Battery size: 74 – 97 kWh 
Miles per kWh: 4.5
E-Rating™: A+
Max charge rate: 350 kW
Range: 304 - 441 miles 
Introduction and model history
The MG IM5 is an all-new model that MG has been selling in China for some time, and has now brought into the European market. You may be wondering why it’s called the ‘IM’? Well, that’s because this is actually not really an MG.
‘IM’ stands for Intelligence in Motion, which is a Shanghai-based brand that’s been around for since 2020. IM is also majority owned by SAIC, which is the parent company of MG, and you can see where this is going… It was decided that the IM5 and IM6 would be a good fit for the European and UK markets, and so here we are.
There are two batteries on offer in the IM5, and performance also varies depending on which you choose.
The MG IM5 Standard Range gets a 75kWh pack, with rear-wheel drive and 291bhp for a 0-62mph sprint of 6.8 seconds and WLTP range of 304 miles. The IM5 Long Range also gets rear-wheel drive, but packs a faintly ludicrous 671bhp for a 0-62mph of 4.9 seconds and an impressive range of 441 miles. At the top of the range is the IM5 Performance, which gets the same 100kWh battery but adds dual electric motors for permanent all-wheel drive, a whopping 742bhp, 0-62mph in 3.2 seconds and a range of 357 miles.
In terms of dimensions, the IM5 is 21cm longer than the Tesla Model 3, at 4.93mm long -so you’re getting VW ID.7 and BYD Seal interior space for Model 3 money.
It doesn’t feel huge when you’re stood next to it, though. In fact, I rather like the sleek silhouette and that perky ducktail lip on the boot. It’s no Porsche Taycan to look at, sure, I’ll give you that. But I do think that the IM5 looks pretty smart, especially in the Nevis Blue of the car that I drove around East Grinstead and Ashdown Forest.
Range, battery and charging
As we’ve mentioned, there are two batteries in the MG IM5. You can choose between a 74kWh LFP or 96.5kWh NMC battery (75- and 100kWh total capacities), and you can read our guide to the differences between those battery chemistries if you want to know more. Interestingly, the IM5 sits on a new platform that we haven’t seen before from MG, and it’s been developed so that it can also take solid-state battery technology if that makes it to mainstream use in the near future.
Range is up to 441 miles for the IM5 Long Range 100kWh, or 304 miles for the Standard Range. That Long Range model goes a touch further than the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2 or VW ID.7, although all of those rivals still manage over 400 miles of WLTP range.
Check out the used Tesla Model 3s for sale on Electrifying.com
Charging is up to 153kW for the MG IM5 Standard Range, which will still deliver you 100 miles of additional range in around 15 minutes. The 100kWh model gets 800V architecture – like that of the Kia EV6 that could also be a key alternative to the IM5 – and will charge at early 400kW. You’ll be very lucky to find a DC rapid charger in the UK that’s more powerful than 350kW, but plug into one of the fairly common 350kW stations that are increasingly present in most motorway services and you’ll get an additional 100 miles of range in as little as five minutes. A 10-80% battery charge is said to take just 17 minutes, making the MG IM5 one of the fastest charging cars on sale. Even the Tesla Model 3 looks a bit old hat next to charging tech like that…
Practicality and boot space
The MG IM5 has the silhouette of a saloon but it’s actually a hatchback (rather like the ID.7 and Polestar 2), which is useful for loading bulky stuff like a big buggy. The 457-litre load area is a very decent size, and you’ll get a double buggy or a big dog in there no problem, although it’s a bit shallow thanks to that sleek roofline – and it’s worth mentioning that you’ll get more boot space in the VW ID.7. There’s a small 18-litre frunk, too, although it’s only big enough for a few loose items. If you need more space than that, there's always the MG IM6, which is nearly identical to the IM5 other than its more spacious SUV body shape.
There’s plenty of space in the back seats, particularly in terms of legroom. I’d say it’s more spacious than the Model 3 but not as roomy as the VW ID.7, and it’s also a bit odd that it appears to have been upholstered in that pillowy character from Ghost Busters. Weird. If also rather cushy.
Interior, design/styling and technology
Up front the design is also somehow a bit… well, not very European. Trends are currently for fairly minimalist, straight lines and horizontal architecture but the IM5 has a very swoopy, scalloped feel to its dash that looks a bit overdone next to the lovely finishes you get in the Polestar 2. The BYD Seal has a similar hint of non-European finishes and design to its interior, but I think the IM5 might be even more noticeably a bit, well, tacky? It doesn’t feel cheap, but it’s not to my taste.
There’s a huge amount of screenage going on in the IM5. A 26.3-inch panoramic driver display that can also integrate wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s also a portrait, 10.5-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash where you control all of the car’s functions and infotainment.
There are very few buttons in here – even your vents have to be adjusted digitally, as do your side mirrors. It’s all a bit like the Volvo EX30 and Smart #3 in that regards, and that’s not necessarily a good thing!
Still, I don’t hate the system; the graphics and colour contrast is good, the features that you want are there and it’s not as intrusive as the Hyperscreen in the Mercedes EQE, for instance.
It’s a tech extravaganza in the MG, too, and not just in terms of the screens. A 20-speaker sound system, 265-way ambient lighting – and the MG IM5's signature Rainy Night Mode. This feature enhances visibility in extreme conditions, replicating your immediate surroundings on the screen to make it easier to see pedestrians and other vehicles on the screen - free from rain interference. I can’t say that I had a rainy night drive in the IM5 to try it out, so we’ll have to take MG’s word for it until we can spend more time with the car.
There’s also a whole suite of semi-autonomous systems, including a ‘one-touch park’ mode, and there’s even a mode that will make the car reverse up to 100m in the exact tyre tracks that you just drove in on. Useful for getting out of a tight driveway, or that sort of situation.
Motors, performance and handling
I really enjoyed driving the IM5. We drove the Long Range Performance model, which gets 402bhp going to the rear motor and another 340bhp going to the front motor, for four-wheel drive and an abundance of accelerative madness. This thing is insanely fast, and I have to say that while it’s impressive, and breathlessly fun for one or two launch experiences, it’s just… unnecessary. And you can’t really use it on the public road, anyway, so I’d definitely favour the more moderate but still fiercely fast Long Range model.
Mind you, there are three modes to alter the level of aggression that the powertrain in the IM5 Performance delivers its acceleration, so it’s perfectly easy to dial it all back just drive around smoothly.
You also get four-wheel steering in the IM5, which gives it a turning circle of less than 10 metres – smaller than the turning circle in a VW Polo! It’s great for tight manoeuvres, especially given that the IM5 is nearly 5-metres long.
I do want more brake regen’, though. There are two brake recuperation modes, and a free-wheeling mode that has it turned off altogether, but even with regen’ active it’s so light that you barely notice it. I really like heavier brake regen’ modes, so I hope that MG does manage to introduce a one-pedal mode – as it tells me it might do.
It’s comfy enough to make fairly light work of most road surfaces, and it’s a really great motorway cruiser.
Running costs and pricing
Pricing starts from £39,450 for the IM5 Standard Range, £44,995 for the Long Range and £48,495 for the Performance. Monthly finance and lease details are still TBC, and of course that’ll be critical for the success of the IM5. It’s all very Tesla-like in that there aren’t many options on the IM5; it’s just well-equipped as standard, with that 20-speaker sound system, seven airbags, wireless phone charging, ventilated and heated seats, blind spot warning, adaptive cruise and all that semi-autonomous goodness I already mentioned.
Verdict
The MG IM5 is a truly impressive thing. The tech on offer, from the charging speed to the semi-autonomous tricks and treats, really does make some alternative electric executive cars look almost old fashioned. It’s nice to drive but not exceptional, and others have more space inside despite the IM5’s generous proportions, but there’s no doubting that it’s offering a huge amount for the money.
Want all the latest electric car news, reviews and videos? Sign up to the Electrifying newsletter, and don't forget to check out the Electrifying podcast.
6
