India is a developing country where villages are turning into small towns, towns into small cities, and cities here are densely populated with humans and their vehicles. In a world where the preferred body type is an SUV, MG Motors decided to launch India’s smallest car on sale in this time and era of electric mobility. Let’s get this straight, this is a freaking small car in dimensions, and to me, that is cute. This car with a different persona is sold in global markets, but India gets a cool name, Comet. Over 1.1M units of the GSEV platform cars have been sold and are running on international roads. If you’ve ever witnessed a comet in real life or through pictures, comets usually leave a long-lasting impression through trails, time and space. MG’s small electric Comet is no different.
There are tens of thousands of reasons to believe this three-door car is small from the outside and inside. After all, we end up trusting what we see, but sometimes illusions are termed magic! MG has played a fantastic illusion with the Comet. The car is definitely small in dimensions from the outside but surprisingly adequate for up to four passengers, all thanks to the clever three-large-door design, light-reflecting materials inside the cabin, large window panes albeit without the space to store anything more than a backpack at its non-existent boot. MG aims to cater this car for city roundabouts towards an audience willing to customise their vehicle as per their own identity. Let’s get real, Indian laws are against customisations unless provided by the manufacturer, and we end up in a crowd of similar-looking cars dominated by the colour white or a few handfuls of colours and maybe some weird decals. MG plans to offer ten unique themed packages over and above the colour of choice and individual customisations if you want to paint your electric canvas. Small EVs make sense but lack the feature list, power, range, etc., to justify their slight premium. This car rewires your brain and forces you to unlearn.
Verdict - MG Comet leaves a trail of smiles
MG Comet is mighty impressive as a small package. Expected to launch competitively with over 70% production handled in India, this car might undercut the INR 10L price point. It makes an excellent small car with smaller driving expenses and pleasures. It’s like one of those quality earphones that sometimes feel louder, richer and fuller than speakers when experienced in your own space. MG offers a five-year battery warranty with an additional two years as an optional add-on. The Comet feels unlike any other car; it’s like an electric go-kart with AC and creature comforts. The size is so small they could not give a space saver. Instead, you get a tire puncture kit with an air compressor in a neat pouch. It’s a great illusion of compactness, ample space and features galore with drive modes and zippy drive-through traffic. In a world where bigger is perceived better, MG Comet brings the phrase to life - Good things come in small packages.
Surprisingly peppy, easy and comfortable
The Comet seats all passengers a tad higher than most hatchbacks on our roads. This could be thanks to the GSEV platform. This modular platform might see more body types revealed eventually with time. The Comet, with a large windshield upfront and massive windows on the doors, makes the car feel more spacious from the driving seat. The seats themselves are well-cushioned, soft for daily use, and adequate to size some large humans on the front seats. The rear seat space is satisfactory, but passenger under-thigh support at the rear is not. The lighter colours, sense of light through large glass and soft touch fabric make the cabin feel roomier, especially during the day. The iPod-inspired steering controls and the large leatherette steering wheel are a refreshing change from the sophisticated steerings in most other vehicles from its price bracket.
The cool-looking drive selector knob is snappy to operate, unlike some competitors. MG cleverly integrated recuperation and drive modes in a single button denoted by E/S. A single press on the button switches between three modes - Eco, Normal and Sports, neatly displayed on the colourful MID. Long press the same button to switch between three regenerative braking modes - Light, Normal, and Heavy. The steering wheel response is similar irrespective of the modes one chooses, and the modes only affect throttle responses. Starting the car requires a double tap on the brake pedal and switches off only via the key lock. Too Gen-z for you?
MG did not reveal the exact specs of the PSM powering Comet apart from some numerics revealing 44HP and 110Nm of power and torque figures. We assume these numbers to be the Sports mode figures, and considering that I could lift the chassis with my bare hands, this car packs an impressive power-to-weight ratio. It may give a tall small boy stance, but the centre of gravity makes driving this car feel a whole lot more fun than its limited top speed of 100km/h. The power delivery is linear but progressive enough, while the throttle takes a good half a second before it realises you want that motor rpm spinning. It’s similar to driving a smaller CC vehicle. You got to engage more to extract more. The shorter wheelbase and smaller 145/70 R12 tyres are designed with EVs in mind and have remarkable silence even at their top speed, but they do require some practice to get a hang on. At 4.2 meters, this car feels like it rotates on an axis while taking a U-turn!
It’s nimble, easy to drive, easy to operate and surprisingly fun when engaged in some spirited city drives. The size allows you to squeeze through city traffic, and that radical design almost demands as much attention as a luxury full-size SUV! The steering wheel has a nice balance and is large enough not to feel fatigued daily. The regenerative braking is felt especially in Normal and Heavy modes, while the Light mode allows those specialised wheels to roll on for quite a while, depending on the Comet’s momentum. Surprisingly, the Comet feels snappy even in Eco mode and progresses to impressive speeds in Normal and Sports mode. The suspension setup is well-balanced to tackle terrible road conditions and clear any speed breaker. Build speeds of 70+km/h and, taking turns, introduce significant body roll. The brake performance is adequate for the size of the car, but braking does not introduce significant gains to recuperation modes, which could be better; maybe the next OTA update?
The BMS showcased a 196km range at 98% and followed it through the day with some spirited city sprints and an hour of traffic drive showcasing 60Kms DTE left after about 120+ km drive. This is impressive considering the company claims 230 Kms, which some might exceed with the 17.3Kwh Lithium ion IP67 rated battery pack. The only downside is the limitation to AC charging, again limited to 3.3Kw charge speeds. That’s 0-100% in about 7 hours and 10-80% in 4-5 hours. MG provides a wall box, cable for the Comet, alongwith cable for 16A sockets.
An illusion of space and modern design
Open the large doors, which almost open at a right angle, allowing excellent ingress and egress for all passengers. It’s surprising how large these doors are in comparison to the size of this vehicle. They also house twice as much storage space as conventional 4-door hatches with lovely soft-touch fabric in white and grey tones housing puny speakers. Folding the seats on either side of the car with an intuitive pull and push mechanism on the tensioned handles under the seat is possible. The co-driver seat has a self-rolling mechanism, allowing rear passengers to move independently when departing. The rear space is fascinatingly adequate for two adults, with individual 3-point seat belts and ISO fixes child locks at the rear. The front seats are tall, and the visibility of the rear passengers is limited to glass panes on either side. These are deep at the rear and broad at the front, perfect for adding passenger visibility and light to the cabin. Rear seats can be folded in a split configuration to add some luggage space in case all seats are not occupied.
Front seats have integrated headrests, and the overall upholstery is fabric finished with ample cushioning on all seats for a short commute. Longer commutes are best suited for front seats. The dash is clean and houses cup holders on extreme ends, just about blocking the cool-styled AC vents, keeping your drinks cool as a trade. HVAC controls are rotary knobs and feel well-built with a glossy black finish and chrome accents. The centre console features one of the most satisfying hand brake levers to operate in terms of texture and sturdy feel. The window controls are also on the centre console and are neatly finished with one of the coolest drive selectors on a small car ever. The texture and graphics around the knob, satisfying turn movements, and the platform allowing this centre console to end near the seats liberate ample space up front for a couple to play around with each other’s feet.
The steering wheel is Apple inspired with a minimalistic but sensible approach and looks like the best steering wheel in MG’s arsenal in India. I wish it had paddle shifters, aka recuperation mode toggle shifters. Here’s an idea for the next iteration of Comet! It’s sizeable and can be adjusted for height. The dual-tone finish with white buttons and accents looks neat but dead buttons, and only one customisable button is a downer. MG includes 100+ voice commands, including regional languages, for easy access on the steering wheel. Dominating the dashboard are two large screens, 10+ inch wide displays with crisp resolution. Just like the car, MG allows tonnes of customisation with themes, welcome lights, speed limits and more with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and sizeable widgets, to say the least. Connected car tech offerings from MG are immeasurable in the feature list. The touch response on the central infotainment system is good. The driver’s MID features a neat 3D Comet in the middle with ample information on the modes, drive, charge, regeneration, DTE and dynamic indications. The colours are subtle and neatly laid out for easy information. Built-in 4G SIM assures roadside assistance and OTA updates to improve the features of the Comet over time. Both the sun shades have vanity mirrors, and the cabin light is a soft but bright white light ample for the Comet. It misses out on the glove box and wireless charging but features USB A sockets under the dashboard, and some neat space management features make it intuitive. Overall, the interior space is satisfactory for up to four passengers, and the use of whites, multiple tones, and textures finished in light grey makes the cabin seem even more spacious. PS - Replace the speakers with a decent pair as per your budget. The ones included by MG are only to exist and fill in the blanks. Gen-Z will be disappointed by the audio performance.
Function over form, cute nonetheless
Three-door cars have always been a style statement. Despite the sheer dimensions of this vehicle, the attention it grabs on roads is surreal. The car dimensions are a surprise at 2974mm long, 1505mm wide and 1640mm tall with a 2010mm wheelbase. LED strips dominate the front and rear design, adding a nice futuristic element to the squared-off design. A nice chrome strip runs from one ORVM to the other, adding a sense of illusion to the fascia and making it appear larger than it actually is. The ORVM integrated turn indicators are joystick adjustable, complemented with an all-LED lamp setup and turn indicators on the front bumper. LEDs up front and rear are used as design elements to add character, with a charging shutter featuring an illuminated MG logo acting as the nose only when the Comet is being charged. The front also houses a blue strip, which runs parallel to the front DRL, irrespective of the Comet's colour.
The rear houses a typical Internet Inside badge alongside MG, Comet and EV badges. It’s the neatest section of the car. The side profile is dominated by large doors with vertical chrome door handles sitting flush alongside the sizeable rear window glass pane cut deep for more illumination. The smaller wheel sizes suit the overall car dimension. This quirky design houses a rear camera and parking sensor with dynamic park assist lines on the extensive infotainment system. MG offers many optional accessories, and we recommend the additional roof storage unit for more oomph and added practicality.
PSM - 44hp 110nm
Battery - 17.3kwh Li-ion with 230kms range
AC charging - 3.3kw charge capabilities
7 hours 0-100%
5 hours 10-80%
Drive modes - Eco, Normal, Sports
Regenerative braking - Light, Normal, Heavy
Price - Starting from INR 7.8L onwards
