Hot New MG S5 EV To Be Unveiled In 2 Weeks – CleanTechnica

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The MG4 has taken the European market by storm. In June, it won the bronze medal, only trailing the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3. (Incidentally, it was also the 2023 CleanTechnica Car of the Year in Europe.) MG is a Chinese company (formerly British), but it’s not doing as well in China. The Chinese EV market is dominated by BYD, but then several other electric cars also keep MG’s EVs off of the top 20 list. However, the company may have a solution.

MG has developed the MG S5 EV, a new compact SUV that will launch in a couple of weeks, on August 30 at the Chengdu Motor Show. Deliveries are then supposed to begin in the 4th quarter of this year. While it’s launching in China (the largest EV market in the world by far), it is expected to make its way to Europe in time, possibly even in 2025. “The model’s preliminary specifications suggest the company could launch it as the next-gen ZS EV in European countries and other international markets in late 2024,” electrive writes.

For now, we do have some stats and specs on the MG S5 EV to share, thanks to a filing with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). They show that the S5 EV is a bit larger than the MG ZS EV, but not quite as tall. Here’s what we know:

• RWD (two versions)
• 125 kW motor
• Drive unit from United Automotive Electronics
• LFP battery pack from Times SAIC Power Battery (joint venture between SAIC and CATL)
• 4,476 mm long (153 mm longer than the ZS EV)
• 1,849 mm wide (40 mm wider than the ZS EV)
• 1,621 mm high (28 mm shorter than the ZS EV)
• 2,730 mm wheelbase (149 mm longer than the ZS EV)
• 170 km/h top speed (I don’t see why anyone other than a bank robber cares about top speed, but there it is)

Europe will eat this up.

“Along with a larger chassis, the S5 EV can optionally ride on 18-inch wheels for a more commanding road presence instead of the more standard 17-inch wheels,” electrive adds. “The S5 EV features a modern design replete with features like split headlights, a sloping roofline, curvy body lines and glasshouse, and flush roof rails. The absence of a traditional upper grille on the front immediately gives away the fact that it is an EV. The split lower air intake and the super-wide tail lights take inspiration from the MG4 Electric compact hatchback, from which it possibly borrows the MSP platform, or Nebula platform, as they call it in China.”

“The MG S5 is likely produced on the same platform as the MG 4 (Mulan), previous reports indicated the platform would be used for a series of electric vehicles,” CarNewsChina adds. “Also, this is the first time MG have used a name beginning with S within China. Earlier this year MG applied the S9 name on a rebadged Rising R7 displayed in Geneva for the European market. It is highly likely that the MG S5 will be exported.”

As CarNewsChina also highlights, automakers have to get permission from MIIT for every car they want to sell in China. Information on approved cars is then published each month. Automakers aren’t thrilled with this process because then specs and pictures go public before they have their unveiling/launch events. But it is what it is, and it’s fun for consumers and journalists, of course. Thank you, MIIT.

Oh, and when will this EV, which is likely to be quite affordable, come to the USA? Most likely never.