2024 MG5 spotted in Malaysia - sporty fastback sedan to shake up C-segment space?

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 attacking the C-segment space.

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 from the quick peek under the tarp, revealing what is likely 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.

Though we might look to Thailand for an indication of what to expect from the incoming MG HS, the MG5 is a little fuzzier as all variants offered to our neighbours to the north are powered exclusively by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with just 114PS and 150Nm hooked up to a CVT.

It’s hard to imagine MG being competitive in this segment with such an underpowered engine when the 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.

The obvious move would be for MG Malaysia to offer the sedan with the same 1.5-litre turbo unit found in the Thai-spec MG HS, though it would be a concession made specifically for our market (at least in ASEAN), which they might hesitate to green light. Keep in mind, too, that neither Singapore or Indonesia offer the MG5.

Over in the Philippines, though, the MG5 is offered with the atmospheric motor alongside that 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 is wider and taller than the Honda Civic, 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.