MG Comet EV

MG Comet EV Review

It wouldn’t be impossible for the MG Comet EV to be misunderstood as a mass market EV. Prima facie, it fulfils the criteria for that - small, economical, well priced, feature loaded, good service and dealership network, etc. But it’s not really a mass market car; not even close! MG Motor has identified a very small niche of customers for the Comet EV, and for them, it would be the perfect addition to their garage. So, who are these customers? And are you one of them? We’ll help you figure it out.

MG Comet EV Pros and Cons 

MG Comet EV Exterior Design

Love it or hate it, you can’t ignore it. There’s no better sentence that sums up Comet’s design. It is polarising, and attracts attention everywhere you will take it. So if you buy one, be prepared to be asked how much it costs by at least two individuals every day. 

It has a definitive tall-boy design, which makes it look like a ‘box on wheels’; pretty interesting and quirky. But the headlights and tail lights have a different shape when compared to the rest of the car, and despite the two pretty looking light bars on both ends of the car, the appearance feels compromised. It would’ve been nicer if the lights also had a squared-off design in some way, that would’ve kept the design uniform. 

MG Comet EV Interiors 

Judging from the outside, you’d think that the Comet EV might have very cramped interiors. But you’d be wrong! Four average sized adults won’t have any trouble being in the Comet EV, but any passenger over 6 feet tall will have to resort to the front passenger’s seat. The interiors are finished in different shades of light grey and white, and given that the seats and door panels are finished in fabric and not leatherette, keeping them clean could prove to be a task. Having said that, the lighter shades really help the sense of space in the car despite the small dimensions. The whole car is also a big glass house, with huge windows and a large windscreen. Rear seats also get two tall fixed windows. So the cabin always feels airy.

The design of the dashboard is very modern and interesting. There are glossy plastics and chrome elements galore, and the fit and finish appears well. The presence of two 10.25-inch screens also add to its cause, and makes it feel like an expensive car.

There are some clever touches on the practicality front. For example, it gets cupholders in front of the AC vents, so you can keep your cold drinks cool even on a hot day. Door pockets are also very sizable, and you could stow some loose objects like water bottles, umbrellas, etc. there. However, there are no closed storage spaces in the cabin, not even a glove box. With all the seats up, the boot space is also negligible and can hold a couple of laptop bags at best. But fold the seats down and you can open up enough space for a month’s groceries.

MG Comet EV Comfort 

The MG Comet EV gets a relatively soft suspension, so it does a respectable job of rounding off potholes. However, because it has tiny 12-inch wheels, the Comet dips its feet in almost every pothole along its way. Small speed breakers - the kind you find in parking lots - are its worst enemy, since it jumps over them. But leaving those out, it does an acceptable job at dealing with broken roads of the urban environment.

Comet’s tiny dimensions have also resulted in narrow seats, so they aren’t bolstered or contoured. But the cushioning is soft, so journeys less than a couple of hours long will be comfortable enough. There is one drawback about the seating position of the Comet though, only for the driver. The Comet EV’s battery pack is placed under the front row of seats, so the seats don’t have a height adjust function. The steering wheel also doesn’t have telescopic adjustment, and the seats don’t slide back a lot. So for someone taller than 5’ 9”, the driving position is a bit awkward, since the pedals are too close. Anyone shorter than that should have no problem though.

MG Comet EV Performance and handling

The MG Comet EV is powered by a 41 bhp electric motor, which puts out 110 Nm of instantaneous torque. While these figures may sound small, in real world the MG Comet EV packs quite the punch. Acceleration up to 60 kmph is brisk, and the Comet feels very zippy to drive in the urban environment. It also gets three driving modes - Eco, City, and Sports. While there’s a pronounced difference in the performance in every mode, even the Eco mode is enough for most city commutes. You can take the Comet EV out on a small highway cruise too, and it would handle itself well in a straight line. If pushed, the MG Comet EV can go up to early triple digit speeds in the Sports mode. However, changing directions at high speeds isn’t confidence inspiring, thanks to the tall-boy design and soft suspension.

MG Comet Battery, Charging, and Range

Powering the MG Comet EV’s motor is a 17.3 kWh Li-ion battery pack. The battery is rated to deliver a claimed range of up to 230 km on a full charge as per the ARAI test cycle. The instrument cluster however, displays a max range of 200 km when the battery is full, and it doesn’t adapt to your rate of power consumption. We expect the Comet EV to deliver a range of around 160-180 km on a full charge if not driven spiritedly. MG Motor has skipped adding DC fast charging to the Comet EV, and it takes about 7 hours to charge it from flat to full on a 3.3 kW home charger. MG Motor justifies this choice by claiming that around 90% of the Indian EV consumers prefer charging their cars at home, and since this car is meant only for urban commutes, it is a fair trade off to save cost.

MG Comet EV Key specifications 

MG Comet EV Safety Features:

The MG Comet EV feels like a solidly built car. The doors have a heft to them, and the quality of materials used also feels robust. There is no crash test rating yet, but the Comet EV gets all the basic safety features like ABS, EBD, dual airbags, and 3-point seatbelts for all four passengers. Additionally, it also gets features like a tyre pressure monitoring system, reverse parking camera and sensors, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. The battery pack also gets an IP67 water & dust resistance rating, and an 8 year/1.2 lakh km warranty.

MG Comet EV Technology and Infotainment

The centrepieces of the Comet’s interior are the two 10.25-inch displays, one for the infotainment and one for the instrument cluster. Both the screens have a great resolution, and are readable even in direct sun thanks to the high brightness. The infotainment system is also equipped with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, which is a very sensible addition considering this is a commute focused vehicle. The Comet EV also gets MG Motor’s connected car suite, with over 55 connected car features. The infotainment though is paired to a two-speaker setup which doesn’t sound the best in business. 

The instrument cluster - while a massive 10.25-inches - lacks customizability and features. You get the speed reading on one side and some other readouts like trip computer and battery stats on the other. In the centre, there’s just a MG Comet EV image which displays when you have your headlights, brake lights, or turn indicators on. MG could’ve utilised this screen better, perhaps to include some customisable backgrounds or even the navigation display.

Is the MG Comet EV for you?

As we mentioned earlier, The MG Comet EV is built for a specific niche of customers. It is designed to make your commutes in the city easier. Compact dimensions, soft suspension, zippy motor, and other creature comforts all aid to that greatly. Being an EV, it is also very economical to use. It is not trying to be your first car, it just wants to be in your garage for times when you don’t feel like driving your big SUVs. It also packs more features than its rivals, looks quirky, and has premium interiors. So if you are looking to buy a secondary car just for your city runs, the MG Comet EV makes a compelling case for itself.