MG strengthens EV lineup with compact wagon

MG’s second battery-powered car will be Europe’s first full-electric wagon when deliveries start in the fourth quarter.

The compact MG5 EV will join the strong selling ZS EV, whose success has helped the Chinese-owned brand grow beyond its core UK market.

MG on Tuesday released pictures of the wagon, which was adapted from a model sold in China by SAIC Motor sister brand Roewe.

The MG5 EV will arrive in UK showrooms in October. Plans for the rest of Europe will be communicated in the autumn, a spokesperson said.

The MG5 EV has a bigger battery than the ZS EV -- 52.5 kilowatt hours compared with the 44.5-kWh system in the small SUV. That gives the wagon a WLTP-measured range of 344 km (214 miles), compared with a peak range of 262 km for the ZS EV.

The wagon will cost between 20,000 pounds and 25,000 pounds (22,150 euros and 27,700 euros), said an MG dealer in the UK. The price will undercut the ZS EV, which starts at 25,495 pounds including government subsidies.

The wagon has a 578-liter trunk, which rises to 1,456 liters with the rear seats folded. The company described the car as a “value-for-money” model.