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MG Comet EV is as small as a .zip file. We try to explore its true potential in the urban jungle of Delhi.
Story: Joshua Varghese
Photography: Apurva Ambep
In a developing country as populous as ours, space is becoming an everyday luxury item. The roads have been widened to ease congestion but are now back to full traffic as the number of vehicles traveling on them has also increased. The average speed sometimes drops from 60 km/h to 60 m/h and parking is also a nightmare. In such a situation, size matters. The MG Comet EV is a two-door, four-seater, all-electric compact car that’s just the right size to tackle the chaos of the urban jungle and we drive it in one of India’s densest jungles: Delhi.
The MG Comet EV is unlike anything we have in the Indian car market right now, but it is not an entirely new car. MG’s parent company SAIC also owns Chinese automaker Wuling and Comet EV is basically a rebranded Wuling Air EV. Regardless, the first thing anyone will notice about this car is how small it is. This MG is less than 10 feet long and less than five feet wide with a shape reminiscent of the Japanese Where car; on tiny 12-inch wheels only adds to that sentiment. The Comet EV doesn’t get a functional hood and the shape of the front end is more akin to a van than a car. The daytime running light strip sits across the width of the front just above the charging port and the LED headlamps are positioned above the bumper. Just as the windshield dominates most of the front, the doors dominate the car’s rather austere profile. I also appreciate how MG extended the chrome strip from the daytime running lights to the mirrors, completing the shoulder line. Airplane-style windows for the second row form the rest of the side view of the car. Meanwhile, the tail section of the car features a large area of glass that meets the beautiful rear end, completing the overall somewhat playful shape.
While its exterior may not be to everyone’s taste, the MG Comet EV has been given a very tasteful interior. What impressed me the most was how cleverly they used the available space to offer two rows of seats wrapped in two-tone upholstery. Even though he is quite tall, I was able to find a comfortable driving position where most of the controls were within reach. However, the placement of the mirrors is a bit odd. This significantly obstructed my field of view to the left of the car and took some getting used to. I hope MG finds a solution for that soon. Getting in and out of the rear of the cab is easily managed with a lever in the front seat. This slides and reclines the seats forward, exposing ample room to climb up to the second row. Even with the driver’s seat pushed back, I was quite comfortable there, much like how I would be in an economy airline seat. The fixed rectangular windows further add to that viewing angle but the seats are good enough for two adults a short distance. Initially, boot volume may not be that impressive, but a quick pull of a few tabs folds the rear seats flat, revealing more usable space that’s almost as good as a regular-sized car and certainly enough for urban use.
Infotainment is one of MG’s USPs and that also applies to Comet. The floating console on the dashboard offers two 10.25-inch screens; one is a touchscreen unit while the other is an LCD offering information without clutter or confusion. The former offers Android Auto and the very convenient wireless Apple CarPlay, features missing in more expensive cars. Apart from that, it also supports more than 55 connected car features including digital keys that can be shared between two people. The steering wheel is a nice two-spoke unit wrapped in faux leather and features buttons reminiscent of the first iPod but some of which seem to lack any function. Despite the small storage space around the cabin, it’s surprising there’s no glove box.
A permanent synchronous motor is placed at the rear to drive the rear wheels while producing 42 hp of power and 110 Nm of usable torque. Power comes from a 17.3 kWh lithium-ion battery located on the floor of the MG Comet EV. It uses an on-board 3.3 kW charger and MG claims it can recharge from 0-100 percent in seven hours while 80 percent is done in five hours. They also claim that this car will cover a distance of 230 km on a single charge.
To validate all this, I used the knob on the center console to select the drive and joined the traffic bound for Old Delhi. It’s impossible to ignore how small this car is once we hit the road. Occupying slightly more space than two motorbikes side by side, the MG Comet is in its element on the busy streets of Delhi. While the bigger cars needed to wait for a gap to change lanes, the Comet needed only half the room and had completed the overtake before anyone the wiser. With a low center of gravity, rear-wheel drive and positive, responsive steering, this little car is as much fun to drive as it is easy. For sections where the maximum possible speed is between 40-50 km/h, Eco mode is just right. There is enough power to overtake quickly without spending precious money. For quicker rides Normal mode is highly recommended and for even quicker rides Sport is the mode you need. In my experience, Eco and Normal are the only things that are needed in the city because this compact car is more comfortable to drive at 60-70 km/h than going at 90-100 km/h. Meanwhile, the top speed is electronically limited to 104 km/h. More than enough for a small city car, huh? Based on my brief driving experience in Delhi, I estimate the real life range to be around 180 km. Not bad at all.
Given that this car has very small wheels, there was some preconceptions about its ride quality, but the MG Comet EV really surprised me. It relies on MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup at the rear for suspension and those setups work well for urban conditions. For its size, this car offers a supple and impressive ride quality most of the time, keeping its occupants comfortable. Only huge bumps and huge potholes shook incredible self-confidence. In corners, it reaches 80 km/h which is its comfort zone. Above that speed, the calm wanes but not to the point of being a deal breaker. The braking is regulated by a disc at the front and a drum unit at the rear and does a good job of slowing the car down. That said, slowing down hard from top speed would have been a bit tricky were it not for the ABS and EBD intervening at just the right time.
As well as the high-strength steel body, other safety features include dual front airbags, and ISOFIX child seat anchors at the rear. Apart from that, MG India ensures that the battery has gone through many tough tests to ensure its safety under various conditions.
All of this can be yours for an introductory price of Rs 7.98 lakh (ex-showroom). At first, that may seem like a lot for a small two-door car and it should be, but what we have to admit is it is much more than that. I’m sure the MG Comet EV will convince most people with its ease of parking and driving, especially in crowded cities. Other than that, it’s not far from bigger cars in terms of cabin experience. So, if you want a small car to get around town with the comfort and convenience of a regular car, then this is what you need. There may be other cars close to that price range, but none quite as compact as the Comet EV.
Watch the full video review here:
Also read: Hyundai Verna First Drive Review
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