Driven: MG 5 – A Proton S70 Killer?

The MG 5 has all the chops to make it a decent yet affordable saloon, but will you favour it over the mighty Proton S70?

MG? Did You Mean AMG?

At a glance, the MG 5 fastback does closely ape a certain Affalterbach-made four-door fastback. Sure, imitation may be the biggest form of flattery, but we reckon this Anglo-Chinese saloon has enough design cues to set it apart from said German muse.

Spanning over 4.6 metres long, the MG 5 is definitely not B-segment-sized, as it is actually closer to the Civic and Corolla in dimensions.

First thing’s first, the MG 5 is indeed a sizable saloon, despite MG Malaysia (SAIC Motor Malaysia) labelling it as a B-segment fighter. Spanning 4,675 MM long, 1,842 MM wide, 1,480 MM tall, and a wheelbase of 2,680 MM, this sporty fastback isn’t just longer than its perpetual rival, the Proton S70 (or the Geely Emgrand in their home market), it also stands neck-to-neck against ‘true’ C-segment saloons like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

What also odds out the MG 5 against its supposed B-segment adversaries is the overall styling, as it rocks a sleek, four-door fastback look instead of the traditional three-box sedan look. Further accentuating the MG 5’s sportiness are its distinct front face featuring sharp LED headlights flanking a massive front grille, a clean rear end featuring LED combination taillights and two faux tailpipes, as well as its 17-inch two-tone rolling stock.

Whether you want to call it a B- or a C-segment sedan, the MG 5 fastback truly helps one to stand out, especially if you opt for the bold Nuclear Yellow hue as our tester. But given its somewhat sizable footprint, it’s natural to expect big things going inside too…

Spacious & Ergonomical Interior, But…

Step inside the MG 5 and you’ll discover a pretty spacious cabin with an ergonomic and old-school-like layout, albeit with a string of hits and misses to go along.

Starting with tech, the Malaysian-spec MG 5 gets a 10.25-inch screen that supports wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but the user interface is messy, and it can be laggy at times. The same applies to its 7-inch digital instrument cluster, which looks bright and colourful, only to be hampered with the absence of ADAS-related displays.

Old-school buyers would certainly appreciate the physical buttons and controls on the MG 5, while its hard plastic front dash might be a turn-off for some.

The hits and misses continue with the overall dash layout. It still gets some physical controls and dials for most driving-related stuff and climate control, but the hard plastics make the interior feel and look ‘cheap’. Though the faux leather-wrapped front seats feel quite nice and well-bolstered, only the driver’s side is powered, and there’s no ventilation for both.

Moving to the rear cabin, the large footprint brings abundant legroom and even a space for dedicated A/C vents. However, the low sporty roofline and a high central transmission tunnel does rob quite a bit of space too. Last but not least, the 401-litre standard boot space is undoubtedly decent and can be expanded, but the absence of a spare tyre, despite seemingly having a dedicated compartment for one, is concerning.

Putting aside our nitpicks, there’s not much to fault with the MG 5’s innards, especially after considering its relatively affordable price tag. What’s certain though is that the MG 5 does feel more spacious than its fellow B- (or C) segment rivals, but we’ll let you be the judge on whether such a comparison is fair or not.

Sublime Ride & Handling, Gutless Powertrain

In case the MG 5’s sharp looks and spacious innards weren’t enough to convince you of this Sino-English number, perhaps the driving part may tell you otherwise.

Let’s get the gritty part out first—the MG 5, at least in this non-turbocharged form, is admittedly a bit of a slouch if we’re honest. Before you ask, the headlining figures are 112 HP and 150 NM stemming out of the 1.5-litre 4-cyl nat-asp petrol heart co-developed by SAIC Motor and America’s General Motors (GM).

While said output is commonplace in most ‘true’ B-segment saloons out there, the same can’t be said for this C-segment-sized MG 5. The mill feels gutless at times, plus the slow response of the CVT gearbox paired with it also doesn't help in this department. Given that MG does offer the 5 with a peppier 1.5-litre turbocharged engine in native China, perhaps that would put on a better fight against the Proton S70, which actually gained blown mill over its Chinese nat-asp twin.

While headlining numbers might not look good on the MG 5, this Anglo-Chinese number absolutely slaps on the dynamics front.

But one thing MG got absolutely right for the 5 sedan is on the ride and handling front, as this sporty number delivers decent driving dynamics without compromising much on the refinement. Compared to other Chinese cars we’ve tested prior, the MG 5 feels very sure-footed and planted while being quite nimble even for its borderline C-segment size.

Thanks to its seemingly lacklustre power output, the MG 5 is also not susceptible to any torque steers or wheelspins, thus providing you extra confidence in tackling curvy B-roads and twisties. Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels are also quite decent here, with only minimal tyre roars detected at higher speeds.

To wrap things up, the MG 5 is a sublime car to drive, only to be hampered by its underpowered powertrain setup. Had it not been for the four-pot lump, the MG 5 could potentially outclass its eternal rival in the driving department, but at least it gets a better fuel consumption rate as is.

Questionable Safety, But Numbers Don’t Tell The Whole Story

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Even before setting ashore into our market, the MG 5 was constantly bombarded with critiques on its poor safety level, as the fastback saloon infamously scored a 0-star score for the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash test.

On paper, however, it seems the Malaysian-spec MG 5 does get a pretty okay list of passive and active safety equipment, with the latter coming in the form of basic ADAS functions like Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), and many more.

Passive safety equipment is also not too shabby, as things like a 360-degree camera system, six airbags, ABS with EBD, and both traction (TCS) and stability (VSC) controls are all present on the MG 5.

Granted that ANCAP tests are generally more stringent compared to our region’s ASEAN-NCAP, we’d reckon the MG 5 could’ve scored at least two or three stars, provided that SAIC Motor Malaysia intends to submit the saloon for testing. Yes, we definitely can’t expect the MG 5 to outscore its star-studded rivals in said crash test, but a couple of stars are definitely better than zero.

Should You Buy One?

Boldly styled, spacious interior, decent driving dynamics, the MG 5 has got all the potential to make for a decent alternative in this burgeoning affordable sedan segment.

At only RM93,900 a pop, this pseudo B-segment sedan is also one of the most affordable in the market. Included with said price is a comprehensive warranty package provided by SAIC Motor Malaysia, which includes a 5-year, unlimited mileage base vehicle warranty and a separate 7-year, unlimited mileage warranty for its powertrain setup.

While this sporty sedan managed to outsell its eternal rival back in China, we’d reckon the MG 5 might face stiffer competition against the Proton S70 in our backyard, given the extensive improvements and upgrades garnered by the national automaker to this Geely-born saloon. Having said that, we still think the MG 5 has its own perks and quirks over the burgeoning S70, provided that Malaysians are daring enough to take a leap of faith with this MG-badged saloon.

One thing is for sure, with the recent arrival of the MG 5 saloon into our market, it shows that demands for a four-door saloon are still alive and well in this SUV-laden market space, thus providing buyers with more alternatives over the reigning Japanese brands.

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