We drove the Comet EV for a few hundred kilometres to find out its real-world usability
MG’s newest electric car for the Indian market is like no other EV around. MG Comet EV is unconventional with its dimensions, design and cabin experience. You could even feel it to be a little ‘unfamiliar’ with its driving dynamics. Here are more impressions from our detailed road test.
Table of Contents
Design And Dimensions
The Comet looks almost like a cube. It has tiny proportions and an unmistakably boxy silhouette. Looks more like someone chopped off the hood and boot of a sedan. All that remains is the cabin. The Comet, in fact, also holds the title of being India’s smallest car! Below are the exact dimensions :
| Length | 2,974 mm |
| Width | 1,505 mm |
| Height | 1,640 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,010 mm |
The proportions and design contribute a lot to improving the practicality and usability of the Comet. The overall length of under 3 meters and the tiny wheelbase make the Comet EV extremely easy to manoeuvre in the city and tight traffic scenarios.
The design as such, is quite polarising. The unconventional shape could trigger a minor share of potential customers. However, it is far from being bad or ugly. Key design highlights include full-width LED light bars, 12-inch wheels, Chrome accents, printed antenna, and all-LED lighting.
The LED headlamps need appreciation. These could be small in size but offer great illumination at night with good throws and beam intensities.
The charging port is located at the front, with the charger gate bearing a manufacturer logo that lights up, when the EV is plugged in.
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MG Comet Interior Space And Liveability
While you might feel this car to be compromised on the inside courtesy of its proportions, the Comet’s cabin is not too congested or cramped. The GSEV skateboard platform that it is built on, allows the wheels to be pushed to the corners, generating ample room on the inside.
The manufacturer and we would jointly agree on it not being a four-seater family car for all geographies. This EV sure comes with 4 seats, but the overall ride quality and livability at the rear are not the best for long-distance runs.
Space at the rear is not very compromised. The rear room might not be as generous as what the front seats offer. However, a 6ft tall person can be accommodated there. Rear seat’s thigh support is inadequate. Tall people would have to be seated there with a weird angle to their knees.
The glass house on this car contributes a lot to imparting a sense of roominess inside. The fair-sized rear quarter glass doesn’t let the occupants feel claustrophobic.
The front seats are well-cushioned and offer ample occupant comfort. There are generous leg, knee and head rooms at the front. The boot doesn’t offer more room than, to store the charger and puncture repair kit. MG Comet EV is to be considered an urban commute solution for two, and most of the things inside, underline just the same.
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Features
One of the major advantages that Comet has over its competition is the array of tech and features it packs. Even the base variant comes with decent kit levels. The top-of-the-line variant (Plush) gets a handful of features.
The car gets two large screens integrated neatly into a single-pane housing. The 10.25-inch touchscreen now gets a better UI and UX, and comes with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto. The interface is fast and responsive. This unit now uses Jio eSIM to enable connected car features. The 4-speaker audio system delivers decent audio quality.
The second screen is an all-digital instrument cluster that delivers all essential driver information, speedo, odo and data about the EV powertrain. The downside, however, is that key information like driving mode or regen level is not easily readable.
Drive Impressions
MG Comet EV comes with a 17.3kWh prismatic cell Li-ion battery pack sourced from Tata Motors. The Comet’s electric motor produces 42 hp and 110 Nm. These feel decent in real driving conditions, but will not deliver the sudden, exciting acceleration one would normally associate with EVs. Driving around in the city feels sweet, while highway runs would make you long for more powertrain outputs. You can do speeds of around 80 kph with this EV, but getting to those is never quick.
The tall stance of the Comet has an impact on its handling and high-speed manners. It feels best to drive around at low to medium speeds. The suspension is set firm and together with the tiny tyres, would unsettle the occupants on broken patches and high-set speed breakers. These undulations are worst had at the rear.
Driving faster could drain your confidence, as the top-heavy design, short proportions and narrow tyres make the car nervous.
This car also demands you to take some time getting used to it and the way it drives, and probably to rewire your brain and logic accordingly.
City Driving And Convenience
The urbanscapes is where the Comet EV belongs to. Negotiating tight city traffic with this is easy and comfortable. The vehicle has a turning radius of 4.2 meters and a whole 360 turn would require 8.4 meters. The steering feels light and easy and offers just enough feel and feedback for an urban mobility gadget. Parking is easy as well.
Range Test
MG Comet can be charged via a home charger alone. There is no DC fast charging support. It takes 7 hours for a full charge via a 3.3kW charger, while 0-80% can be done in 5.5 hours. Comet EV is certified to have an MIDC range of 230 kilometres per charge. During our test span, we recorded up to 180 kilometres per charge, with mixed driver behaviours.
MG Comet Disadvantages: 8 Things To Not Like About It
- The driver seat doesn’t get height adjustment. This could be a concern for tall occupants.
- Storage is limited inside the cabin. There is no proper glove box offered.
- The rear seat has a slightly upright angle to it.
- There is no spare tyre offered. All you get is a puncture repair kit.
- Readability issues for driver information display.
- There’s no automatic climate control, auto headlamps
- Reaching the USB ports can be cumbersome
- Impractical boot capacity.
5 Things We Loved About MG Comet EV
- MG Comet EV doesn’t feel like an ‘affordable’ EV with its material quality and interior design.
- Good build quality.
- Powerful LED headlamps.
- Great manoeuvrability and convenience in city runs.
- Packed with tech and features.
Variants And Pricing
The Comet EV comes in three variants/trim lines: Pace, Play and Plush. At 7.98 lakh (ex-sh), the base spec Pace variant sits comfortably below the rival. However, it doesn’t fall behind much in the tech it packs. The top-spec stands rich in features and has an appealing cabin design. Pricing and variant placement are both to be appreciated.
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