10 points about MG Comet EV: Exterior, interior & driving experience

In the end, I have also listed down 5 finer points that I have learnt about the electric vehicle.

BHPian Djay recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Got a chance to test out the Comet EV today. Following are my observations -

Exteriors

1. Firstly to address the elephant in the room, I like its looks. In person, it actually looks quite cute. Definitely grabs a lot of attention and multiple people were asking about it very positively during the test drive. I loved the Green and Black dual tone, which sadly only comes with the top-end Plush variant. As per the dealership SA, the base Pace variant only comes with the single tone white color.

Interiors

1. The fit and finish look good. Doors feel hefty. Everything is good to touch and looks premium. But not sure about how it will hold up or what the safety aspect is for this car. The single-touch lever to recline and move the front seats felt a little difficult to operate and the front seat was creaking on bad road surfaces. But might just be due to a lot of (ab)use for the test drive car. I would say regularly getting into the back seat might affect the overall durability of the lever.
2. The car is super compact on the outside, but surprisingly feels roomy on the inside. The ample glass area gives a very open and airy feel to the cabin (the white and light gray interiors on the higher trims help). The front seats are slightly narrow but the width and under-thigh support should be fine for people with average build for city rides. The driver seat height is not adjustable, but it's high enough to give a good view. Taller 6 feet plus people might find it a bit high. The front bonnet edges are easily visible and the small bonnet makes judging the car's dimensions super easy.
3. Getting in and out of the back seats is a bit tricky for senior citizens and is best used by youngsters and kids for short rides. The seat itself is comfortable for two. Under-thigh support is lesser but legroom is good and should be fine for city travel.
4. Reverse camera cannot be retrofitted or installed as an official accessory in the lower two variants which is a bummer. They have reverse sensors which give only audio feedback and there is no feedback on the display.

Driving the Comet EV

1. Being electric the car is super silent and the motor being at the back helps further as there is hardly any noise while driving or at standstill. The overall NVH levels in city traffic felt quite satisfactory. The car does not have a creep function, so the car does not move without accelerator input.
2. The car is a bit sluggish on Eco mode, but Normal mode is quite peppy for city speeds and city overtakes. The speed buildup is linear and predictable. It's no scorcher in Sports mode, but it's decent fun and does not feel underpowered at all in Normal or Sports mode. I did not test this on the highway, but I don't think this should be used frequently on the highway anyways. Overall with the compact dimensions and the peppy electric motor, it is surprisingly fun to drive in the city.
3. On steep inclines the car does not roll back immediately. It stays for 5-6 seconds before rolling back. Super easy for learners! No handbrake needed.
4. The suspension and ride quality felt quite absorbing. I tested on multiple speed breakers and even a few bad / unpaved road patches and the car felt quite compliant at city speeds. The ride will get harsher over bad roads at high speeds, but again it's not meant for that. It's very comfortable for broken city roads. I was a bit concerned about the low ground clearance and the motor getting hit earlier, but it managed speed breakers and undulations effortlessly. I guess the short wheelbase helps tremendously.
5. The braking was predictable and gradual and good for city drives. Did not test panic braking or sudden braking. But it should do its job fine.

Other finer points

1. There is no official accessory protective cover for the motor as of yet. I really hope MG introduces this soon as the motor is placed pretty low.
2. The dealership doesn't have any details of warranty and maintenance packages till now. The detailed terms for the 60% buyback plan are also not available with them currently.
3. The warranty on the car and motor is 3 years (except the battery being 8 years). As of now, there are no options to extend this further. I hope MG at least gives 5 years as a paid option.
4. The car comes with a standard charger with an adaptor and can be plugged into any 16A socket. They will also install a charging box with lock and surge protection free. However, the customer needs to manage the connection from the parking spot to the electric meter. Rain protection for the box is available as a paid accessory.
5. For the first 5000 bookings MG has price protection and a 1-month delivery timeline.

Overall the car is an excellent city-only vehicle, but definitely not a VFM buy at these prices. As per the dealership they have got a good response and many bookings already (70% being for the base model). Hopefully, we will get more such super compact electric cars at affordable prices in the future (Tata I am looking at you!).

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