Another booth, another electric SUV. At least that was what we felt at the 2025 Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) as they all look the same after awhile, but more variety is always better, and a raging price war among Chinese brands makes it an even better time to be looking for a new ride in Thailand.
Here’s MG’s proposal: the S5 EV priced from 719,900 to 899,900 baht, which is RM93,628 to RM117,068. Called the ES5 in China, this is a much-needed SUV entry from the SAIC brand, as the ZS is pretty long in the tooth and MG’s compatriots have more modern offerings.
Think of this as an MG4 SUV, albeit one with MG’s new design path that’s more organic and less sharp – as seen on the new MG4, which looks very different from the edgy electric hatch that we’re familiar with.
At 4,476 mm long and 1,849 wide, the S5 is 21 mm longer and 26 mm narrower than the sales-leading BYD Atto 3. the MG’s 2,730 mm wheelbase is 10 mm longer than the BYD’s, and it’s also slightly taller, so we’re looking at the same ballpark. Boot volume is 452 litres, expandable to 1,441 litres with the rear seats folded.
The base Standard Range powertrain has a motor at the rear making 170 PS (125 kW) and 250 Nm of torque, good for 0-100 km/h in 8.0 seconds. The battery is a 50 kWh lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) unit and claimed range is 416 km in the easier NEDC standard. Max charging rates are 11 kW AC and 88 kW DC, and there’s a 6 kW V2L function to power your accessories.
The Long Range gets a more powerful motor (245 PS or 180 kW, 350 Nm, also RWD) and a bigger 64 kWh battery. This one is a lithium-ion NMC-type battery that’s good for 550 km range in the NEDC. 0-100 km/h is done in 6.1 seconds, so it’s a big jump from the SR in speed and range. As for charging, the LR’s max rate is 11 kW AC and 140 kW DC and getting from 10-80% SoC takes less than 30 minutes.
By the way there are three levels for the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) regen plus adaptive mode.
Kit wise, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a Chinese EV of this price – 18-inch wheels, LED everything, power boot, synthetic leather seats in black-grey (ventilation for high spec) and six-way powered front seats.
You’ll also get a 10.25-inch digital meter panel, 12.8-inch centre touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 3D surround view camera, wireless charger and a PM2.5 filter for the air con. Full ADAS pack too, of course.
The MG S5 EV is available in four colours – black, grey, white and the special Beige Champagne Titanium you see here. Yes, the design is pretty generic, but the same can be said for the Geely EX5/Proton eMas 7 too, and that SUV has even ’emptier’ front and rear ends. As the S5 is available in right-hand-drive, there’s nothing stopping MG Malaysia from bringing this in to challenge the eMas 7 – what do you think of the looks and specs?
All same-same, but if I had to choose one, it’ll be the GAC Aion V for its unique ‘Countryman look’ or even the Deepal S05, which has sportier proportions.
GALLERY: MG S5 EV at BIMS 2025
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Click the GAC Aion V link and you get the face-lift BYD Atto 3.
MG7 2.0T will be here around Oct25.
If they can sell the top spec Long Range at around Emas7 price, this is a compelling option. The Standard Range needs to be closer to 100k to be attractive. Imagine the 100k price limit is gone.