MG IM5

All-new electric Tesla Model 3 rival comes with a lofty specification and a competitive price On sale September Price from £39,450

- WILL NIGHTINGALE

GLANCE AT THE vital statistics of the new MG IM5 and you might assume you're researching a super-expensive rival to the Porsche Taycan. Up to 742bhp. A range of 441 miles. Faster charging than any other electric vehicle (EV) on sale. But no: this is an executive car that costs about the same as its closest rival, the Tesla Model 3.

There are three versions to choose from. The Standard Range has a 73.5kWh (usable capacity) battery and an official range of 304 miles. That's a few miles down on the entry-level Model 3 and Polestar 2, but still plenty for most buyers.

Upgrading to the Long Range gets you a bigger, 96.5kWh battery and that whopping 441-mile official range. That's farther than any Model 3 can manage on a charge and makes the IM5 one of the longest-range EVs you can buy.

Even more impressive is how quickly the IM5 can recharge. The Long Range and Performance versions can accept up to 396kW of power, for a 10-80% top-up in as little as 17 minutes. Even the Taycan can manage 'only' 320kW. The Standard Range's 153kW maximum means it'll take at least 26 minutes for the same top-up.

With two electric motors and four-wheel drive, the 742bhp Performance can launch from 0-62mph in just 3.2sec. Such savage acceleration makes this range-topping IM5 quicker than some versions of the Taycan, although you do pay for that with a less spectacular official range of 357 miles.