MG IM5 review

Glance at the vital statistics of the MG IM5 and you might assume you’re researching a super-expensive rival to the Porsche Taycan or Tesla Model S. Up to 742bhp. A range of 441 miles. Faster charging than any other electric car currently on sale.

But no: this is an electric executive car that costs about the same as its closest rival, the Tesla Model 3. That means it’s cheaper than many other similar-sized, battery-powered alternatives, including the BYD Seal and Polestar 2.

MG IM5 video review

If you’re wondering why there are no MG badges on the outside (or inside for that matter) well it’s because IM Motors is a Chinese car brand in its own right. It’s owned by the same parent company as MG but has no presence in the UK, whereas MG has more than 150 dealers and, last year, sold more cars than Skoda.

Read on and we’ll tell you how the MG IM5 compares against its key rivals in all the important areas. Or if you’re looking for something with more space inside and a higher driving position, why not check out our MG IM6 electric SUV review.

There are three different versions of the MG IM5: the Standard Range, the Long Range and the Performance. Those names have been "borrowed" from Tesla and are fairly self-explanatory.

The Standard Range has a battery with a useable capacity of 73.5kWh and an official range of 304 miles. That’s a few miles down on an entry-level Tesla Model 3 or Polestar 2 but still plenty for most buyers – even though in the real world 250 miles between charges is more realistic.

Upgrading to the Long Range gives the IM5 a bigger 96.5kWh battery and a whopping official range of 441 miles. That’s further than any Model 3 can manage on a charge and makes the IM5 one of the longest-range EVs on sale today.

The Performance version gets the same 96.5kWh battery but the official range falls to 357 miles. That’s because, as the name suggests, it’s focused on going very quickly as opposed to eking out every possible mile from the battery. 

To that end, the Performance has two electric motors, four-wheel drive and a colossal 742bhp, allowing it to launch from 0-62mph in just 3.2 seconds. Such savage acceleration makes this range-topping IM5 quicker than many versions of the Porsche Taycan.

The Standard Range and Long Range versions have a single electric motor driving their rear wheels, although acceleration is still far from tardy. The Long Range can hit 62mph from a standstill in 4.9 seconds, and even the least powerful Standard Range can do 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds, making it only slightly slower than an entry-level Model 3.

So that’s performance and range covered, but what about the rest of the IM5’s driving experience? Well, so far we’ve only tried the Performance version and, by electric saloon standards, it feels fairly nimble through corners and offers plenty of grip.

You won’t have any issues placing the IM5 where you want it on the road, either, because the steering is always accurate. That said, the steering is overly eager to return to the straight-ahead position when you’re going around a bend, almost as though you’ve wound up a rubber band. The weighting of the steering in the BYD Seal and Model 3 feels more natural.

You might imagine that the Performance version would have rock-hard suspension but that's not the case. Indeed, most of the time the ride is supple and well-controlled, and the IM5 cruises along a motorway just as smoothly as a Model 3. On poorly surfaced country lanes things can get a little bumpy and there’s some suspension noise, but hopefully the less powerful Standard Range and Long Range versions will prove smoother here.

Thanks to double-glazed side windows and active noise-cancelling technology, the IM5 is a hushed cruiser at speed, and while the brakes aren’t as smooth or consistent as those in a Model 3, at least they're not as grabby as those in a Polestar 2.

"Everyone loves nippy acceleration, but I’m not sure why an executive saloon needs more than 700bhp. I’d be surprised if the less powerful Standard and Long Range versions didn’t make more sense – although we haven’t tried them yet." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

The first thing that catches your eye as you slide into the MG IM5’s driving seat is the enormous 26.3in screen that stretches across more than half of the dashboard. The section behind the steering wheel acts as a driver's display and offers bright, crisp graphics – although some drivers might find the rim of the wheel blocks some of the information on show.

The left-hand side of the screen is touch-sensitive and can display various infotainment features, including built-in apps. It responds quickly to finger prods and allows you to mirror the display of your phone using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. That gives the IM5 an advantage over the Tesla Model 3, which doesn’t offer smartphone mirroring.

While we’re on the subject of Tesla, the US brand’s user-interface has clearly been an inspiration because the lay-out of the IM5’s second (10.5in) touchscreen below the main display is very similar indeed. The climate-control screen, for example, looks near-enough identical – but at least that means it's fairly intuitive.

All versions of the IM5 come with a punchy 20-speaker sound system, featuring four "sky" speakers mounted in the roof lining. The quality of sound it delivers is impressive, especially when you consider the system comes as standard rather than being an expensive extra.  

Other than the thickset windscreen pillars blocking some of your view at junctions and roundabouts, you’ll find plenty to like about the driving position. There’s lots of support from the electrically adjustable seat, for example, and the relationship between it, the steering wheel and the pedals is tough to fault.

Even interior quality is impressive for the money, and you can choose between a grey or a much brighter white colour scheme (they cost the same).

Most of the dashboard is wrapped in faux leather and everything feels well bolted together. Only some scratchy plastic around the centre console and door bins lets the side down. Overall, interior quality is roughly on a par with the Model 3 but not as good as a Polestar 2.

"I think it’s great you can choose between a grey or a white interior, and not have to pay extra either way." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

The MG IM5 is about 20cm longer than a Tesla Model 3 and not much shorter than cars from the class above, including the BMW i5. That means there’s lots of leg room in the back; even a six-footer sitting behind someone equally tall will have plenty of space between their knees and the seat in front.

It's not all good news though. The IM5’s floor is very high relative to the rear seat bases, which forces your knees up above the level of your hips in an uncomfortable way. Foot space under the seat in front is also rather stingy, and head room is acceptable rather than outstanding.

On the plus side, you can adjust the angle of the rear seatbacks for a more laid-back seating position. The thick carpets add to the feeling of luxury on longer journeys.

Unlike the BYD Seal and Tesla Model 3 the MG IM5 is a hatchback rather than a saloon. That means it has a usefully bigger boot opening, and there’s a respectable 457 litres of luggage space inside. That beats the Seal but falls a long way short of the Model 3, largely because the Tesla has a huge storage well under its main boot floor, whereas the IM5’s boot doesn’t offer any underfloor storage at all.

There is at least a small cubby under the IM5's bonnet for the charging cable, although the Model 3 has a much larger front boot.

You can fold down the rear seats in a 60/40 split when you need to boost the IM5’s load-lugging ability. And to prevent smaller items flying around the boot when you’re driving along, MG will soon offer a basket that attaches to the floor using a powerful magnet.

"The front door bins are both narrow and shallow; I struggled to squeeze in a 500ml bottle of water." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Given MG’s reputation for undercutting its key rivals, you might be surprised that the IM5 is priced in line with the Tesla Model 3. Mind you, it is cheaper than an equivalent BYD Seal or Polestar 2 so it’s still strong on value if you’re a private cash buyer.

At the time of writing MG hasn’t announced PCP finance offers but, like all electric cars, the IM5 is a seriously cheap option if you’re a company car driver paying BIK tax. That’s because you’ll pay tax at a rate of 3% until April 2026.

All versions come seriously well equipped with adaptive cruise control, heated and ventilated seats in the front, heated seats in the back and the excellent 20-speaker audio system. Standard Range and Long Range versions have 19in alloys, while the range-topping Performance rides on 21in wheels.

We don't have an official Euro NCAP safety rating for the IM5 but it does come with lots of safety aids. The IM5’s closest rivals, the BYD Seal and Tesla Model 3, have already been awarded five stars out of five for safety.

We don’t have any specific reliability data for the IM5 yet, but the omens aren’t encouraging: MG as a brand finished rock bottom in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. To provide some reassurance, all versions come with a seven-year (80,000-mile) warranty as standard.

Much more impressive is how quickly the IM5 can charge up. As with the MG IM6, the Long Range and Performance versions have a maximum charging rate of 396kW – more than all the rivals – for a 10-80% top-up in as little as 17 minutes.

The Standard Range has a peak charging rate of 153kW and takes at least 26 minutes to go from 10-80%. That’s still decent, especially for those who do most of their charging at home. 

"MG insiders told me they’re expecting a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating for the IM5 but we'll have to wait and see for the actual score." – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor