MG Motors UK sold 13,838 cars in the first quarter of 2022 - more than 124 per cent up on the same period last year.

Sales of its pure electric models were up by a healthy 40 per cent.

Which is where the MG5 EV Long Range comes in.

It debuted in summer 2021 and offers a range of up to 250 miles - a significant increase on the original MG 5 EV, which made its debut in 2018, with over 100,000 sold in global markets since 2018. MG claims rises to 334 miles if the car is used solely for urban driving.

One of the reasons why many EVs are SUVs is because 0f their ability to accommodate battery packs and additional motors within the footprint of a relatively small car, which results in a ‘body on top' stance.

The MG5 bucks that trend, its innovative battery layout allowing it to have more of a conventional stance. As such it is unique in being a spacious and practical, no-nonsense family estate producing absolutely no emissions.

Admittedly, it's not as good looking as its ZS EV stablemate - a traditional SUV - but it delivers on what matters most - plenty of space, good levels of standard equipment, a very usable range and low running costs.

It is powered by a 115kW electric motor, with a 61.1kWh Lithium-Ion battery pack that can be charged from zero to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes using a 100kw rapid charger or 61 minutes on a 50kW charger. A 100 per cent overnight charge takes around 9.5 hours on a domestic home charger supply.

As with most electric cars that have a single motor, the MG5 uses a single-speed fixed gear to send drive to the front wheels. There are a number of driving modes, including an Eco setting which prioritises mileage, and there's even a racy-sounding F1-inspired KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) button to increase regenerative braking.

The Sport mode will hurt the amount of electric mileage you get but it will stun most boy racers away from the traffic lights!

There are just two trim specifications available for the MG5 - Excite and Exclusive - and both come with plenty of kit as standard.

The Excite arrives with 16-inch alloys, remote entry with push-button start, a simple-to-use eight-inch colour touchscreen, satnav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, DAB radio and Bluetooth, aircon, electric windows, electrically-adjustable mirrors, cruise control and rear parking sensors.

The Exclusive adds little luxuries such as heated seats - the driver's seat has six-way electric adjustment - leather-style upholstery, automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, roof rails, keyless go and extra USB ports.

With the rear seats up there is 578 litres of boot space, but drop the 60:40 folding seat back and this increases to an ample 1,456 litres.

That luggage capacity is not to the detriment of passenger space with rear seat passengers very well catered for with ample head room and plenty of legroom, even when seated behind a tall driver.

The original MG 5 EV came with a serious arrangement of active and passive safety systems but the long range model's extra selling point is that it comes with MG's Pilot Driver Assistance System, a comprehensive suite of driver assist technologies which offers a selection of warning and alert features to assist the driver, including active emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, high beam assist and intelligent speed limit assist.

This MG, of course, is not designed to be a sports car but, with the batteries low down in the car, it handles nicely, though you wouldn't want to rush through the sharpest corners. That said, it is quite nippy, the steering is reasonably well weighted and on the major roads it's comfortable and remarkably quiet.