The second-generation compact sedan has received an even more aggressive look; it will be shown live at the end of August at the Chengdu Auto Show.
Since 2005, the British brand MG has belonged to the Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC. In 2009, it switched from the British models it inherited to cars developed in China — mass-produced, inexpensive, and ordinary. The first-generation Chinese MG 5 debuted in 2011 and was produced until 2018 inclusive in sedan and hatchback bodies.
In 2020, the current second-generation MG 5 was presented with a rather aggressive appearance and a fastback body (sedan with a sloping stern) — by that time, SAIC management was already ready to return the MG brand to its former sporty luster and thereby slightly improve its image. In 2022, the MG 5 received a “charged” version of the Scorpio with the most powerful 181-horsepower 1.5-liter gasoline turbo engine in the range and an even more “evil” appearance.
Pre-styling MG 5 second generation 1/4 
Pre-styling MG 5 second generation 2/4 
Pre-styling MG 5 second generation 3/4 
Pre-styling MG 5 second generation 4/4
At the beginning of its career, the «second» MG 5 was a solid mid-range model on the Chinese market, but this year its sales have been falling: in June alone, they fell by 38.3% (compared to sales in June 2023) to 2,270 units. Restyling, as usual, should return consumer interest to the model — the updated sedan will be shown at the Chengdu Auto Show, which opens on August 30, and today the first photographs have been published, allowing you to evaluate the changes in the appearance of the «five».
Updated second-generation MG 5
As can be seen from the photos, with the update, the MG 5 received a wider radiator grille with strictly vertical bars instead of the previous zigzag «web», the emblem moved from the grille up to the edge in front of the hood, the shape of the side squiggles of the front bumper was changed. The rear bumper received more developed black sections around the fake exhaust pipes, and these sections themselves are fake ventilation grids. The design of the wheel rims was updated — they are now almost the same as those of the flagship sports car MG Cyberster, but smaller. The overall length has increased from 4685 mm to 4715 mm, the other key dimensions have not changed: width — 1842 mm, height — 1473 mm, wheelbase — 2680 mm.
Updated MG 5 second generation
The photos show a powerful version of the 300TGI with a 1.5-liter gasoline turbo engine (181 hp, 285 Nm) and a 7-speed «robot» with two clutches. The MG 5 has only front-wheel drive. Nothing is known about other power plants of the restyled sedan yet, but most likely, the junior versions with a 1.5-liter gasoline «aspirated» (129 hp 158 Nm), which comes with a 5-speed manual or CVT, will remain in service. It is also not yet known whether the Scorpio version will remain in the range.
In Russia, the pre-restyling MG 5 has recently been sold by the importer OOO «MG Motor Rus», through which the updated sedan will obviously also arrive on our market. Meanwhile, another Russian importer, Mir-Distributor LLC, sells a completely different MG 5: it is also a compact sedan, which is a rebadged pre-restyling Roewe i5. It so happened that in a number of export markets, SAIC sells Roewe models under the MG brand, but in our country, due to the presence of two completely unrelated importers, we have a hodgepodge.
The original MG 5 is also exported, for example, to Australia, where it failed crash tests last year. I wonder if the sedan's safety will improve after the restyling?