Back in 2020, MG was the first company to bring affordable EVs into the Australian market with the introduction of the ZS EV, and electric variant of an already popular internal combustion engine car.
Last year, the company stepped things up a notch with the hugely successful MG4 electric hatchback. Now it appears that a bigger SUV model that resembles the MG4 has been spotted testing in Victoria.
Andrew M spotted the camouflaged SUV in the tourist town of Lakes Entrance in Gippsland and shared the photos on Electric Vehicles for Australia Facebook group.
This vehicle appears to be the MG S5, which was previously reported by CNC as a model heading to overseas markets outside of China.
From the front, the lights underneath the cover resemble the MG4, along with the front bumper. A glass roof on the vehicle also can be seen on the parked evaluation car.
Size-wise, the MG S5 has a length of 4,476 mm, which is longer than the current MG ZS EV, which stands at 4,314 mm.
All models are expected to have a rear-mounted 125 kW motor that is fed by a CATL & SAIC-supplied lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack.
On the back of this sighting, one excited EV enthusiast said: “I wish this was going to be out sooner rather than later. I want to purchase before yrs end and this would be perfect.”
Looking at the registration of the spotted MG S5, it’s currently registered in NSW and has the description of “ES34 evaluation vehicle” in the colour white. The vehicle also has a reported tare weight of 1780 kg.
MG’s brand in Australia has been going from strength to strength on the EV front. In 2024, this was led by the MG4 electric hatchback, the first car from MG to use its Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) with a skateboard-like design and a rear-wheel drive powertrain paired with a thinner battery design.
This model has been available in the market with three battery configurations, offering drivers more choice and helping it sell over 3,300 EVs so far in 2024.
In August, MG also set a new benchmark in Australia by offering an industry-leading 10-year or 250,000km warranty across its entire range, including its EV models. That is up from the 7-year warranty the company previously offered on its Australian-delivered vehicles.
It’s great to see MG launching another model in the Australian market on the back of its MG4 sales success. More options in the market will offer choices to drivers making the switch from an ICE car.
Having said that, EVs with other body types will also be welcomed by those looking for smaller hatchbacks and wagons like those offered in the European market.
We look forward to covering any updates on this model and more. Find all available EV options on our EV Models page and the latest sales data here.
Riz is the founder of carloop based in Melbourne, specialising in Australian EV data, insight reports and trends. He is a mechanical engineer who spent the first 7 years of his career building transport infrastructure before starting carloop. He has a passion for cars, particularly EVs and wants to help reduce transport emissions in Australia. He currently drives a red Tesla Model 3.