MG S5 EV vs Volvo EX30

The Volvo EX30 costs £1,565 more than the MG S5 EV. For that premium it adds 30 kW more power. The MG S5 EV is not just cheaper - it also offers 89 miles more WLTP range, 53 litres more boot space and a 2.8s quicker 0-62mph time. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MG S5 EV comes out ahead overall.

The MG S5 EV is £1,565 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £168 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG S5 EV comes out roughly £1,645 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 208 miles for the MG S5 EV and 149 miles for the Volvo EX30 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The MG S5 EV goes roughly 59 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 26-28 minutes.

The two are within 11 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 562 mm of total clearance for the Volvo EX30 and about 551 mm of total clearance for the MG S5 EV. The MG S5 EV also turns in a 0.5 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the MG S5 EV and 90% for the Volvo EX30. That gives the Volvo EX30 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Volvo EX30's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the MG S5 EV's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.