MG S5 News

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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.

The long-awaited replacement for the top-selling MG ZS EV has been detailed ahead of its imminent arrival in Australian showrooms.Dubbed the MGS5 EV, the new small EV replaces the affordable ZS EV that sold in significant numbers for the Chinese giant. Interested buyers can register their interest now and the new model will go on sale in May.MG is yet to confirm pricing for the MGS5 EV, but it is expected to be more expensive than the model it replaces. Earlier this year in runout the ZS EV was down to $36,888 drive-away for both model grades, but the regular pricing started around $45,000 drive-away.MG also has the mechanically-related MG4 small hatchback in its stable which is priced from about $41,000 drive-away. But being an SUV, the MGS5 EV is expected to also be popular with buyers.In Australia the MGS5 EV will be offered in two battery sizes and two distinct model grades, meaning there are four options for buyers. The battery sizes are 49kWh and 62kWh, with the Excite and Essence spec available for both.According to MG, the WLTP driving range for the 49kWh is 340Km for the Excite and 335km for the Essence. While the 62kWh offers 430km in Excite and 425km in Essence guise.Energy efficiency is rated between 16.6 to 17.7kWh/100km, which is not far off the outgoing ZS EV.The 0-100km/h time ranges from 8.0 to 8.6 seconds, depending on the grade.The rear-wheel drive EV has a motor that pumps out 125kW/250Nm and it offers one pedal driving with three levels of regenerative braking.It has a 6.6kW onboard charger and can boost the battery from 30 to 80 per cent in 19 minutes on a fast charger, according to MG. The maximum DC charging on the 49kWh is 120kW increasing to 150kW for the 62kWh.The MGS5 EV is larger in most dimensions than the ZS EV, except for height. But the 2730mm wheelbase is 145mm longer than the old EV. It also has a thin battery to liberate more room inside.Standard gear in the Excite grades includes 17-inch alloy wheels, fabric seats, manually adjustable seats, single zone climate control, keyless entry and start, vehicle-to-load functionality, 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, heated door mirrors, four-speaker audio, 12.8-inch multimedia screen with DAB+ digital radio, wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and sat nav.The Essence adds a wireless device charger, voice control, a six-speaker audio, rear privacy glass, rain-sensing wipers, panoramic power sunroof, leather steering wheel, synthetic leather/cloth seats, power adjustable driver’s seat, heated steering wheel, power tailgate, and 18-inch alloys.

MG has kicked off its massive new-model rollout in Australia, confirming it will rip the covers from some crucial fresh metal at this weekend’s Melbourne Motor Show.