2022 MG 5 Quick Drive Review: Sensible and capable

Back in 2019, MG Philippines brought in the MG 5 Sedan as its entry into the local sedan market. Fast forward to 2022, and without a doubt this model faces stiff competition. 

For one thing, the sedan market in the Philippines has always been a tightly contested segment. In fact, the competition became even more competitive as people found a need for affordable rides during and after the span of the pandemic.

2020 MG 5 Core MT vs Toyota Vios Base MT Comparison: Challenging the King  

On top of that is the fact that many recent car buyers have now opted to purchase other vehicle body types like crossovers. This is true for the global market, and also a fact locally.  

To this end, it was indeed high time for MG Philippines to showcase what the MG 5 offers as a sedan. They did so by hosting a three-day media drive from the MG Makati dealership to the La Jolla Resort in Bataan, and many other picturesque sites in the said province.  

So, despite being a car designed to be a practical daily, did the MG 5 manage to take on uphill, winding roads? Does it have what it takes to be a road trip car and a city driver?  

On the first day of the drive, we were assigned the cars. What I and a companion on the trip got was an MG 5 Style CVT variant in Carbon Gray.   

The MG 5 Style in Ceramic Grey on the right, and in Laser Blue on the left

This particular trim is kitted out with a pair of sharp-looking projector halogen headlamps with an auto-on/off function. Daytime running lamps are also present, and it also gets power side mirrors.  

Throughout the drive, I found that the auto-on/off function worked well enough, but the headlamps could be brighter. The DRLs though were clearly visible even when viewed under bright sunlight, and they added more style points for the MG 5. 

The front itself as a whole lean more towards the elegant side of things. The grille comes with a chrome finish while the lower front bumper isn’t too angular and aggressive. 

The MG 5 from the side

This MG model rode on a set of 16-inch alloy wheels. From the side, one can also see two noticeable creases which add character to the car. Further adding to the look of this vehicle are chrome strips lining the lower portion of the window line. Again, there isn’t much that can be called sporty, but it sure is sleek. 

Its rear end gets a pair of LED taillights that likewise comes with a conservative design. Spicing up its rear portion though is a strip of chrome. 

Size-wise, the MG 5 is one hefty boy. Specifically, 4,601mm long, 1,818mm wide, and 1,489mm in height. This makes it 176mm longer, and 88mm wider than the Toyota Vios. This is rather interesting since the MG 5 is indeed priced to compete against the said Toyota considering its Php 658,888 starting price. More on this later. 

A view of the MG 5's rear end

When I first entered the MG 5’s cockpit. I found that entering and exiting it was painless and easy. All of its doors can open rather wide, and it has just the right height for stepping in and out. This of course bears more importance to me since I am on the heavier side.    

The MG 5 Style's front cabin

Moving on to the cockpit, it's pretty well-arranged. The controls are logically arranged and easy to reach too. I also felt that MG’s hard work was shown off by its interior build quality. This is evident from the fit and finish of the interior bits, as well as the number of soft-touch, nice-feeling surfaces that are clad in a faux-leather material. Not bad at all considering the vehicle’s price point.   

Furthermore, the design of the dashboard itself was also as sleek as the rest of the car. It had no unnecessary weird bits, and it felt fairly contemporary and minimalist. It can be described further as consistently refined from the front cabin to the rear.

A peek inside the MG 5's rear seats   

Speaking of the rear, I also found it to be quite roomy. In my case, leg room was generous enough for me to stretch. Also from the rear, I was sufficiently cooled by the MG 5’s air-conditioning system. It would be great though if MG added rear AC vents. 

On the more practical side of things, the MG 5 offers a generous 512-liter trunk. Mind you, I shared the car with another car journo, and we lugged around two bags each. This though wasn’t a problem for the MG 5’s cavernous trunk.   

I also appreciate the fact the MG 5 sedan comes with a sunroof. Although, we didn’t use it a whole lot since it was hot when we were in Bataan but this makes the MG 5 one of the few models in its price that has this feature. The other one that comes to mind is the Changan Alsvin.  

The sunroof is electronically actuated, and it has a shade that can be pulled out

In total, there isn’t much to complain about the MG 5’s interior. On the flipside, I didn’t like the use of piano black plastic on the dash and center console. Yeah, this sounds cliché, but it did catch a lot of dust when we drove it. 

For entertainment, the MG 5 gets a 10-inch touchscreen headunit. The said screen is quite legible, but I felt that the software it was using was a bit dated. We also managed to fiddle around with the Android Auto, which worked fine. We didn’t get to try out the Apple CarPlay connectivity function though, since both of us in the car used Android phones.    

The said headunit is then linked to a four-piece speaker system. It sounds decent, but it’s nothing special.   

The MG 5's 10-inch touchscreen headunit

Concerning safety, the MG 5 Style comes with four airbags. It also gets ISOFIX child seat anchors, anti-lock braking with electronic brake-force distribution, stability control, among others. It's pretty much what you’d expect from a modern sedan.

The MG 5 also comes with a tire pressure monitor. A feature that isn’t present on many similarly-sized models in the Philippines. And yes, I rather appreciate this tool as it managed to inform us once or twice that we needed a top-up. 

The 2022 MG 5 Style is powered by a 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine that’s capable of making up to 112 horsepower and 150 Nm of torque. The said engine is then paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) sending power to the front wheels. 

The MG 5's 1.5-liter inline-4 gasoline engine

On the tree-filled, twisty part of the drive up to the La Jolla Resort in Bagac, Bataan, I found the MG 5 to be suitably stable and responsive. Sure, I wasn’t pushing it too hard, but this was more than enough proof that it could take on winding roads. We did experience some body roll on the sharper curves, though it wasn’t that jarring.  

Like any car that uses a CVT though, I did notice that it whined a bit on the many uphill sections. It was audible inside the cabin especially when I squeezed out more power from it. This was especially true with the steep route approaching Mount Samat. Then again, this is quite common on other gas-powered CVT cars so it wasn’t too big of a deal.  

Its analog gauge cluster and digital trip meter

On the way back to the Makati Dealership on the third day, we also had to deal with the hectic traffic around Buendia and Chino Roces Avenue. But despite that, my buddy who was at the helm of the MG 5 found no issues.  

Sure the MG 5 is large, but don’t underestimate how maneuverable it is. There were also no issues with forward and side visibility thanks to its sizable windows. This goes for the rear as well, but I found myself to have used the vehicle’s rear-view camera which provided a decent enough video feed. 

To sum it all up, I found that the MG 5 has more than enough chops to become a potent road-trip chariot and a practical daily driver. 

The MG 5 Style CVT itself, even while retailing at a relatively low price of Php 848,888, already offers a sunroof, loads of legroom, a cavernous trunk, and a decent safety kit. 

Driving up Mount Samat using the MG 5 was quite a ride

Even the more modestly-specced Core variant that’s priced at Php 658,888 already offers the same amount of space inside. So yes, I am of the opinion that it would be enough to sway more potential buyers to its side. Especially for individuals who are particular with overall interior space.