MG has been spied testing a new small electric SUV in Australia, and it’s expected to replace a familiar member of its current lineup.
CarExpert understands MG will bring the S5 to Australia as a replacement for the current ZS EV.
A camouflaged prototype of the S5, which has yet to go on sale in any market, was spied by a CarExpert reader in Sydney.
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The ZS nameplate is expected to continue Down Under, but will instead be used on new-generation petrol and hybrid models which will start reaching our market before the end of this year.
While the new ZS is due here this year, CarExpert understands the new S5 is due here during the first half of 2025.
The S5 broke cover in July in a Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology filing.
It’s understood to share its Modular Scalable Platform with the MG 4 hatchback, instead of sharing a platform with combustion-powered vehicles.
All versions of the S5 in this MIIT filing are powered by a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 125kW of power. Top speed is also claimed to be 170km/h.
For reference, the entry-level MG 4 Excite 51 is powered by a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 125kW and 250Nm.
CarNewsChina reports all versions of the S5 will use CATL-sourced lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs.
The electric SUV reportedly measures in at 4476mm long, 1849mm wide, and 1621mm tall, with a 2730mm wheelbase. This makes it slightly larger than the existing ZS EV.
Rather unusually for an SUV in Australia in 2024, the ZS EV is outsold by a significant margin by the MG 4 hatchback.
ZS EV
In the first half of this year, MG sold 2771 MG 4s but only 640 ZS EVs.
That means the ZS EV accounts for just 5.4 per cent of the total ZS lineup’s sales tally, which also includes the petrol-powered ZST.
The ZS EV range is now being advertised at $34,990 drive-away, undercutting the MG 4 and wrestling the title of Australia’s cheapest EV from the $35,990 drive-away GWM Ora.
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