2024 MG5 previewed in Malaysia - sporty B-segment alternative to Toyota Vios with sub-RM100k price

It looks like the MG5 will be joining the HS as the Chinese-owned British marque gears up for another dual-model launch soon, this time earmarked for this September/October following this preview, attacking the B-segment space with a sporty sedan.

With the current MG lineup in Malaysia comprised exclusively of fully electric models, namely the MG4 and MG ZS EV, the buying public surely has room to accommodate a couple of non-EV models.

The MG5 has long been one of the more desirable cars offered by the SAIC-owned brand, and now that MG has got their footing here, the time has come for Malaysians to enjoy this four-door sedan.

Its design is sleek and its colour bold, an exterior hue called Nuclear Yellow. The sloping roofline is one of the MG5’s most defining visual traits; even its rear window line reminds us of the previous (FC) generation of Honda Civic.

The Malaysian-spec car shares powertrain specs with our ASEAN neighbours, powered exclusively by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with just 114PS and 150Nm hooked up to a CVT with 8 virtual ratios.

It’s also a little disheartening to realise that other markets are treated to the same 1.5-litre turbocharged engine has the MG HS, with 162PS and 250Nm. It would be hard to imagine MG being competitive in the C-segment with such an underpowered engine when the similarly segment-straddling Proton S70 has upped the ante with a turbocharged motor, solely chosen to keep pace with the Honda Civic and distance it from the B-segment sedans.

However, MG circumvents this by categorising the MG5 as a B-segment contender, locking horns with the Toyota Vios, Nissan Almera, and Honda City. Against rivals such as these, a its naturally aspirated engine does suffice, especially given its sub-RM100k estimated pricing.

Over in the Philippines, though, the MG5 is offered with the atmospheric motor alongside a turbocharged unit, though the model line has been curiously renamed the as the MG GT, where it produces a more respectable 160PS and 250Nm, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Dimensionally, the MG5’s B-segment credentials can be a little dubious as it is wider and taller than the Honda Civic (FE), but measures about 3mm less in overall length while its wheelbase (at 2,680mm) trails behind the Civic’s 2,735mm. That said, it should be noticeably larger than the S70.

A lot like the MG HS, the PH-spec MG5 (or MG GT in turbo guise) comes with a 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, 6-speaker audio, a sunroof, 17-inch alloys, paddle shifters, a 360-degree surround view monitor, and a suite of ADAS features.

With the cars already on our shores, a launch is surely not far away. And remember, even with the addition of these two cars to take MG Malaysia’s arsenal to 4 models, the company has a much larger reserve we’ve still yet to see.