. This is really important and will help motivate the shift for an industry that’s resistant to change.A report this week by Japan’s Nikkei Asia quoted data showing battery energy storage stations in China cost A$111 per megawatt hour in 2025, a drop of 27 per cent compared to 2024. That cost is almost equal to the A$110 per megawatt from a coal-fired plant. The key to cost-effective renewable generation and supply of electricity in a way that meets the growing demand of our lives with all our home technology and increasing uptake of electric cars is batteries.Battery tech is now advancing at a rapid pace and that development is led by countries like Australia and China. And this will mean a reduction of consumer energy prices because the cost of its generation is coming down.The final piece of the puzzle are electric vehicles which also operate as mobile power stations. The vehicle-to-load (V2L) function is becoming more common.V2L is offered on a number of models such as the Volkswagen ID.5, Kia EV3, Hyundai Ioniq 5, MG S5, Geely EX5 and BYD Sealion 7, and allows owners to store power in the car or use the electricity in the car’s battery to run appliances. It’ll be a long time before coal and gas is phased out and it will play a backup role for the new system for many years (or decades) ahead, but it’s nice to know that it now looks like our energy will be cleaner and cheaper. 

Driving range is the biggest talking point with electric cars. Range anxiety remains a prevalent road block to potential EV buyers, despite ever-increasing claimed figures.Figures are measured using many different testing cycles, which all have varying degrees of perceived accuracy.  The Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) is viewed as the most accurate standard available.Its testing figures often come in noticeably lower than the older New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and the even more generous China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC). As much as these systems do their best to mirror real-world driving, they can never be truly accurate because of the different ways people use their cars.The Australian Automobile Association’s Real-World Testing Program has done the ground work to see just how accurate these figures are when they are put to the test on the roads. The testing was completed in Victoria, with each vehicle travelling a route of 93km.We’ve compiled the most- and least-accurate EV driving ranges, according to what is reported and what they actually did on the road.The figures used for this data are the quoted Australian Design Rules figures used for sales approval.Brands base these figures on the various testing standards, and this means the difference in accuracy between reported and actual figures may not be as dramatic as portrayed by the raw numbers. This is particularly apparent for Chinese brands that register a more lenient testing method (NEDC) than other brands, which represents an exaggerated difference compared to real-world figures than what WLTP would show. Topping the list for the most inaccurate figure is the 2023 MG4 all-wheel drive hatchback. The quoted figure for this car is 405km, but it was more than 100km off that calculated in the real world. It only managed 281km, which was a 31 per cent difference. The MG4 has a WLTP range of 350km, making it a less egregious roughly 19 per cent inaccuracy. The theme of Chinese brands continues down the list, with three of the other four cars in the top five all being made by BYD. The BYD Seal sedan has a claimed driving range of 650km, but in the real world it only reached 488km, resulting in a 25 per cent decrease, but that dropped to 14 per cent based on WLTP figures. BYD’s Dolphin hatchback had a 24 per cent drop-off on its ADR figure of 410km, only capable of travelling 313km, but that was only an eight per cent decrease based on WLTP. The Kia EV6 mid-size SUV registered an eight per cent shortfall on its WLTP figure, travelling 484km instead of 528km. Kia's EV5, EV6 and EV9 SUVs also represent 11 per cent shortfalls on their WLTP range figures. The BYD Atto 3 small SUV was also in the top five and had a 20 per cent shortfall on its ADR figure of 410km, only reaching 328km. That was only a 5 per cent decrease based on its WLTP figure. Finally, the Tesla Model 3 had a 14 per cent drop off on what was expected based on WLTP numbers. The Kia EV5 is joined by the Tesla Model Y, with ADR and WLTP figures only representing a three per cent difference at the other end of the scale.The BYD Sealion 7 is one of the more dramatic examples of the inaccuracy of the NEDC system. Its 17 per cent shortfall based on NEDC standards is reduced to just three per cent when based on WLTP. While this data demonstrates how EVs perform in real life, it also provides important insight into how differing testing standards can dramatically alter driving range expectations. WLTP figures remain the most accurate mainstream testing regime, with NEDC and CLTC testing exaggerating potential driving range.

MG is seemingly plotting an SUV version of its upcoming MG4 Urban hatchback, with a mystery new crossover SUV spotted in China.

MG is on the verge of its line-up almost doubling in the UK and Europe, which could be good news for the brand’s local variety.According to reports, MG plans to take its offerings from 10 models to 18 in the region soon, which also leaves the door open for new models from its quirky sub-brands. CEO of MG Motor UK & Europe William Wang told Automotive News Europe the plan to expand its line-up includes a large plug-in hybrid SUV and an “electric four-meter-long small car” which will reportedly rival the BYD Dolphin.In Australia, MG currently sells the HS, ZS, QS, and MG 5S SUVs, plus the MG3, MG4, MG5 and MG7 along with the sporty Cyberster and the IM5 and IM6 from its sub-brand, IM.If MG is to expand its Euro line-up to around 18 models as the report suggests, this could see six new models land here if they are to be built in right-hand drive.One of these is the locked-in MG S6 EV, set to join the smaller S5 EV which has already arrived.Similarly styled but closer in size to a mid-size SUV like the Tesla Model Y, the electric SUV could significantly undercut the popular American EV.Also just-spotted in China is an SUV spin-off of the upcoming MG4 Urban as a potential price-leading EV SUV to replace the position once held by the MG ZS EV in the brand's line-up.The IM luxury sub-brand which already has two cars here could expand into the SUV space, too, with the 2026 MG IM LS9 having been detailed for the brand’s home market earlier this year.The IM LS9 is a huge Volvo XC90 or BMW X7-sized SUV with luxury appointments and sleek styling, though unlike some of the other models here, it’s not locked-in for Australia just yet.Further down the track, a boxy off-road-style SUV could make the 2025 MG Cyber X concept a reality, something of a Land Rover Defender rival but at a likely lower price point.The Cyber X was revealed last year at the Shanghai Motor Show, and is expected to be part of an expanded range of models under an emerging Cyber sub-brand which kicked off with the Cyberster electric roadster in Australia last year.

No, you’re not imagining it. Car companies are walking back their plans to roll out electric vehicles. So what does this mean for the future? What will we be driving instead? And should you stick to petrol or diesel?

This year is not even over and yet one of 2026’s most-improved SUVs is already looming in sight for Australia. Due by the middle of next year, the GWM Haval Jolion will undergo a significant transformation to improve and update a number of shortfalls to bring it up to class standards against the best-selling Hyundai Kona, MG S5 and Chery Tiggo 4.

Top EVs for first-time electric car buyers.

If you need any more proof that China is becoming the dominant force in Australia’s automotive landscape, consider this.In the first six months of this year, 102,938 Chinese-made vehicles have been sold in Australia. Flash back five years to 2020, Chinese vehicle sales totalled just 11,055 in the same six-month period.That’s an 831 per cent increase in just five years. At this rate, China will overtake Thailand as the number two country of origin in Australia by next year. Japan is currently number one for imports, but for how long?Clearly a large number of Australians have no issue buying Chinese-built cars.The top 10 car brands for the first half of the year include Chinese giants GWM and BYD in seventh and eighth place respectively, while Tesla - which only imports cars to Australia from China - is ninth and SAIC-owned MG is just outside the table in eleventh.Yet looking at some of the commentary around this trend you’d be mistaken for thinking otherwise. There’s still a lot of negativity around Chinese brands and models despite the appetite for them here in Australia. But is it warranted?Honestly, it’s complicated.I appreciate some people have a moral issue buying a Chinese car given the long list of alleged current and historical human rights abuses carried out by the Chinese government. This is understandable.However, you could argue that if you take a stand against a particular country for historical human rights abuses there wouldn't be many countries left to buy cars from. The US isn’t exactly covering itself in glory when it comes to human rights at the moment.Other people take issue with the perceived quality of Chinese-made vehicles, in terms of build quality, materials and what they’re like to drive. And some of this concern is absolutely valid.The first crop of Chinese cars to hit Australia were, largely, awful. GWM, back in 2009 when it was just called Great Wall, served up some stinkers. The V240 SUV and X240 ute were terrible to drive, had poor build quality and the ute was even engulfed in an asbestos scandal.MG’s reboot as a Chinese-owned marque started in 2013 with the already dated MG6 sedan, but before it, Chery’s terrible trio of the J1 and J3 hatches and the J11 SUV ensured an early exit for the brand.Even some more recent attempts have been less than successful. Poorly calibrated advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) impacted Chery’s relaunch here a few years back with the Omoda 5, while even Deepal’s own company executives admitted the S07 EV was the most annoying car on sale in Australia thanks to incessant beeping and ADAS intervention.And, having driven a large number of Chinese cars currently on sale in Australia, I can confirm it is a mixed bag of good, bad and in between.But things are changing fast. I spent some time recently in China driving a raft of new models from BYD. While the test track was far too limited to develop decent drive impressions, it’s clear the overall quality of their cars has improved significantly. The interior design, materials used and even things like seat design impressed a lot of us hardened Aussie motoring writers.MG is on a roll at the minute, too. While I am yet to drive one myself, everyone that’s tested the MGS5 EV, including our very own Laura Berry, has raved about it. It’s like an SUV version of the already impressive MG4, only even better.GWM is consistently improving its models as it goes and having driven cars like the Tank 300 diesel and Haval H6 GT PHEV, I can confirm this to be true. Hiring noted former GM Holden engineer Rob Trubiani to tune its products will only help further.The quality of Tesla’s product improved greatly when Australian sourcing shifted from the USA to China a few years back.Granted, there are still some decidedly average cars in many of the Chinese brands’ model range.But to dismiss all cars from China is to fight a losing battle. Check those sales numbers again. Very soon half of the brands in the top 10 will be from China. GWM, MG and BYD all have ambitions for the top five or top three and some of the legacy brands aren’t doing much to stop them.I have had some alarming conversations with executives from legacy brands about China’s rise. I won’t name names, but multiple execs from top 10 brands have dismissed the popularity of Chinese brands in Australia and their potential to take over the industry. There is a sense from some that buyer loyalty will ultimately lead people back to long-standing brands.But this ignores the fact that hundreds of thousands of Australians don’t care about loyalty and they just want a good deal. And they are getting that in spades from the Chinese carmakers, much more than they are from the Japanese, Korean and European brands that have dominated for so long.So I guess what I am saying is, it might be time to get over the anti-China bias. Because you’re missing out on some pretty good cars. And in a few years there might not be as many non-Chinese brands to choose from.

ANCAP, Australia’s crash-testing authority, has awarded five-star safety ratings to the Tesla Model 3 and new Kia EV3 and MG S5 EV.

MG has announced pricing and specs for its ZS EV replacement, the S5, which is now available for pre-order.With prices commencing at a mere $500 premium over its predecessor, the S5 will be offered in four variants and two battery packs.They consist of the base 49kWh Excite ($40,490) and Essence ($42,990) variants, and the 62kWh Essence ($44,990) and Excite ($47,990) variants (all prices are drive-away).For comparison, the rival BYD Atto 3 Essential starts at $39,990, while the Chery Omoda E5 starts at $42,990 (both before on-road costs). Once drive-away pricing is factored in they are expected to exceed the S5 in price by approximately $2000 and $5000, respectively.All four S5 variants deliver an output of 125kW/250Nm, with power being sent exclusively to the rear wheels through a single electric motor. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability is also standard across the range.The Excite 49kWh kick things off with LED daytime running lights, fabric upholstery, a central 12.8-inch multimedia display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, six-way electronically-adjustable driver’s seats, MG’s 'Pilot Safety Suite' and a surround-view camera.Driving range is claimed at 415km for the Excite and Essence 49kWh variants, the latter adding synthetic leather upholstery, keyless entry, a six-speaker audio system, an electronic-powered panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charger, a heated leather steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats and a power tailgate with hands-free access.The same changes are reflected across the Excite and Essence variants fitted with a 62kWh battery, although driving range is longer at a claimed 515km under the NEDC cycle.Six colours are available - 'Dover White', 'Sterling Silver Metallic', 'Camden Grey Metallic', 'Champagne Gold Metallic', 'Piccadilly Blue Metallic', 'Diamond Red Metallic' and 'Black Pearl Metallic'.All S5 variants will be covered by MG’s 10-year/250,000km warranty, and for a limited time only, the first 500 buyers will receive a 7.0kW home charger valued at $1199.The first S5 examples are expected to roll into MG dealerships across the country from early May.