MG Comet EV

The MG Comet is India’s smallest and most affordable electric car. With a length that measures under 3-metres, the three door EV is smaller than even the wheelbase of many big SUVs and luxury sedans.

It has no direct rivals in the country. Having spent over a year driving it in the city and using it as my personal vehicle, I can say that the MG Comet EV is a near-perfect urban mobility solution for people who don’t want the hassle of driving a big car in our ever-increasing chaotic traffic scenarios. But how does the Comet achieve that, and are there any compromises owing to its compact dimensions? Let’s find out:

People have different opinions about the way that the MG Comet looks. But what is common amongst those opinions is the term ‘quirky’, because not only are there unique elements in the design, but the entire car is rather peculiar to begin with.

For starters, it has this tall boy stance at the back but with the dimensions of a three-wheeler auto-rickshaw. Despite the compact size, it still looks plenty premium. The amount of attention that this car gets is comparable to cars costing way more. 

The nose of the car looks short in terms of length as there is no engine under the hood. A tiny panel for the bonnet meets the sleek LED light bar that spans the width of the nose. Interestingly, you can open this bonnet, but that’s only to fill water or washer fluid. Just below it is the charging port with the illuminated MG logo on it. 

The LED headlights are placed closer to the bumper and are rather chunky in their shape and size, contrary to the entire size of the car. The bumper itself is simple with a rectangular shape and wide air inlet, which is flanked by sleek LED turn indicators.

There are plenty of elements to notice in the side profile, like the boxy design, the 12-inch steel wheels with covers and the super short overhangs at the front and rear. But what stands out amongst all these quirks are the airplane-styled rear windows. This is something that I’ve never seen on any other car on sale in India, and design cues like this just add to the funky aspect of the Comet.

Styling at the rear continues to be modern and sort of matches the treatment at the front. The tailgate is flat but the elements are similar to the front with a sleek LED light bar, and chunky LED tail lights, which get similar detailing to the headlights. There’s a ‘Comet’ wordmark below the MG logo, while the ‘EV’ badge and ‘Internet Inside’ badge can be found on the left and right side of the tailgate, respectively. Personally, I’m not a fan of the badging, and would probably get it removed if I purchased the Comet.

If the design itself wasn’t funky enough, MG has made sure to catch people’s attention with the colours on offer. There are three simple monotone shades: Candy White, Aurora Silver, and Starry Black. Moreover, MG offers different pre-made style packs with the Comet that make use of different stickers and graphics that make the car look more even animated than it already is. 

If you want, you can also customize these packs with over 250 different permutations and combinations of stickers and graphics. And as cool as they might sound and look, they might be a bit over the top in the real world, and that’s probably why nobody in my circle has ever spotted a Comet sporting these Style Packs.

Apart from these style packs, MG also offers a BlackStorm edition for the Comet, which introduces an all-black exterior treatment contrasted by red inserts all over. 

Overall, there is no car in the market that looks like the MG Comet. It looks cute, quirky and funky, all at the same time. Despite its price, it still looks premium and upmarket.

Design and Quality

The Comet offers a fairly premium experience inside the cabin. The dashboard is simple with a dual tone Space Grey theme which looks sophisticated and feels airy. The Blackstorm edition gets black leatherette upholstery with red stitching, which looks much sportier to the sophisticated standard seats of the Comet. Only the top variant of the standard Comet gets leatherette seats.

I like that MG has offered physical rotary knobs for climate control. But if there is a particular element that stands out in the entire cabin, it is the drive selector. Not only does it look nice, but it also has a rather tactile feel to it, which makes the experience of using it premium.

Another thing that impresses is the fit and finish of the plastics. There is a soft touch pad on the left side of the dashboard and overall, the finish of the white plastic, silver finish and the chrome is quite premium. Even the AC vents have a nice heft to them, and all of these elements combine together to make the cabin feel like it belongs in a car that costs around Rs 15 lakh. Only the light colour of the seats are hard to maintain and pick up dust and grime spots very easily.

Front Seats

Getting in and out of the Comet is easy, provided that you have the space around the car outside. The doors are huge, and the seats are positioned a little ahead than they are in a regular vehicle. As a result, if you’ve parked the car in a tight space (which you tend to do with its compact size), you can’t really squeeze your way out of the gap, because it is not big enough. 

The front seats, though a bit narrow, are comfortable for city journeys. But there isn’t adequate underthigh support because the seat base is too short, and fatigue kicks in on slightly longer journeys.

Passengers up to 6 feet will not complain about headroom. Any taller and it will start to feel like a squeeze. And because the car is not that wide, you sit closer to the passenger than you would in a regular four door vehicle. If both the occupants are really broad, they can touch shoulders as well.

The driver’s seat does not get height-adjust, and you only get tilt adjustment for the steering wheel. So people up to 5’10” won’t find an issue getting a comfortable driving position, but it could be better for taller passengers. The dashboard itself is rather low, making you feel like you’re sitting high up, and the large windscreen and windows also help with overall visibility, which lends the driver confidence.

Rear Seats

Reaching the rear seats of the Comet does take some effort, as there is no dedicated door for entry. But once you get inside after folding the passenger seats, the knee and legroom are ample for average-sized adults. Again, up to 6 feet tall passengers will not complain about space, but yes, the under-thigh support is lacking for longer trips.

There’s not much in terms of rear seat amenities as the Comet doesn’t offer a rear AC vents or central armrest. Even the headrests are fixed, but you do get three-point seatbelts.

Storage & Practicality

The MG Comet falls a little short in terms of practicality. You get door pockets which can be used for storing 1-litre bottles and other stuff like your cleaning cloth or sunglass cover. It’s even big enough to store a laptop sleeve, which is nice.

There are two cupholders placed right in front of the AC vents, which isn’t exactly ideal. It’s great if you’re having a cold beverage, but your hot drinks won’t stay hot for long if you’re using the air conditioning. 

Moving on, there’s a long slab just below the dashboard, which can be used for keeping your devices, wallets and stuff. You get two hooks (0.5kg payload) for your loose bags, but their placement isn’t ideal as the bags tend to swing while driving and constantly hit your leg, which gets annoying after a point. Rear passengers don’t get any storage spot whatsoever.

Charging options

In terms of charging, the Comet gets 3 USB type ports, one of them on the base of the IRVM (for dashcams) and a 12 V socket as well. There are no Type-C ports, which is a surprise because the Comet is otherwise sorted when it comes to its features list.

Features

For a small car, the Comet’s dual 10.25-inch digital screen setup puts some bigger cars to shame. The main infotainment unit is smooth to use. The response times aren’t immediate, but there is no real lag either. The user interface isn’t the most attractive to look at, but there are no issues from a functionality standpoint. Plus, it gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which is always nice. I just wish it had a dedicated physical volume knob or button though, because the only way the passenger can control the volume is via the screen, which isn’t ideal.

The driver’s instrument cluster is good too. The graphics are crisp and while you can only change the drive information, and there are no different themes and layouts to play with, the car model is very detailed. All the different lights (pilot, high beam, low beam), doors, indicators and boot ajar are shown and the information is large and clean. 

The top variant of the Comet packs a 4-speaker setup, which offers a sub standard experience. You won’t have an issue in regular usage, but if you’re in the mood for some loud music, you will miss the crispness from the system.

Other features include power windows with one-touch up/down (driver), manual AC, rear camera, manual day/night IRVM, passive keyless entry, electrically adjustable ORVM and an electronic boot release.

The MG Comet comes standard with ABS with EBD, dual airbags, a tyre pressure warning system and ISOFIX child seat mounts. Rear disc brakes, electronic parking brake, electronic stability program and hill hold control are offered in the top-spec variant.

There are no crash test reports available for the India-spec MG Comet. 

With the rear seats up, the Comet offers almost negligible boot space, which is enough to squeeze in the charger box and the puncture repair kit only. However, fold the seats flat and you can use the passenger space to even accommodate large suitcases easily. The seat even splits 50:50, adding to the practicality. So while it is practical enough to go shopping, picking up someone from the airport can be tricky if there are more than two people in the car.

The MG Comet gets a single 17.3kWh battery pack, which is paired to a 42PS / 110Nm electric motor. It sends the power to rear-wheels only. 

MG claims a range of 230km on single charge, but you can expect a range of 180km in the real world. There is no option of DC-fast charging with the Comet, only 3.3kW and 7.4kW AC chargers (FC variants only). 

The 3.3kW charger takes 7 hours to charge from 0-100 percent, while the 7.4kW charger takes 3.5 hours.

City Performance

The MG Comet feels like a toy to drive in the city. The combination of its compact size and instant power from the electric motor means you can cut through traffic like a hot knife through butter and find those small gaps in the city effortlessly. 

It feels peppy to drive and the acceleration feels strong from 20-40kmph or even 60kmph. So all city overtakes are an easy affair. MG also added the crawl function in the Comet in a recent update, which makes it easy to use in bumper to bumper traffic as well. There are three drive modes -- Eco, Normal and Sport – which don’t make much difference, but the best part is that even the Eco mode is usable in the city. 

There are three regen modes too -- Light, Normal, and Heavy, which do make a difference. In heavy mode, the regen feels like engine braking but remains smooth. Normal and Light regen modes are perfectly fine for regular city usage.

Highway Performance

You can take the MG Comet out on a highway, but its useability is strictly limited, not just in terms of the range but also its performance. It is strictly a city car first, and then anything else. As a result, the acceleration is acceptable up to 60kmph, but starts to taper down significantly post that. It also tops out at 105kmph, which further affects its usability on expressways with a speed limit of 120kmph.

I have done Mumbai to Pune roadtrips in the Comet, so it isn’t like you can’t use it on the highways. But don’t expect it to make any overtakes. It is fine for cruising at a relaxed pace at speeds of 70-90kmph.

Overall, the Comet’s performance is fit for the purpose that the vehicle is made for  – to offer an easy and effortless drive in the city. You won’t have any issues whatsoever within the city limits, and if need be, you can also take it on a highway with the provision that you take things in a relaxed manner.

Ride Comfort

The Comet rides on small 12-inch wheels and suspension travel is limited. It’s alright on the smaller bumps and speedbreakers. In fact, it is as comfortable as a regular hatchback. But the bigger bumps are felt in the cabin if you don’t slow down enough, and the passengers at the rear will feel more of the jolts. There is significant side-to-side motion of the body as well, which will be an issue for you if you have a lot of bad or broken roads around your house. This feels like the only real let down as a city commuter.  

Ride comfort isn’t great on the highway either. It does remain planted at higher speeds and handles any undulations well, but you will feel constant vertical movement if the surface isn’t smooth, like it usually is with concrete roads. It doesn’t like going over expansion joints either, and keeps you alert over the rumble strips as the car starts to move around.

Handling

The steering weight is the lightest of any car I’ve driven to date. Anything else after the Comet feels like a workout for the arms. You’ll love this steering trait in the city and it helps you place the car anywhere with ease. But you would want more weight and control on the highway.

Quick lane changes can get a bit scary if you’re a new driver, and it can feel twitchy if a really big lorry passes you by at high speeds. However, given that the Comet is meant to be driven within city limits, this shouldn’t be a big issue.

• The MG Comet is available in three broad variants: Executive, Excite and Exclusive.

• The FC variants of the Excite and Exclusive trims get 7.4kW fast AC charging compatibility. 

• The Blackstorm edition builds on the top-spec Exclusive variant 

Comet Executive

• Base variant only misses out on premium lighting elements. Gets halogen head and tail lights, illuminated MG logo, 12-inch steel wheels with covers, and LED turn indicators on the ORVMs.

• Gets Carbon Black and Light Warm Grey dual tone theme with fabric upholstery, chrome on inside door handles and 50:50 rear seat split.

• Top features include keyless entry, powered windows, manual AC, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, steering mounted controls, and 3 slow USB charging ports with a 12V socket.

• No infotainment unit, but gets a basic system for bluetooth and handsfree calling with 2-speakers, and a 7-inch digital driver’s display. 

• Standard safety kit includes dual airbags, ABS with EBD, ISOFIX mounts, manual day/night IRVM, tyre pressure warning system, rear parking sensors, and LED rear fog lamp.

Comet Excite

• Looks exactly like the top-spec variant with a full front and back LED lighting setup, including the head and tail lights and the connected light bars. The turn indicator has been integrated in the LED DRL.

• New light grey dual tone theme and better feel with a leatherette wrapped steering wheel and fabric-like door trims.

• Feature highlights include driver and co-driver vanity mirror, electrically folding outside mirrors, three fast charging USB ports, and connected car technology.

• Packs a 10.25-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay, along with a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display.

• The reverse parking camera is the only addition in the safety kit.

Comet Exclusive

• More rich cabin with leatherette upholstery.

• Top feature additions include driver window auto up, tilt steering adjust and digital key sharing function.

• Improved infotainment package with 4 speakers.

• Bolstered safety kit with features like an electronic parking brake, rear disc brake, electronic stability control (ESC), and hill hold assist.

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• The mid-spec Excite variant offers the best value with its balance of functional and creature comforts. It doesn’t miss out on anything in particular which you would need in your daily drives. The Excite FC variant can be opted in case you want the option of fast home charging.

The MG Comet can not be your only car. But as a second or even a third car, which will primarily fulfill city duties – be it dropping the kids to school, making a quick grocery run, or even taking your small family for dinner to a nearby spot – there is no other car that will do it as easily as the Comet. Its compact dimensions give new drivers a lot of confidence, and it does all of that while looking chic on the outside and premium on the inside. Only if its ride quality was a little more city-friendly, it would’ve been the perfect solution for India’s dreaded traffic. 

Other Cars To Consider Instead Of The MG Comet

Tata Tiago EV

Reasons to consider

• Bigger car offers more space

• Better ride comfort

• Bigger battery offers more range

• More usable performance for highway commutes

• Better boot space

Reasons to ignore

• Bigger car, defeats the Comet’s purpose of stress-free urban mobility

• More expensive

• Design looks simple in comparison