WHEN I think of MG it brings back memories of the sporty MGB GT and Midget models that graced our roads back in the 60s and 70s.

These days, the company is far more modern in its approach and is tackling the electrification issues facing the industry head on.

And the perfect example of that is the MG5 - a fully electric car with estate body styling and a combined range of up to 250 miles between charges.

With space inside for five adults to sit comfortably and a boot capacity to swallow bundles of kit, the MG5 EV is a versatile model with plenty of appeal.

Our high-end Exclusive model, with Long Range delivering 250-miles between charges, was priced at £28,995 after the Government plug-in car grant had been deducted. It was powered by a 61.1kWh battery delivering 156PS and 192Nm of torque. There is a model powered by a smaller 52kWh battery with a lower driving range limit of 214 miles.

When it comes to performance, our car was fast out the starting blocks with a 0-60mph sprint time of 7.3 seconds and top speed of 115mph.

The five-door model looks smart from any approach with its stretched body, roof rails, chrome window surrounds, sweeping light clusters and neat 16-inch alloy wheels.

The interior is spacious with a powered driver's seat, a flat-bottom leather-clad steering wheel, heated seats, MG mats, lots of soft-touch surfaces and leather-type upholstery.

There is plenty of on-board tech to explore, including full smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, a DAB radio, air conditioning with filter, an eight-inch touchscreen and seven-inch driver information display.

Acceleration through the single speed automatic transmission is nice and responsive and there are drive modes called Eco, Normal and Sport to alter the car's behaviour. Energy is captured during braking and there are three levels of regeneration braking to flick through.

On motorways, the front-wheel drive MG5 EV cruised effortlessly at 70mph, and with good all-round visibility, a rearview camera along with fairly light steering, city centre driving is easy too.

Due to its silent running, outside sounds such as tyre rumble and wind noise become more noticeable at higher speeds, but generally the cabin remains pretty refined. And most bumps and dips are smoothed out by the efficient suspension set-up too.

Behind the MG badge on the front grille is where the charge point is located and the car's battery can be boosted to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes via a rapid charger. It takes 61 minutes using a 50kW charge point or 9.5 hours for a full charge on a 7kW home wallbox.

A trio of back seat passengers can sit comfortably inside the MG5 EV and the boot can hold 464 litres of luggage - a limit that increases to 1,456 litres with the split-folding rears seats dropped flat. In addition, bits and pieces can be stored in the glovebox, door bins, seat back pockets, cubby box, trays plus there are front and rear cup holders too.

As one would expect these days, the car features a wealth of safety kit, including a number of driver assistance aids such as active emergency braking with pedestrian and cycle detection, lane keep assist with lane departure warning system, intelligent speed limit assist, intelligent high beam assist and traffic jam assist.

When you also consider the seven-year warranty that MG offers, the MG5 EV is quite the complete package. There are more dynamic and better styled electric models out there, but for its competitive price-tag, this car is certainly worth exploring.

£31,495,£28,995 with PiCG

156ps, 115kW electric motor with 61kWh battery and automatic transmission

115mph

7.3 seconds

250 miles

27

0g/km

1%

7yrs/80,000 miles