MG Comet EV Long Term Report: 2,500 Km Driven

The Comet EV has switched hands, been driven for another 1000 km, and its purpose has become a lot clearer

The MG Comet EV has been with us for a while now, and two months ago it switched hands. Since then, this small quirky car has been driven for another 1000 km, mostly in the city, a lot of times in heavy traffic, and while there are a lot of things that make it a perfect city commuter, some aspects might have been a little exaggerated.

Size DOES Matter

JCB For Scale

Yes, the Comet EV is a very small car, barely bigger than a rickshaw. This size plays a big role in your daily drives. For a car which is essentially a city commuter, the compact form factor comes into play when you’re spending your time driving to and from work, or when you are going out for your daily chores.

It can easily navigate through city roads, it can fit in narrow streets if you want to take a shortcut to avoid traffic, and it does not need a lot of parking space. In the last 2 months, parking is the one thing which has never been an issue. The space which is used to park two bikes is enough for the Comet.

But, don’t think for a second that you won’t get stuck in traffic. Even in short commutes from office to home, I’ve found myself stuck in traffic multiple times. It is small, but it is still a car, and needs space to navigate though bumper to bumper traffic, especially in densely populated areas or during peak hours.

Overall, it is better in the city than any other compact car in the market and you will save a lot of time while driving, and you’ll also enjoy its performance while you’re at it.

Quick In The City

Being an electric car, the Comet has a quick acceleration that can take you by surprise if you’re not used to EVs. When you start the Comet, there is no crawl once you put it in drive, and this requires you to press the accelerator to move. Since there is no crawl, you’ll get a sudden acceleration once you press the accelerator, which can be a little scary.

But once you do get used to it, the drives will be fun. Its electric motor makes just 42 PS and 110 Nm, but the electric powertrain, with a rear-wheel-drive setup, makes the Comet exciting to drive. Driving inside the city is effortless, going to 60 kmph takes no time, and even at those speeds, there is still enough power to perform overtakes. Also, being a rear-wheel-drive EV, you can have some fun in corners.

Enough Range

And this performance comes with a claimed range of 230 km, which in the rear-world is about 180 km. This range is sufficient for your city drives, and can get you through the week if your commutes are mainly home to office and back. 

And even if you need to charge it more than once a week, it won’t be very expensive. Since it only supports AC charging, you’ll only charge it either at home or at your office, and depending on the price of electricity in that area, you’ll only be spending Rs 1 - 2 per km. 

But, while AC charging is affordable, it is also time consuming, and the option of DC fast charging would have been helpful. It does not feel like a very big miss, but it would have been a nice addition, and it would have made the Comet slightly more convenient.

Issues: Small & Big

This comes from the 2-month experience. There are a few things in the Comet which might feel a little irritating, and there are a few things that could have been executed better. Let’s start with the small issues.

Blind Spot: This can be an issue for a taller person. When driving, the IRVM is at eye level, and it creates a blind spot when taking a left turn.

Huge Doors: Half the length of the Comet is the door. You can park this car in tight spaces, but getting in and out of the Comet in those tight spaces is difficult because the doors take a lot of space, and it defeats the purpose of its compact form factor in certain situations.

Front Seatbelts: This is a test of your flexibility. Due to the size of the doors, the gap between the seatback and seatbelt is much more than it should be. The front passengers have to stretch their arms far back to grab the seatbelt, which can become irritating.

Now, let’s get to some big issues, which if they were executed correctly, would have made the driving experience of the Comet EV much better.

Seats: The seats of the Comet, specially the front ones, could have been better. There is less underthigh support, but the bigger issue is support, which these seats lack. When on bad roads, these seats can’t hold you properly, causing you to move around a lot.

Ride Quality: This is another major miss, which can have an impact on your buying decision. A car which is meant to be driven mainly in the city, which most of the time involves broken patches, should have had a smoother and much nicer ride quality. While driving the Comet, you will feel every bump and deformation of the road, the drive will be a little jerky, and this will result in discomfort.

The experience with the Comet EV has been positive till now, and this car has a lot of potential. It has a lot of pros and a lot of cons as well, which we will discuss in a much more detailed report towards the end of its term. 

Positives: Compact Form Factor, Performance, Range, Features

Negatives: Front Seats, Ride Comfort, Long Charging Time

Date When Received: January 2, 2024

Kilometres When Received: 30 km

Kilometres Till Now: 2575 km