On October 24, SAIC announced that its MG ES5 all-electric SUV will start pre-sale on November 2. The dealers revealed that the price range is expected to be around 100,000 yuan (14,000 USD). The MG ES5 is positioned as a global model officially and will be exported to Europe for sales.
For the exterior, the MG ES5 features a closed front grille with split headlights and a two-stage split grille at the bottom. The front and rear wheel arches have been blackened, and the car runs on either 17-inch or 18-inch double five-spoke rims. Consumers will be able to choose from seven exterior paints.
Positioned as a compact SUV, the MG ES5 measures 4476/1849/1621 mm and has a 2730 mm wheelbase. The official maximum usable space of the car is 4.32㎡.
The car’s MG Pilot level 2+ intelligent driving assistance system is powered by Horizon Robotics’ Journey 3 chip. The front view camera module (FVCM) has a recognition distance of 250 meters and the rear radar detection distance is 180 meters, according to the official. This system covers functions such as adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking, and parking assistance.
Built based on SAIC’s Nebula architecture, the MG ES5 is powered by a rear electric motor that outputs a maximum power of 125 kW (168 hp) and a peak torque of 250 Nm. It uses lithium iron phosphate batteries supplied by the CATL-SAIC joint venture with two capacity options: 49.1 kWh and 62.2 kWh, offering three CLTC ranges: 425 km, 515 km, and 525 km. The 0 – 100 km/h acceleration time is 8 seconds. Furthermore, SAIC claimed that MG ES5’s 110 mm thick battery pack is the thinnest in the world.
The interior adopts an embedded 10.25-inch instrument panel, a floating 15.6-inch large central control screen with a built-in AliOS (Banma’s operating system, controlled by Alibaba), a three-spoke flat-bottom multi-function steering wheel, wireless charging panels for mobile phones, and cupholders on the center console. The number of physical buttons has been minimized as well.
The bottom of the center console has been hollowed out to offer additional storage space. There are also 37 storage spaces throughout the interior. The standard trunk volume is 381 L, which can be expanded to a maximum of 1421 L after the rear seats are folded down.
Source: SAIC MG, Autohome, 163
