There aren’t any MG badges on the IM5 (or the IM6 for that matter), because the ‘IM’ part of the name comes from IM Motors, which is a premium electric car brand owned by MG’s Chinese parent company, SAIC Motor. Initially the IM brand was going to launch by itself in the UK, but now its cars will be pitched as higher-end MG models.
The IM5 is too new to be found on the Auto Express Find A Car service, but there are plenty of excellent all-electric saloons, from personal contract purchases on BMW’s i4 to leasing a Tesla Model 3.
The IM5 will already be familiar to Australians, because it’s been on sale in Down Under since the start of the summer under the far less catchy banner of ‘IM Presented by MG Motor’. Just as in other markets, the IM5 and IM6 for the UK share very similar design language: a low front to promote aerodynamic efficiency, smooth surfacing along the body, and a thin rear lightbar. Four launch colours will be offered on the IM5 in the UK: Arctic White, Nevis Blue, Rembrandt Grey and Black Pearl.
With a completely new 800V platform underpinning it, the IM5 is like nothing else we’ve seen before from MG. The entry-level IM5 Standard has a 75kWh battery, which in other markets is good for 304 miles of range. As you’d expect, the Long Range offers the best efficiency in the line-up, with a larger 100kWh battery offering a claimed 441 miles – five miles more than a Tesla Model 3 Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive. The Performance is less efficient, despite also having a 100kWh battery, because while the others come with a single e-motor powering the rear wheels, this version has a dual-motor all-wheel drive layout, with range limited to 357 miles. Using an 800V architecture, the IM5 can recharge from 10 to 80 per cent in 17 minutes, thanks to a maximum recharge rate of 392kW.
