MG4 EV hatch upsized to become stylish MG S5 SUV as cut-price BYD Atto 3 rival
A new MG4 hatch-based SUV has been outed by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).
The new compact electric SUV has been created to battle the likes of the BYD Atto 3 and Hyundai Kona Electric and inbound Zeekr X.
Named the MG S5 in China, the new small SUV is not thought to be a replacement for the all-new second-gen MG ZS EV, instead it will sit above that car in the Chinese-owned British brand’s line-up.
It’s not known yet if the MG S5 will be renamed the MG4 SUV for markets like Australia, but from our first look at new SUV it’s clear that it borrows much from both the MG4 hatch and $100,000-plus Cyberster roadster.
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From its slimline headlights, sharp nose and full-width LED light bar and Y-shaped tail lights that all look lifted from the hatch, to give it more of an SUV look and feel there’s black plastic cladding for the wheel arches, side sills, and pair of satin roof rails, plus a raised ride height.
Pictures of a panoramic glass roof and different alloy wheels hint that the MG S5 will be offered in at three model grades.
As well as the images, the leak also included some details of the 2025 MG S5 powertrain that reveals that it will come with a rear-mounted 125kW electric motor that will provide a top speed of 170kW.
Measuring in at 4476mm long, 1849mm wide an standing 1621mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2730mm, the MG S5 is 162mm longer than the MG ZS EV, placing it at the larger end of the small SUV segment.
Unlike the battery-powered MG ZS EV, the new small MG SUV is based on the same dedicated Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) EV architecture as the MG4. Being designed from the ground up as an EV – rather than adapted from an ICE platform – should provide better interior packaging and a better car to drive.
Once launched it’s thought the MG S5 will be available with a 51kWh, 64kWh and possibly 77kWh batteries.
Another possibility is there could be a high-performance version that could adopt the wild 320kW/620Nm dual-motor powertrain from the MG4 X-Power that should deliver a sub-4.0 second 0-100km/h dash and a 200+km/h.
Set to make its official debut later this year, it’s thought the production MG S5 could be ripe for an Australian launch later on in 2025.
