MG Comet EV first drive review: Tiny car with twinkling dreams

₹6.99 - 8.58 Lakhs*
*Ex-showroom price
3.5 out of 5
Pros
  • Compact dimensions
  • Upmarket cabin
  • Over 200 kms of claimed range
Cons
  • Quirky styling
  • Negligible cargo space
  • High-speed drive traits
The MG Comet is priced as the most-affordable electric car in India. But beyond its pricing, is the latest from MG Motor India a practical solution to
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MG Motor India is ready with its second all-electric offering after the ZS EV. This time, it is a much smaller electric car and the Comet EV promises to be a viable urban mobility option.
The MG Comet EV is the smallest EV in India at present and is a two-door, four-seat vehicle. It is available in two dual-tone and three single-tone colour options while MG is also offering a host of graphic stickers to choose from.
The Comet EV design is highlighted by a light bar and split headlight units on the face. It stands on 12-inch steel wheels.
The charging socket is located just under the light bar.
The Comet EV has a boxy design with large windows for those in the front, fixed vertical windows for those at rear and a straight C-Pillar portion.
The rear of the Comet EV is highlighted by a stretched LED light bar and twin tail light units. The overall design is quite quirky and will take time to get used to.
The cabin of MG Comet EV is clean and relatively upmarket, complete with grey upholstery, two 12.25-inch display screens, steering-mounted controls and plenty of storage options even though there is no dashboard.
Space is at a premium at the back and entry is courtesy a slide and tumble function on the front passenger seat. There is hardly any boot space to speak about but the rear seats do fold in a split format.
The MG Comet EV has a 17.3 kWh battery pack and a single, rear-axle mounted motor. It offers 41 hp and 110 Nm of torque. The steering is light and the EV has three drive modes to choose from.
A relatively high ground clearance helps Comet EV sail over most speed breakers and at moderate speeds, it can be a delight to move this car through congested roads. A turning radius of just 4.2 meters helps too while the top speed is limited to 100 kmph.
MG Comet EV has a claimed range of around 230 kms and it can be charged to full in up to seven hours. Priced at <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>7.98 lakh (introductory and ex-showroom), it is now the country's most-affordable EV. But it will take more than competetive pricing to make this a common sight on Indian roads.
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MG Comet EV has a very quirky design and its small footprint is likely to divide opionions.
MG Motor India is ready with its second all-electric offering after the ZS EV. This time, it is a much smaller electric car and the Comet EV promises to be a viable urban mobility option.
1/11
MG Motor India is ready with its second all-electric offering after the ZS EV. This time, it is a much smaller electric car and the Comet EV promises to be a viable urban mobility option.
The MG Comet EV is the smallest EV in India at present and is a two-door, four-seat vehicle. It is available in two dual-tone and three single-tone colour options while MG is also offering a host of graphic stickers to choose from.
2/11
The MG Comet EV is the smallest EV in India at present and is a two-door, four-seat vehicle. It is available in two dual-tone and three single-tone colour options while MG is also offering a host of graphic stickers to choose from.
The Comet EV design is highlighted by a light bar and split headlight units on the face. It stands on 12-inch steel wheels.
3/11
The Comet EV design is highlighted by a light bar and split headlight units on the face. It stands on 12-inch steel wheels.
The charging socket is located just under the light bar.
4/11
The charging socket is located just under the light bar.
The Comet EV has a boxy design with large windows for those in the front, fixed vertical windows for those at rear and a straight C-Pillar portion.
5/11
The Comet EV has a boxy design with large windows for those in the front, fixed vertical windows for those at rear and a straight C-Pillar portion.
The rear of the Comet EV is highlighted by a stretched LED light bar and twin tail light units. The overall design is quite quirky and will take time to get used to.
6/11
The rear of the Comet EV is highlighted by a stretched LED light bar and twin tail light units. The overall design is quite quirky and will take time to get used to.
The cabin of MG Comet EV is clean and relatively upmarket, complete with grey upholstery, two 12.25-inch display screens, steering-mounted controls and plenty of storage options even though there is no dashboard.
7/11
The cabin of MG Comet EV is clean and relatively upmarket, complete with grey upholstery, two 12.25-inch display screens, steering-mounted controls and plenty of storage options even though there is no dashboard.
Space is at a premium at the back and entry is courtesy a slide and tumble function on the front passenger seat. There is hardly any boot space to speak about but the rear seats do fold in a split format.
8/11
Space is at a premium at the back and entry is courtesy a slide and tumble function on the front passenger seat. There is hardly any boot space to speak about but the rear seats do fold in a split format.
The MG Comet EV has a 17.3 kWh battery pack and a single, rear-axle mounted motor. It offers 41 hp and 110 Nm of torque. The steering is light and the EV has three drive modes to choose from.
9/11
The MG Comet EV has a 17.3 kWh battery pack and a single, rear-axle mounted motor. It offers 41 hp and 110 Nm of torque. The steering is light and the EV has three drive modes to choose from.
A relatively high ground clearance helps Comet EV sail over most speed breakers and at moderate speeds, it can be a delight to move this car through congested roads. A turning radius of just 4.2 meters helps too while the top speed is limited to 100 kmph.
10/11
A relatively high ground clearance helps Comet EV sail over most speed breakers and at moderate speeds, it can be a delight to move this car through congested roads. A turning radius of just 4.2 meters helps too while the top speed is limited to 100 kmph.
MG Comet EV has a claimed range of around 230 kms and it can be charged to full in up to seven hours. Priced at <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>7.98 lakh (introductory and ex-showroom), it is now the country's most-affordable EV. But it will take more than competetive pricing to make this a common sight on Indian roads.
11/11
MG Comet EV has a claimed range of around 230 kms and it can be charged to full in up to seven hours. Priced at 7.98 lakh (introductory and ex-showroom), it is now the country's most-affordable EV. But it will take more than competetive pricing to make this a common sight on Indian roads.

MG Comet EV is like no other electric vehicle on Indian roads. In fact, it is like no other car here, if it can be referred to as one. A two-door, four-seat mobility option, the Comet EV may have a very small footprint but it is carrying the weight of massive ambitions for a company that is just four years old in India but also one that is doubling its EV portfolio.

MG Motor India has the experience of an all-electric vehicle in the country - the ZS EV was launched as its second India product back in 2020. But the incoming Comet EV is nothing like its elder sibling even if it has boisterous ambitions to follow in its footprints. For starters, it is one of the smallest passenger vehicles in India. It has a much smaller battery pack and its claimed range makes it suitable only for urban commutes for most parts. Don't expect whirlwind performance from it either even though the cabin and feature list does seem impressive.

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We received the MG Comet EV on a fine April morning to take a closer look at all of its promises and highlights. Here is the first full drive review of MG Comet EV:

Watch: MG Comet EV: First Drive Review

MG Comet EV: Pocket-sized punter

Comet EV
Comet EV stands on 12-inch steel wheels.
Comet EV
Comet EV stands on 12-inch steel wheels.

MG is gambling big time with an EV like Comet. Before we take a deeper dive into its performance and features, it is important to highlight that this here is an EV that will divide opinions big time owing to its dimensions as well as design. Being the smallest EV in the market is likely to help its 'urban mobility' credentials and yet, there is no real road presence to boast of.

MG Comet EV - Dimensions (mm) 
  
Length2,974
Width (exclusing mirrors)1,505
Height1,640
Wheelbase2,010

The boxy shape of the Comet EV will take a whole lot of getting used to but there are some decent styling elements like dual-set front LED head light units, a stretched LED light bar on the face, a similar light bar on the boot door and 12-inch steel wheels. The Comet EV may be extremely quirky but its design is sure not boring. Additionally, MG will offer the EV in three single-tone shades - Black, Silver and White, and in two dual-tone options - Green with Black roof and White with Black roof. If that is not all, potential customers can also slap on graphics from a wide range of options. With a young car-buying audience being clearly targeted, the Comet EV does go a fair distance in establishing itself as astoundingly unique.

Comet EV
A look at the rear profile of MG Comet EV.
Comet EV
A look at the rear profile of MG Comet EV.

MG Comet EV: Clean, clever cabin. But claustrophobic

The Comet EV packs in four seats in its cabin but to expect acres of space inside it would be blasphemous. Instead, this here could be perfect for a family of four with two kids packed at the back. Getting into those back seats isn't quite easy although the front passenger seat folds and slides without much effort. And because there is negligible cargo space, the split-folding back seats are not a starry highlight as much as a downright necessity.

Comet EV
A look at the rear seats inside Comet EV.
Comet EV
A look at the rear seats inside Comet EV.

The cabin, however, does benefit from an upmarket feel with decent fit and finish all around. The dual-tone Grey interiors look great even if these can be a bit hard to maintain. There are two 10.25-inch screens and the infotainment display even packs in a host of features like support for Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and other third-party apps. The two-spoke steering wheel too has been designed aesthetically with i-Pod inspired controls mounted on it.

Comet EV
Comet EV has a clean dashboard design, highlighted by the floating screens for infotainment and driver display.
Comet EV
Comet EV has a clean dashboard design, highlighted by the floating screens for infotainment and driver display.

The Comet EV offers large windows on the front side and this does help offset some of the cramped-up feeling inside. There are airline-like vertical window panes for back-seat passengers and these are fixed. There are clever storage options on the dashboard and on the doors but there is no dashboard in the EV.

MG Comet EV: Twist and turn around traffic

Electric cars almost always underline their respective performance credentials. Not Comet EV. It doesn't. It ought not to. At its core is a 17.3 kWh battery pack and a single, rear-axle mounted motor for a power output of 41 hp and torque of 110 Nm. The Comet EV won't win drag races but it isn't meant to.

Instead, here is a jaunty little EV that struts around traffic with the enthusiasm of youth - unperturbed by judgemental stares. Its small proportions make it a breeze to swerve in and out of traffic, helped generously by a light steering and a lighter pedal set up. And while the default Economy drive mode should be quite adequate for daily runs, the Normal and Sport mode help it gain some punch.

Comet EV
Comet EV is energetic in heavy traffic but on open stretches, it lacks the power to thrill.
Comet EV
Comet EV is energetic in heavy traffic but on open stretches, it lacks the power to thrill.

But its best not to get overly excited with the Comet EV on open roads because it doesn't quite have the reassuring high-speed traits, especially around winding stretches. At over 90 kmph, the sheer light weight of the vehicle goes from being its big strength to its big chink. We managed to max out the vehicle at 106 kmph even though the official top speed of the Comet is set at 100 kmph.

The Comet EV, however, is not going to be doing such ‘stunts’ very often and within city limits - complete with a claimed range of around 230 kms - should be content doing the daily runs. A high ground clearance helps it tackle speed breakers well and gives the driver a good view of the surroundings.

MG Comet EV: Verdict

The MG Comet EV is a head-turner for sure. The reasons may wary though. Some would find it a practical option for daily commutes with the advantage of zero emissions and lower running costs. Others may just be put down by its design and dimensions.

The Comet EV is perfectly suited for the urban nuclear family which already has at least one other vehicle in the garage. It will be restricted to big metropolitan cities and will take quite a lot of getting used to. While it could potentially rival the likes of Tata Tiago EV and Citroen eC3, its main adversary would be the perception around two-door vehicles in the country.

First Published Date: 27 Apr 2023, 11:56 AM IST
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