2023 MG5 new car review

The most enticing about this all-new car is the bargain basement price tag, but there are some compromises you need to know about.

2023 MG5 sedan.

The new MG5 is one of the cheapest cars on the market but it misses the mark in a lot of key areas.

Here are five things you need to know.

The MG5 starts at just $24,990 drive-away.

1. It’s cheap

At $24,990 drive-away for the entry-level Vibe, the MG5 is one of the most affordable cars on the market, undercutting the likes of the Mazda2 and Toyota Yaris. It’s also bigger than those and is a lot cheaper than similarly sized vehicles such as the Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato and Toyota Corolla. Despite the value focus there’s no shortage of showroom glitz, including red highlights and stitching, a brushed silver strip across the dash, gloss black diamond inserts and some carbon-fibre-inspired plastic trim that lifts the ambience over grey-on-grey that is typical at this price point. There’s also 16-inch alloys, smart key entry and rear parking sensors teamed with a reversing camera.

The MG5 lacks vital active safety equipment.

2. But you can see where money has been cut

Dig deeper, though, and it’s easy to see where money has been saved. There’s no split-fold function for the rear seats, for example, so you’re either folding the whole thing or keeping it upright. The stuff that looks like leather is a lot stickier under-thigh than the cow-sourced stuff on a hot day – and generally a lot less convincing. Plus there’s no digital radio tuning and no rear speakers, while the ventilation only has a single zone for temperature control. None are likely to be deal breakers at this price point, but when shopped against more expensive rivals it’s worth keeping in mind the omissions.

The cabin has some flashy items inside but the quality doesn’t match others in its class.

3. It’s basic to drive

The 1.5-litre four-cylinder doesn’t have a whole lot of mumbo, with only 84kW and 150Nm. It drives the front wheels through a CVT auto transmission, which isn’t as responsive as a traditional auto but allows the engine to rev freely to tap into what little power it has. You’ll have the throttle pedal pinned to the floor a bit around town, something that makes for a vocal engine. It runs on regular unleaded but because you need to rev it to keep things moving we couldn’t get near the claimed 5.7 litres per 100km fuel use figure, although admittedly our driving was done mostly in the suburbs. And the Kumho tyres slip around a bit in the wet; moderate the pace and the basic dynamic equation is less of an issue.

4. The infotainment can get frustrating

Navigating the 10-inch screen is a lesson in patience. A home button takes you to the main menu – complete with a helmeted MG caricature to the left – and you can divert to various menus from there. But adjusting the ventilation requires a press of a button to take you to a menu with virtual buttons to adjust air recirculation and slider controls to adjust temperature and fan speed. It’s a clunky way to get the job done, especially those slider controls which often overshoot what you’re trying to aim for. The volume up/down buttons also aren’t as slick as a dial.

5. It’s missing safety gear

MG hasn’t bothered with most of the active safety gear that’s fitted by default these days. Sure, there’s autonomous emergency braking (these days a regulatory requirement) but there’s no blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert or lane assist systems. This entry-level Vibe model also misses out on seatbelt warnings for the rear seats, which is where families would likely find them most useful.