2021 MG 5 previewed in Thailand to fight Civic & Altis! RM 77k - RM 103k, 119 PS 150 Nm

MG Thailand has given the public a sneak preview of its latest model, the MG 5, as revealed by our sister sister site Autofun Thailand. The MG 5 will take the fight to established C-segment contenders like the Toyota Corolla Altis, Honda Civic and Mazda 3.

The MG 5 will have an estimated price of THB 600,000 to THB 800,000 (RM 77,489 to RM 103,318). For comparison, here are the prices of its C-segment rivals.

The MG5 is available in 3 variants, C, D and X, with a total of 6 body colors: Nuclear Yellow, Arctic White, Black Knight, and Silver Metallic, Scarlet Red and Metal Ash Gray.

The MG 5 is nothing if not eye-catching, and that will bring an injection of freshness into the hotly-contested C-segment. From front to back, the MG 5's exterior design looks every inch how a modern sedan should. It's bold, brash, and in-your-face.

The interior follows the same, modern and well laid-out theme. It carries off a more premium ambience compared to some of its class rivals. Among the amenities include:

• Sport leather seats with 6-way electric adjustment for driver's seat
• Sunroof
• 10-inch infotainment touchscreen
• 7-inch fully digital instrument panel
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Rear AC vents
• Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity
• Smart Key remote system with Push Start button
• Electronic climate control

On top of the regular safety equipment (ABS, TCS, 6 airbags), the MG 5 does come with some form of ADAS, namely:

• Lane Change Assist
• Blind Spot Monitor
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert
• Rear Collision Warning

Only one sole powertrain option for the MG 5, a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine (119 PS, 150 Nm) paired to a CVT with 8 programmed ratios. How does it compare with other C-segment rivals? We detail it in the table below.

The MG 5 also boasts of state-of-the-art connectivity via i-SMART. Through a phone app and digital key, the MG 5 has added functionality like:

• Command system through voice commands (in Thai)
• Control the operation of the air conditioning system via a smartphone
• Contact the MG Call Center with the hotkeys on the steering wheel
• Stream music
• Find restaurants, accommodations and attractions on the navigation map
• Real time traffic reports
• Check the status of the car door
• Locate your car with FIND MY CAR function 
• On board system status of the car such as engine, tire pressure and airbag 
• The system helps to find service centers, make appointments and record periodic car maintenance.

All in, while the MG 5 trails in bare performance figures, it makes up for it by having a host of really innovative features. In any case, do check back for a more in-depth review of the MG 5, once our Thai colleagues have gotten their hands on it.