The UK may be set to have its first EV estate car by the end of the year, courtesy of MG.
Reports have started to surface over the last few days that the company is looking to introduce the new MG 5 estate model to dealers in the second half of the year with an aim of having it in the hands – and driveways – of customers before the end of 2020, if possible.
That suggests that the company is looking to rebadge an existing vehicle rather than start from scratch and it is believed that MG is looking to rebadge the Roewe Ei5, which is a top-ten-selling EV in China.
What this means is that we're probably looking at the following:
- 52.5kWh Lithium NMC battery pack and 114bhp electric motor
- Top speed of 93mph
- Range of 264 miles
- The dimensions are approximately 4544 mm / 178.7 inches long, 1818 mm / 71.5 inches wide, and 1536 mm / 60.4 inches high, making it a little smaller than a Ford Focus Estate
- The luggage compartment has 16.9 cu.ft (478 litres) of storage, and with seats folded down can take around 48 cu.ft (1359 litres) storage
- The curb weight of the Roewe Ei5 EV is 1555 kg / 3428 lbs
- Charging from the wall would take around 8.5 hours, while charging at a fast-charging station could replenish the battery from empty to 80% in 40 minutes
- It may also come with MG's exclusive 3D sound system
While pricing is currently impossible to predict, expect it to be in the ballpark of the ZS EV, which currently starts at a very reasonable £24,495. At Which EV, we're big fans of the ZS EV. In our recent review, we said: “It's fun to drive, offers plenty of room, is stylish inside and out, and has all the right credentials to be your next family-sized vehicle.”
Given how much MG got right with the ZS EV, hopes are high for this estate car.
MG, for now, is staying tight-lipped on the details, instead choosing to concentrate on the existing line-up, but with the comments around the EV claiming to come from Daniel Gregorious, head of sales and marketing at MG Motor UK, this is no accidental leak so we should expect more information soon.
As the MG 5 would be the first electric estate on sale in the UK, this would be a fantastic boost to the sector, showing that there is no style of car that can't benefit from a switch to EV. It's not an area that has had huge focus, which means there could be a clear first mover advantage for MG. Also, as it is a rebadged Ei5 there isn't too much lost money if it turns out that the market isn't as strong as MG believes.
The timing is also interesting as VW has plans for estates as well. The VW ID Space Vizzion with a range of 365 miles, acceleration from zero to 60mph in 5 seconds and a top speed of 109mph is expected to hit dealers in early 2021.