2023 MG5 Essence review

MG has just launched Australia’s cheapest sedan. The MG5 is cheap for a reason, though, because it’s behind the best in class when it comes to safety technology.

That means there’s no five-star ANCAP rating, and nor will there be. If tested, it’d likely score three stars.

But no ‘advanced’ tech also means there is no unending frustration caused by well-meaning systems getting things wrong.

So, is it a cheap car? Or is it a value-for-money bargain for those who don’t need or want electronic nannies ruining their driving experience? Let’s run through it. Oh, and a big thanks to my mates at MG Orange [↗] for teeing this up.

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JUMP AHEAD

• Pricing and features
• Safety
• On the road
• Key rivals
• Should I put it on my shortlist?
• Specifications

Pricing and features

The MG5 Essence was the version I tested, and it’s the flashier flagship that still comes in under thirty grand.

In fact, the turbocharged hero version is $28,990 drive-away, and the only extra you can choose is metallic paint, which adds $700. There are four metallic and two no-cost solid options.

Being the top-spec it has the most equipment, including 17-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting including headlights, daytime running lights and brake lights, a surround-view 360-degree camera system with 3D view, leather-trimmed steering wheel with paddle shifters, faux-leather interior trim with red stitching, a tilt-and-slide sunroof, and more.

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The Essence runs a far punchier 1.5-litre turbo four, with 119kW and 250Nm, paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

However, even the lower grade Vibe model ($4000 cheaper) has 16-inch alloys, LED lights, keyless entry and push-button start, a 10-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, imitation leather interior trim, digital instrumentation for the driver, electronic park brake, three steering modes (Urban, Normal and Dynamic), a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, a space-saver spare wheel and tyre pressure monitoring.

The biggest difference between Vibe and Essence is under the bonnet, with the former running a naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder with a meagre 84kW and 150Nm, apparently robbed of any joy by an unlovable CVT auto. I didn’t get a chance to drive it, but I’m kinda okay with that.

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The Essence runs a far punchier 1.5-litre turbo four, with 119kW and 250Nm, paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

There’s a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty plan for private buyers (160,000km for commercial users), with the same cover for roadside assist if you maintain it within the MG dealer network.

Service intervals are 12 months/10,000km, which is a bit needy, but there’s a capped-price maintenance plan for the first seven years or 70,000km which averages out to $395 per visit for Essence or $380 for the Vibe.

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Safety

Make what you will of MG’s decision to launch a car like this in the latter part of 2023 with autonomous emergency braking (or AEB) the sole highlight in its active safety suite.

It is understood there is no advanced safety gear like pedestrian or cyclist detection, nor is there active lane-keeping technology, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert – but that hasn’t stopped tens of thousands of Aussies from buying cars like the MG 3 (the best-seller in its class) or the MG ZS (which misses out on the safety gear that you get in the ZST).

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Recently I’ve driven a number of new cars – mainly from China – with the boxes ticked for crash test scores, but seemingly no regard paid to the actual driver in the equation. And the approach applied in this car was bloody refreshing, let me tell you.

The entry model has a reversing camera with rear parking sensors, but although you score a multi-view camera system in the top-spec there are sadly no front parking sensors.

You do get, however, dual front, front side and full-length curtain airbags for a total of six.

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On the road

The biggest foible of this car is the engine and transmission combo at lower speeds, as it can lag then lurch, leading to some “should I or shouldn’t I?” moments when you’re waiting at an intersection.

An upside to that is it makes you a more measured driver. The negative is that it’s frustrating as hell when you’re in a hurry.

Once at speed, the powertrain is a zesty character, with ample grunt for higher-speed driving and heaps of snot for overtaking moves.

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The steering has a nice and nimble feeling, too, adding to the surprise and delight factor here.

I was really impressed by the car’s ride comfort over some horribly pockmarked and craggy roads in and around Orange in NSW, and though it has a torsion beam rear-end that can be a touch skippy over mid-corner bumps, it’s not even close to being a dealbreaker.

The steering has a nice and nimble feeling, too, adding to the surprise and delight factor here.

Another big issue is road noise, as there’s a bit of that to contend with on coarse-chip roads.

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Key rivals

If you want to spend less than $30K on a brand-new sedan of this size, your choices are limited.

There’s the Hyundai i30 Sedan Active manual at $26,000 before on-road costs, but based on the company’s website you’re looking at damn near $30K drive-away.

Another pick is a Kia Cerato sedan, which you could get in S with Safety Pack spec for near enough thirty grand ($29,390 drive-away at time of writing), but for the money you’re not getting alloy wheels or even halogen headlights, let alone a turbo engine.

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Should I put it on my shortlist?

If you don’t insist on the active safety gear, and you’re not going to spend all your time in stop-start traffic situations, I would say it's definitely worth taking one for a test drive.

The MG5 offers a (mostly) gracious and great value option for buyers who value value more than anything else, and I think it looks great, too.

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