[Omkar]

MG Comet EV Review

MG Comet Pros

• An affordable EV that focuses on personal mobility
• Ultra-compact size, light steering and small turning radius make it perfect for crowded cities
• A well-built hatchback that doesn’t feel cheap
• Real world range should be 150 – 160 km which is enough for an urban commuter
• Adjustable drive modes and selectable regen braking are useful in various driving conditions
• Zero emissions, cheap running costs & green image will appeal to a lot of people
• Good-looking cabin that has adequate space for 4 people to drive around town
• Tech includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, connected car benefits, cool starting procedure (no button to press), digital key sharing, etc.
• Good feature list includes LED headlamps, indirect TPMS, keyless entry, split folding rear seat, reverse parking camera with sensors, etc.
• Plenty of customization options and accessories to make your car truly unique

MG Comet Cons

• Weird, funky styling may not appeal to everyone
• Not for people who want to do highway runs. This car is strictly for the city only
• 2-door design means difficult rear seat access. Also, it is a 4-seater, not 5
• 41 BHP motor isn’t fun-to-drive
• Can be used only as the 2nd or 3rd car of the house. Surely not your primary vehicle
• Zero boot space with all the seats up. You’ll have to fold the rear seats if you want to carry any luggage
• No DC fast charging or even AC fast charging options. Just home charging is available which takes 7 hours for a full charge (10 – 80% in 5 hours)
• The usual EV challenges (charging infrastructure, range anxiety, setting up home charging etc.)
• Missing features like seat height adjustment (tall drivers would want to lower the seat), rear washer and wiper, spare wheel!!
• 2-speaker sound system is just sad

This review has been jointly compiled with Rudra Sen. Thanks to him for the expert observations and photography!

Introduction

What are the traits that you look for in an ideal city car? Compact size, easy to drive and powerful enough to keep up with the traffic. Then you also have all the other factors like comfortable seating for at least 4 people, affordability, etc. and once you start listing out points, you’ll probably never stop. So, what do we have here? It’s MG’s ultra-compact hatchback for the city and it’s called the Comet. Yes, it’s a 2-door and it is electric. It has a claimed range of 230 km and can seat 4 people. But does it have what it takes to be a perfect city car?

Before we get to that, you need to know that the Comet EV is essentially the Wuling Air EV that was introduced last year in China. It is based on SAIC-GM-Wuling’s Global Small Electric Vehicle (GSEV) platform which also underpins 4 other cars. The combined sales of cars on this platform have already crossed a million units globally. Given its popularity, MG India decided to introduce the radical EV in the Indian market. Most of you are aware of Mahindra’s failed attempt at such a compact EV in India (Reva), but times are different now. EVs have become mainstream and people's acceptance of them is also at an all-time high.

Powering the MG Comet EV is a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor that generates 41 BHP and 110 Nm at the rear wheels. Yes, this is a rear-wheel-drive EV. The battery capacity is 17.3 kWh and the claimed electric range is 230 km on a single charge. It's less than 3 meters in length, but can seat 4 adults and is loaded with features. Now that you have a basic idea of what this car is all about, let's dive into the details.

MG Comet Price & Brochure

MG has launched the Comet EV at an introductory price of Rs. Rs 7.98 lakh making it the most affordable EV in India. So, yes, it is a good price to start off with. The closest competitor to the Comet EV is the Tata Tiago EV which starts at Rs. 8.69 lakh. Note that this is a starting price and a full variant-wise price list will be released soon. Considering what the MG Comet has to offer in terms of convenience, features and range, the price seems fair. Also, now that EVs have become mainstream and you don’t really get a lot of incentives on their purchase, an affordable entry price makes a good case for Comet.

You can download the MG Comet brochure here - MG Comet EV Brochure.pdf

2024 Brochure - MG Comet EV 2024 Brochure.pdf

Running Costs

The MG Comet EV’s battery pack capacity is 17.3 kWh which means that it will need ~17 units of electricity for a full charge. The per-unit cost of electricity depends on the slab that you are in & your location, but on average, it’s about Rs. 8 per unit. This translates to ~ Rs. 136 to charge the Comet EV to 100%. MG claims a range of 230 km and a realistic number would be somewhere around 160 km. That’s roughly Rs. 0.85 per km which is an impressive number.

[Omkar]

Exterior

Design & Styling

Funky, quirky, and offbeat are some of the words that can be used to describe the Comet. The boxy tallboy design is something that you don’t see a lot these days in EVs. This is a car that stands out from the crowd. Thanks to over-the-top design elements, it attracts a lot of attention on the road. We had so many people checking the car out on the streets of Delhi and requesting us to roll down the window and asking for details. The car's compact size is very obvious in person as it is barely 3 meters long. It measures 2,974 mm in length, 1,505 mm in width and 1,640 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,010 mm.

Notable features include LED headlamps, LED pilot light strips running horizontally across the front and rear, and LED turn indicators on the ORVMs. There are 4 colour options available – Aurora Silver (our test car), Candy White (also available with a black roof), Starry Black and Apple Green. Additionally, MG also offers different decals for the body as well as the roof.

Build Quality, Fit & Finish

The Comet EV is based on the Global Small Electric Vehicle (GSEV) platform and the overall build quality is satisfactory. More importantly, it doesn’t feel like a cheap car. The flex in the body panels is also not excessive and panel gaps are consistent. The doors are big with a good heft to them and close with a reassuring thud.

Wheels & Tyres

A car with 12-inch wheels is not something you come across these days. Yes, you get 12-inch steel wheels with wheel covers on the Comet EV. They’re shod with 145/70 section tyres. The recommended tyre pressure is 33 PSI at the front and 36 PSI at the rear. Note that there is no spare wheel offered. Instead, you get a puncture repair kit.

Ground Clearance

The unladen ground clearance of the Comet EV is 165 mm, which is decent for most driving conditions in India.

Standard & Extended Warranty

Details about standard and extended warranty haven’t been revealed yet. But as always we suggest you go for the maximum extended warranty available for additional peace of mind.

Safety

MG has done well to equip the Comet EV with safety features like dual airbags, ABS+EBD, ISOFIX child seat anchors, 3-point seatbelts for all passengers, a reverse parking camera with sensors and an indirect tyre pressure monitoring system. MG claims that the battery has an IP 67 rating and has also been put through 39 safety tests like fire test, seawater immersion test, vibration test, etc.

The Comet has not been crash tested by any renowned authority. It is a small car that weighs a little over 800 kg, so we are not sure about how it would fare in a collision with another vehicle. Even the crumple zone at the front is minimal.

Interior

Cabin Design & Quality

In contrast to the exteriors, the Comet’s cabin has a very soothing design theme. It’s finished in white and shades of grey which gives the otherwise compact cabin a sense of airiness. One of the first things you will notice is the absence of the centre console, which takes some getting used to. There are a few well-designed bits on the dashboard like the cupholders in front of the A/C vents and PVC material on the passenger side. Adding the techy bit to the dashboard is a 10.25-inch touchscreen in the middle whose panel also extends to a 10.25-inch MID display. There aren’t a lot of soft-touch elements, but you do get a fabric insert on the doorpad and leather wrapping on the steering wheel. The overall quality of materials used is good and everything feels well put together. The only downside is the light-coloured fittings will get soiled pretty easily.

Space & Comfort

An advantage of the tallboy design is that the step-in height is comfortable. The doors open wide and getting in and out of the Comet is not cumbersome. Once inside, you immediately feel the compactness of the cabin. After all, the comet has a width of barely 1.5 meters. However, you will appreciate the space utilisation as the cabin doesn’t feel cramped. Front occupants sit close to each other, but won’t be brushing arms while on the move. The tall windshield and big windows along with the light-coloured upholstery add to the airiness of the cabin.

Since the Comet is not really meant for long drives and is primarily focused on city commutes, the seats feel very basic. The seat cushioning is on the firmer side. Even the seat base is quite short which leaves you wanting more under-thigh support. The backrest is thin and narrow as well.

Driving Position & Ergonomics

Like most tallboy cars, you have a tall seating position. With a tall windscreen and you get a good view of the front. The A-pillar is a bit thick and while there is a quarter glass, it doesn’t really make a difference on the right-hand side. The driver seat is not adjustable for height and you only have fore & aft adjustment. This is a major irritant for someone like me who likes to be seated low. Furthermore, at 5’10” I found that the IRVM was placed too low (since the seat was fixed) restricting my view of the road. I had to push the seat all the way back while driving and taller people would find things a bit tight. The steering is placed at a good height and gets tilt adjustment. However, the travel is very short and makes little to no difference in the driving position. The steering wheel feels a little smaller in size than we would have liked, but it is good to hold and the horn pad is also easily reachable.

In terms of ergonomics, this is a slightly unusual cabin. While the buttons are reachable, their placement is not very intuitive. For instance, the hazard lights switch is placed on the roof panel and the USB ports are placed on the underside of the dashboard in the center along with a couple of bag hooks. You need to spend some time with the car to get acquainted with the controls.

Cabin Storage

Storage options at the front are limited. You do have big door pockets with multiple compartments to keep your stuff and an open storage area on the dashboard. There are also two cupholders on the sides next to the A/C vents and that’s about it. There’s no glovebox as such and no open cubbyhole of any sort to keep your phone or wallet. The rear passengers can use the seatback pockets of the front seats for storage.

Air-Conditioning

We drove the Comet EV in Delhi when the temperatures hit 35 degrees Celsius. Given the small size of the cabin, we expected it to cool quickly, but the A/C performance was just average. The blower had to be kept at level 5/9 for the cabin to be comfortable. The blower noise was pretty loud at level 5.

Features

Unique & Noteworthy Features

Given the low price point of the Comet EV, there are quite a few features on offer. You have LED headlamps with follow-me-home function, a 10.25-inch touchscreen head-unit, a 10.25-inch MID screen, keyless entry, power adjustable ORVMs, power windows, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity and indirect TPMS. The car is also equipped with MG’s i-SMART connected car features and the digital key-sharing feature. However, you do miss out on a few things like a spare wheel, rear wiper and washer, cruise control, driver seat height adjustment, automatic temperature control, a proper sound system (only 2 speakers) and decent boot space. Now, this is a budget car with limited usability, so some of you might be able to live without these things and some of you might not.

Audio System & Sound Quality

MG is offering a 10.25-inch touchscreen head-unit in the Comet. This is a good infotainment system and not some cheap touchscreen. The display is nice & crisp and it’s responsive as well. Even under direct sunlight, its visibility is fine. The layout is pretty basic, but you have plenty of options to play around with. However, while the touchscreen is great, the sound system is a letdown. You only have 2 speakers in the car and they sound absolutely flat. There’s no point in playing around with the settings too much as they are pretty basic.

Rear Passengers

Rear Seat Comfort & Space

Getting in and out of the rear seat of a 2-door car is never easy. You get a one-touch handlebar on the passenger side. The seat doesn’t tumble down, but you get enough space to get into the back. Kids and most adults won’t have much of a problem with getting in and out of the rear seats, but elderly people would rather avoid it. Just like the front, the rear seat can strictly seat only 2 passengers. My first thought after looking at the car was that I wouldn’t fit in the rear seat behind my own driving position. But, surprisingly, even at 5’10”, I had no issues. The legroom was just enough for me and for short journeys, this seat wouldn’t be a problem for adults. There are a few things though. The backrest is upright and just like the front seats, the cushioning is firm. There’s very little under-thigh support and it’s almost like being seated on a barstool. But as I said earlier, it’s not bad for short-duration trips like say an hour and a half or two. You also get an aeroplane-styled vertical window at the back which brings in plenty of light and doesn’t make you feel claustrophobic.

Boot Space

MG claims that according to one of their surveys, 70% of Indians travel solo in their cars and the boot space isn’t really that much of a priority for them. So, in the case of the Comet, there’s almost no boot space with the rear seats in place. The very little available space is taken up by the tyre puncture repair kit and the charging cable. The rear seat is split in a 50:50 ratio and can be folded as per requirements for more storage space.

[Omkar]

Driving the MG Comet EV

Powering the rear wheels of the MG Comet EV is a permanent magnet synchronous motor that puts out 41 BHP and 110 Nm:


Before we get to the driving part, let’s get some basics right. There are 3 main components in an EV – the battery, the motor, and the controller/charger. The battery is what stores the energy and the motor is what uses that energy to move the car. The controller/charger converts the energy from the battery into a usable form to power the motor. In more technical terms, the power grid from your house or a charging station is usually an AC current. The lithium-ion battery can store electric energy in DC form. So while charging, there’s an AC/DC converter that will convert the power grid's AC into DC and store it in your car’s battery. The DC fast chargers that you see usually have the AC/DC converter inbuilt, which is how they can charge your car’s battery faster. However, that option is not available on the MG Comet. You only have the option of 3.3 kW AC charging. In the case of the MG Comet, the motor is placed at the rear axle, the battery is in the middle and the controller sits at the front.

Step inside the Comet and don’t bother looking for a start/stop button. You won’t find one. Just press the brake pedal twice and the Comet is ready to drive. It’s that simple! And if you want to switch off the car, switch to N, pull the handbrake, step out, close the door, walk away, and lock the car. The car will switch off and lock itself. Super convenient! Back to where the car was ready to drive, switch to D mode and tap the accelerator to get moving. The Comet doesn’t have a creep function, so with a light foot on the accelerator, the car moves off the line smoothly. The build-up of speed is linear and without any jerks.

We got to drive around in the city of Delhi in different traffic conditions and this is where the Comet felt at home. With no gear shifts, no lag of any sort and no engine noise, the Comet felt quite comfortable and convenient to drive. The motor’s 41 BHP may seem less on paper, but when your average driving speed in the city is pretty low, the power on tap seems more than adequate. It’s not super quick off the line, but it builds speed faster than budget IC engine cars. You get a linear power delivery and the car is reasonably quick. You can easily keep up with the traffic and even execute quick overtakes when required. The compact size does mean that you might get bullied by bigger cars, but you can also squeeze through gaps with ease.

As mentioned earlier, the Comet is primarily a city car and not really meant for highways. Going over 80 km/h is something you should avoid. Remember that single-gear EVs lack punch at the top-end. The build-up of speed to 80 km/h is easy, but above that, the progress is slow. Also, given the dynamics of the car (more on this later), you won’t really want to drive this car at high speeds.

The Comet comes with 3 driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport. Driving in Eco mode felt comfortable as the dulled throttle response made the car much smoother to drive. Also, in the Eco mode, it doesn’t feel devoid of power. You still can keep up with traffic and drive comfortably. In Normal mode, the throttle response is sharper and it’s a good mode to zip around the city. The Sport mode doesn’t really change things from normal mode by a big margin. There is a noticeable difference, but you’re not making huge gains here.

Regenerative Braking

The MG Comet gets 3 levels of regenerative braking – Heavy, Normal and Light. They perform as their names suggest. At the highest level, the regeneration is quite strong and you will feel a jerk when you lift off the accelerator. I preferred having the regeneration in Normal mode as it is similar to the engine braking in IC engine cars.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

This is an area where EVs usually excel thanks to the lack of an engine, no gearshifts, and minimal mechanical parts. There are no jerks or vibrations either, but you do hear the motor whine when you floor the accelerator pedal. Tyre and wind noise also start to creep in when you are at speeds above 60 km/h.

Range

In our short media test drive, we didn’t get time to calculate a guesstimate range figure. However, as is the case with all EVs, push the car hard and you will notice the range and battery percentage falling at a rapid pace. The ARAI-certified range of the Comet EV is 230 km. While speaking with some of the MG engineers, they claimed that in their internal testing, they achieved even up to 180 km range under normal driving conditions i.e. with the air-conditioning ON. MG claims that the prismatic structure of battery cells is what helps in extracting more range from this tiny LFP battery. With varying driving styles under different conditions, a 150-160 km driving range is safe to assume. We shall wait for ownership reviews to get a better idea though.

Charging

The MG Comet EV’s battery capacity is 17.3 kWh. It’s an LFP (lithium ferro-phosphate) type lithium-ion battery. With a 3.3 kW AC home charger, the battery can be charged from 10-80% in approximately 5 hours. For 0-100% charging, the time would be approximately 7 hours. This is the only charging option available with the Comet. It doesn’t support fast AC charging, nor does it support DC fast charging. So, at the end of the day, you will have to charge it at home itself. Faster charging options should’ve been made available.

Probably the smallest bonnet in a car:


The usual car systems - washer fluid, brake fluid, AC gas pipes, auxiliary battery, etc.:


Below, you will also find the controller unit:


Type 2 charging port doesn’t support DC fast charging:

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The MG Comet has McPherson strut suspension at the front and multi-link coil suspension at the rear. No, this isn’t the sporty kind of multi-link suspension. It rides on 12-inch wheels that are shod with 145/70 section tyres. Our test car had Ceat EnergyDrive tyres which are EV-specific tyres with low rolling resistance. The recommended tyre pressure is 33 PSI at the front and 36 PSI at the rear.

Start driving and you will notice that the suspension is quite absorbent at low speeds. The suspension travel isn’t very long given that the size of the car is small, but small and medium-sized bumps are absorbed nicely. Big bumps and potholes do make themselves felt quite sharply in the cabin. Also, while driving in the city, you will feel that the short wheelbase of the car results in additional movement in the cabin. Overall though, the ride quality is comfortable for a city car. At higher speeds, you must be careful over expansion joints or random undulations as they can upset the balance of the car.

Handling & Dynamics

The Comet EV has been designed as a comfortable city car to be driven sedately. There’s no point in expecting enthusiastic handling from this hatchback. The tiny wheels and skinny tyres, high centre of gravity, soft suspension with limited travel and vague steering won’t really encourage you to push the car to its limit. You’re better off driving it like a point A to point B vehicle. Push the car hard into a corner and you will feel a bit of understeer. Keep the accelerator pinned into a corner and the rear steps out as well. All of this is scary and you wouldn’t want to push the car to that extent.

Steering

The electric power steering unit in the Comet is very user-friendly. It is super light at city speeds and easy to use. With a turning radius of barely 4.2 meters, you will rarely find yourself taking 3-point turns in this EV. While the steering weighs up as you gain speed, it still feels light at speeds above 60 km/h.

Braking

The Comet has disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. They perform well under most driving conditions and the car comes to a halt in a predictable manner. However, the tyres will play an important part in the long term as these are low-profile units. The pedal has a spongy feel to it. This feels weird at first, but you get used to it.

[Omkar]

MG Comet Exterior Images

From the front, the Comet very much looks like a box. It’s almost square-shaped and feels like a toy car. You have a few elements that give it a nice and premium look like the LED headlamps and the horizontal LED strip just below the windshield:


Even at the rear, you have a box-like design with a few nicely designed elements:


Viewed from the side, it looks quite futuristic. You have a strong shoulder line and short overhangs make it look cool:


Overall build quality of the MG Comet EV is very good for the price. Panel gaps are consistent and tight too:


Measures 2,974 mm in length, 1,505 mm in width and 1,640 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,010 mm:


Dual pod LED headlamp setup at the front:


The Comet EV doesn’t come with DRLs. Instead, you can switch on the pilot lamps and the LED strip above the MG logo lights up. The LED strip is placed in a piano black panel with a chrome border at the bottom and a thin blue strip on top:


Frameless wipers :


That's not a front camera, but a dummy. MG logo lights up every time you open the door of the car:


Bumper features a wide air dam along with turn-indicators:


No underbody protection at the front:


The designers surely got their way here. The gloss black and chrome extends from the front and merges into the ORVM quite nicely:


ORVMs come with integrated turn-indicators:


12-inch steel wheels shod with 145/70 R12 Ceat EnergyDrive tyres. Front wheels get disc brakes while…


…rear wheels get drum brakes. The wheels and tyres look too small even for a car as small as the Comet:


Given the compact size of the car, the window area is good and lets in plenty of light:


Vertical flap-type door handle with a request sensor on the top. Even the passenger side door gets a request sensor:


‘Electric’ badge on the quarter panel:


Plain roof. No shark fin antenna or even a simple wire-type antenna:


Instead, you get glass integrated antenna! See the lines on the rear windshield that look like defogger lines? They’re actually the antenna for the radio. Sadly, you don’t get a rear defogger or rear wiper. Notice the rear red horizontal LED light strip similar to the front. Even at the rear, it is surrounded by a piano black panel and gets a chrome strip below. Looks super cool in person:


Side lamps may look like tail-lamps, but they are actually stop lamps. Tailgate gets the MG logo with the staggered ‘COMET’ name below. There’s also an ‘EV’ badge on the bottom left of the tailgate which doesn’t really look good IMO:


Double LED reversing lamps. Rear fog lamp is placed on the lower part of the bumper:


Tailgate is quite big as you can see in this picture. If you have to open it, you need to take a couple of steps back to avoid it hitting you. Also, an interesting feature is that if the LED pilot lamp is ON and you open the tailgate, the brake lamps double up as pilot lamps as you can see in this picture:


While the unladen ground clearance of the Comet is 165 mm, the rear differential and motor are placed quite low. MG should’ve provided some sort of underbody protection for the motor:


Just to give you an idea of the compact size, here’s the Comet standing next to a Citroen C3:


The Comet is available in 4 body colours. We wish there were more funky colours to choose from. Our test car was finished in Aurora Silver and here’s one in Apple Green with a Starry Black roof:


This is the Candy White paint shade. You can also opt for a black roof with this:


Here’s the Comet in Starry Black paint:


MG is offering 250+ combinations of stickers, graphics and designs to make your car unique. Here’s an example of a gamer theme:

[Omkar]

MG Comet Interior Images

Light-coloured cabin with shades of white and grey. The design is clean and looks very pleasing:


Stylish two-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel gets tilt adjustment only. The adjustment range is very limited though. Design of the steering-mounted controls is inspired by the old iPods and looks fantastic. Buttons on the right spoke are the multimedia controls while those on the left are used to operate the MID. Dummy buttons on the left spoke look odd:


Frontal visibility is pretty good thanks to the tall windshield. However, the thick A-pillar does obstruct the view on the right. Small quarter glass doesn’t really help visibility:


On the left, I found that the IRVM obstructs the view quite a bit. Since the driver seat is not adjustable for height, for someone of my height (5’10”) or taller, the side view is obstructed. Also, notice the reflection of the dashboard on the windshield under direct sunlight:


Stalks are nice and sturdy and don’t feel cheap at all. Wiper controls are placed on the left stalk along with the switch for the rear fog lamp. On the right stalk are the light controls:


Driver gets a 10.25-inch screen MID display. It’s well-detailed and you get all kinds of information like range, battery percentage, selected drive mode and transmission mode. You also get a display of a Comet in the middle that shows which door is open and even shows which lights are switched on:


By pressing the arrow buttons on the left spoke you can toggle between the drive-related information like the real-time power being used in kW, voltage, current, trip, and even the motor speed:


Side A/C vents are finished in chrome and manage to look tasteful. They are placed right in front of the cupholders which will help you keep your drink cold. One of the disadvantages of having white interiors is that it gets soiled pretty easily as you can see on the cupholder of our test car:


Below, there is the headlamp leveller and electric ORVM adjustment switch. The Comet is equipped with indirect TPMS which means that the MID will indicate when the tyre pressure is below or over a set limit. After filling air, you have to press this button to reset the warning:


Further down, is the bonnet release lever which you must pull on twice. There is a kill switch button in case you want to switch the car off:


Since there are no rear doors, the front doors are pretty big. They have a good amount of heft:


Doorpad is finished in grey and you get a fabric insert around the armrest. Next to it, there is a white panel with a chrome door handle:


Big door pocket with multiple compartments for keeping different kinds of things:


Front seats are pretty basic and have integrated headrests. They’re tall, but not wide and also lack under-thigh support. Cushioning is on the firmer side and you cannot adjust the height:


Driver seat gets a metal slot to hold the seatbelt in place. It looks and feels sturdy. Check out the contrast blue stitching on the fabric upholstery:


ORVMs provide a good view of the rear. They’re just the right size – not too big, nor too small:


Visibility through the IRVM is limited. Rear seat headrests block a lot of the view:


10.25-inch touchscreen is smooth to operate and has good clarity as well:


Menus of the touchscreen are well laid out. You can see the weather updates thanks to the connected car features. Touchscreen also displays the A/C controls. Reversing camera is of average quality but gets the job done. You also get a sensor display and the adaptive guidelines:


You can access various vehicle-related settings through the touchscreen. For instance, timing for follow-me-home lamps, function of the ‘*’ button on the steering wheel button and more. You can also select drive modes and regeneration levels through the touchscreen:


There’s also an ‘N’ gear anti-touch function to avoid an accidental switch to N from D or R. The touchscreen also comes with wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay connectivity. You can also check charging details and the amount of carbon dioxide saved in a given period:


Below the touchscreen, there is a brushed silver panel that houses the central A/C vents that get a chrome border. The vents look sleek and are good to operate as well. They feel of good quality and the plastic doesn’t feel cheap. Below, you have the manual HVAC controls placed on rotary dials in a piano black panel. There’s a button labelled ‘E/S’ next to it which changes the drive modes:


Further down there are two bag hooks and a couple of USB ports:


Rotary-type transmission mode selector finished in white looks very cool. It’s pretty small in size and gets a brushed silver border. There’s no dedicated ‘P’ mode, so you will have to switch to N and pull the manual handbrake while parking:


Power window switches are placed below the gear selector. Driver window gets auto up and down while the passenger window gets only auto down:


Passenger side of the dashboard gets a nice fabric insert and an open storage space underneath:


The only cabin light is placed at the front in between the sunvisors. Notice the strange placement of the hazard light switch:


Both sunvisors get vanity mirrors with covers. Driver unit gets a ticket holder as well:


You can tilt both the front seats forward to get into the rear. Ingress & egress aren’t easy and best suited to kids and fit adults only:


Rear seats can accommodate 2 people only. You get 3-point seatbelts for both passengers. Just like the front seats, the cushioning is on the firmer side and there is very little contouring:


Here’s Rudra (5’10”) seated in the rear with the front seat pushed all the way back. He still had a couple of inches of knee room and plenty of headroom. Backrest is upright and the seat is placed low which results in a knees-up seating position and almost no under-thigh support :


Flight-like vertical windows help a lot in keeping the rear occupants from feeling claustrophobic:


The rear seats get ISOFIX child seat anchors:


With the rear seats in place, there’s almost no boot space:


The rear seats fold in a 50:50 ratio:


You don’t get a spare wheel with the Comet EV. Instead, you get a tyre puncture repair kit:


Here’s a look at the charging cable which you will have to store in the tiny boot:


You also get a first aid kit, tools and a warning triangle:


Very sleek keyfob with a brushed silver border looks awesome and truly unique:


A look at some of the customisation options to make your car unique:




Disclaimer: MG invited Team-BHP for the Comet EV test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[SulemanP]

The Tata Nano is way better looking car than MG Comet, if Tata considers bringing back Nano in EV avatar it could instantly connect with the masses..

[GTO]

I have to admit that I love this car!! I didn't expect to, but the 8-lakh price tag has a lot to do with it. The Comet EV will make for a fantastic 2nd or 3rd car of the house. If I needed a cheap local commuter, I would strongly consider one. On the other hand, as the primary car, the Tiago EV is better and it's got a 4-star safety rating as well.

The Comet will have its fans & help the MG brand overall. It'll remain a niche product and MG isn't looking at high volumes anyways.

[denzdm]

Well, yes, I guess we have to get used to quirky designs (Verna being other example) as the new batch of designers will come from younger generations. This is also one reason, we always admire / ogle at vintage cars. But, no one makes those designs anymore.

And talking about electric Nano, I recollect, Tata working on Pixel which was also displayed as a concept car in Auto Expo 2012. No doubt, if they launch it in all electric avatar (and no one uses - Poor Man's car as a moniker), then they will have a winner in this segment.

Link to Tata Pixel - https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/11377809.cms

[condor]

MG tries to step in where Reva/E2O left off. Tata which has often been a first mover in creating segment pioneers, seems to have missed the bus here. Hope they still come in with a EV version of a refreshed Nano.

[giri1.8]

Looks like a good package for city usage if one can look beyond the exterior design. Any info on hill hold assist?

[Nikhildrao]

I'm going against the popular opinion of this car and say this "the MG Comet Ev is as good as it gets for us at this price point for the next 3 years until the electric wagon R launches probably at a higher price than the MG". I think it actually look very chic and untill I see one on the road , I will reserve my judgement.

[RT13]

I friggin love it! It has all the hallmarks of a brilliant city runabout. Like a golf cart on steroids.

As a twenty-something year old I remember absolutely loathing the very idea of a Wagon R and couldn’t for the life of me understand why anyone would want an ugly box on wheels, let alone how it became Japan’s highest selling car ever. In my late twenties, my cousin who is in motorsport advised my mum to pick one up. Much to my chagrin, she did.

After driving it a couple of times I was absolutely addicted! That 2006 Wagon R, now long gone, retains a special place in my heart. It made me understand what great and thoughtful engineering and design can do to make life simpler and less stressful. And how great design is first and foremost about function. An art that I believe much of our automotive world has lost in the charge to deliver something vogueishly slick to the consumer (for which frankly we are to blame).

However you may feel about it’s aesthetics (and I personally love the quirky looks of it), I think this is going to be a fine vehicle to get about town in. I’m frankly amazed that it can even actually take 4. That is some sort of added bonus to me. Glad the reviewer has constantly reiterated how some aspects of it (such as the seat design and comfort, which look like our old Celerio’s but better, on which we did plenty of long drives) need to be viewed through the perspective of a city runabout. It is important to judge and critique this vehicle for what it is and meant to be, not by the yardsticks we use for conventional car buying. In fact that’s why I refer to it as a ‘vehicle’ not a car - because it would be mistakenly easy to dismiss it by boxing it into a category in which it doesn’t really fit. Heck, two of these could fit into a single large parking slot - think about it.

Personally, if I had a use for it, I would be all over it like white on rice. Since I don’t commute at all, it doesn’t have a place in my life, but boy do I want one anyway!

[destinykid]

Everything looks okay and decent for a city car. But limiting top speed to 80 km/h means we can't take this on to ring roads or move with fast moving traffic. I've owned a Tiago Ev for almost 6 weeks now and I can tell that it performs really great for both city and higway runs. I'd prefer a Tiago ev for all the regular car features.

[TheGearBox]

While I appreciate the premise of having an EV which is meant to be a second or third car and is meant for urban use only, why did MG have to make the styling SO quirky?
Was it not possible to design a compact EV similar to say, an MG3?



Was it in the interest of keeping the price low? Would a relatively good looking car mandatorily be priced higher, while a not-so-good looking one could be priced more economically?
Given the Comet's styling, I feel it would look more at home ferrying passengers around an airport terminal.