2026 MG IM5 Performance Review: Does MG's Flagship Live Up to Its Name?

Naming car variants is a tricky business. It sets expectations, which is why so many cars wear nondescript alphabet soup like GXL and VTi-R. Put Performance on the back, however, and there isn't a lot of ambiguity.

This brings us to the flagship MG IM5, which is dubbed, funnily enough, the Performance. A glance at the spec sheet suggests it is aptly named, with a 572kW/800Nm dual-motor electric powertrain offering 0-100km/h acceleration of just 3.2sec.

However, there is more to performance than just straight-line prowess and it's fair to expect some level of handling ability, which is where other similarly named cars have fallen down previously.

But before we get to that, let's deal with what the MG IM5 Performance is. It's a large sedan/hatch in the same vein as a Porsche Panamera, being around 100mm shorter in length, 25mm in width and 50mm taller.

Feeding those crazy powerful motors is a 100kWh NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) battery pack for a range of 575km WLTP. This can be charged at 11kW AC, but the 800v architecture allows for 396kW DC charging and MG claims a 30-80 per cent top-up takes a little over 15 minutes.

There is genuine chassis sophistication here. The front suspension is double wishbone, the rear is multi-link, there's all-wheel steering and the Performance includes air springs and continuously controlled dampers as standard, along with 20-inch wheels wearing Pirelli P Zero tyres (245/40 front; 275/35 rear).

The features list is also extraordinary, to the point where it's difficult to know where to start. Heated and ventilated front seats are power adjustable (12-way driver, six-way passenger), the steering wheel is heated and there's dual-zone climate control. In the rear the outboard rear seats are heated, the backrest is reclinable up to six degrees and all three seats have ISOFIX and top tethers.

In addition, the panoramic glass roof is double-glazed, the side glass is laminated, there are 256 colours of ambient light to choose from, there's a front storage compartment that can be heated or cooled and the stereo has 20 (!) speakers.

When it comes to tech, a massive 26.3-inch widescreen display dominates the dash including wireless smartphone mirroring, FM/DAB+ radio, a digital video recorder, 4G and app connectivity, while another 10.5-inch central touchscreen handles essentially every vehicle function. All this is handled by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

How Safe is the MG IM5 Performance?

It's no surprise the IM5 wears a five-star ANCAP rating, as in addition to every conceivable active safety assist, there are 12 ultrasonic sensors, nine HD cameras, three millimetre-wave radars, a positioning unit and an inertial measurement unit. The only way its movements could be under greater surveillance is if it was being tagged by the CIA.

This allowed it to record scores of 89 per cent for adult occupant protection, 91 per cent for child occupant protection, 85 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 79 per cent for safety assist.

But where the IM5 really impresses is in the driving. Not so much day-to-day, though there is little wrong with it aside from truly terrible rearward vision courtesy of a tiny back window. You can activate the rear camera at the touch of a button on the steering wheel, but it's still not ideal.

It's generally quiet and refined with a decent ride, though you can hear the suspension working beneath you over bumps occasionally. The power is delivered smoothly, the steering is accurate with reasonable (and adjustable) weighting and the whole thing just, well, works in a fuss-free manner.

The active safety systems are overbearing and intrusive, but they are easily turned off via the centre console display at the start of each journey. In fact, this central display quickly becomes second nature to use to the point that physical buttons would be no easier, especially when you consider the incredible array of functions the screen controls.

In typical driving more than 500km of range is easily achievable, in fact, it could almost be viewed as a minimum if you're not too heavy with the throttle. However, it's what happens when you are heavy with the throttle that sets the IM5 apart.

First things first, it is almost uncomfortably fast. The instant response pummels you back into the seat with unrelenting force but, remarkably – and unlike many ultra-fast EVs – the rest of the car is up to the task.

The steering remains accurate and consistent, there's impressive grip and traction, even in the wet conditions encountered during testing, the brakes just about hang in there and the IM5 Performance can be driven quickly with confidence.

It's not the last word in finesse and feedback – and driving it without electronic aids would be potentially hair-raising – but for the type of car it is, this would be an entirely unreasonable expectation and it's much more than a mere point-and-shoot blunt instrument.

You might notice that we haven't mentioned the price yet, so you might be wondering how much this brutally fast, impressively resolved, spacious and feature-packaged premium electric car costs.

At launch it was $80,990 drive away, but this has now been cut to $74,990 no more to pay, which is a value proposition that is hard to get your head around. Colours other than white – blue, black, grey and beige – cost an extra $1000 and a beige interior is another $990, but that's it in terms of options.

There are shortcomings. The interior is quite overwhelmingly grey and the fake leather feels exactly that, though the price tag nullifies this, while storage space is slightly underwhelming. The 472-litre boot is impressively useful, fitting two large suitcases with ease for a family holiday, but there's no underfloor storage and the 'frunk' is a minuscule 18 litres.

Subjectively, it's also not the prettiest thing and there's no real character to it, either, it earned my respect but no real affection. However, others may feel differently and in objective terms the IM5 Performance is a remarkable car in terms of metal for the money.