1 month ago
27
MG's next electric car for Australia has been approved for sale, with three battery sizes – and a different name to what's used in its home market.
Electric Cars
The successor to the MG ZS EV electric SUV appears set to be known as the 2025 MG S5 EV in Australia when the new model arrives in showrooms next year.
Government approval documents confirm the MG S5 name, which differs slightly from the ES5 badge used in its home market, and sits apart from the ZS EV as a standalone model built on a dedicated electric-car platform.
It is set to be available with three battery options, all with rear-wheel drive, and a choice of two model grades.
MG Australia is yet to confirm details of the S5 for local showrooms, but it is due in the second quarter of 2025 (April to June).
Unlike the new-generation ZS EV that rides on the underpinnings of the petrol ZS, the S5 uses the MG 4 and Cyberster’s dedicated ‘MSP’ electric-car platform.
Australian government documents list three batteries: 49kWh lithium iron phosphate, 62kWh lithium iron phosphate and 64kWh nickel manganese cobalt.
All three may not be offered – given the 62kWh and 64kWh batteries are so close on capacity – but using the MG 4 as a guide, expect a range of models to hit different price points.
The documents list 'COM' and 'LUX' model grades – shorthand for Comfort and Luxury, which are thought to be internal MG designations for Excite and Essence variants.
Using overseas specifications as a guide, a 125kW/250Nm rear electric motor may be standard across the range, and 30 to 80 per cent DC fast charge times of 26 minutes for the 49kWh battery, and 21 minutes for the 62kWh LFP battery.
Driving range in relatively lenient CLTC lab testing is rated at 425km with the 49kWh pack, or 515-525km with the 62kWh battery, depending on wheel size.
The ES5 measures 4476mm long, 1849mm wide and 1621mm tall, on a 2730mm wheelbase – making it slightly larger on the outside than a BYD Atto 3, its main rival, as well as the ZS EV.
The interior is more advanced – and seemingly better-appointed – than the MG 4, with larger 15.6-inch infotainment and 10.25-inch instrument displays, heated and ventilated leather seats, and a panoramic sunroof in flagship models.
The S5 will be one of a number of new MG electric cars due in Australia next year, alongside a larger mid-size SUV, and two luxury cars from the IM brand of MG's parent company SAIC.
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.
