Yup, we finally got around to it. The MG Comet EV has been out for a couple of months now and we had been meaning to drive it, but somehow that was not happening. Then, finally we did. There are a number of reasons why we were keen. For one, we find small cars interesting from the packaging angle since they still have to fit more or less the same number of people that bigger cars do. Then there is the small footprint and nimbleness, and, therefore, the convenience of using one in congested cities that we wanted to check out. Third, being an EV it is clean and cheap to use. Finally, it is the cheapest electric car in India now. So, we were really curious.

The car comes with various designs that liven up the simple and boxy looks. Abhijit Mitra

THE EXTERIORS

Before the Teslas and Pininfarina Battistas of the world hit the road, this is what we typically expected electric vehicles to look like, essentially, to make it known to the world on sight that it is not the usual vehicle. It’s tiny at under 3m long and 1.5m wide, but it’s kind of tallish. Well, you need to fit ?????a people in the car in their entirety, so something’s got to give. It uses two light strips going across the width of the car front and back to break up the surfaces and camouflage some of that height, but it just about works partially.

Room for luggage is almost nil if the rear seats are up. Abhijit Mitra

There are some odd features too, like the sealed glass area beside the rear seat that’s longer than the front windows. But detailing is quite good, in things like the front LED headlamps and the tail lamps as well as on the flanks. There is a tiny bonnet if you like up front, but apart from topping up some fluids, there’s not much reason to open it.

A cover with the MG logo that light up houses the charging port behind it. And this we found a little odd, there is no provision for 50kW or higher DC fast chargers to plug into the car. MG says most people charge their cars at home, but that doesn’t sound like a good enough reason to miss out on a fast-charging port.

Ingress to the rear seat is only from the left but not too difficult, but legroom is tight. Abhijit Mitra

There are many kinds of decals, as well as a bunch of solid and two-tone colours that the EV comes in. It also runs on 12-inch wheels.

The key fob has an almost iPodlike feel Abhijit Mitra

THE INTEIORS

Once inside, even though this is a small car, one doesn’t feel cooped up, thanks to the large glass area all around the light colour scheme of the interior. Most of the switch and controller design appears to have been inspired by Apple products, starting from the controllers on the steering wheel to the key fob. There is the white grey and matt silver mix that continues throughout. Oddly, there’s not a covered glove box although there are cubby holes to keep your stuff.

The interior is light and airy and quite a pleasant place to be in. Abhijit Mitra

Controls are simple and straightforward, but with few switches and most of the settings moved to the infotainment touchscreen, things can get a little fiddly to do on the move. Abhijit Mitra

The seating is high and upright and we would have liked a bit more cushioning on them but for short city runs they work fine. Ingress to the rear seats is okay if one’s not doing this all the time. MG says most people commute alone, and that is possibly the profile that they are targeting. There are a couple of bag hooks and USB ports should one need them. Also, we were a little surprised by the presence of the tyre pressure monitoring system.

There is no provision for 50KW fast chargers. Abhijit Mitra

The Comet has a tyre pressure monitoring system that we weren’t expecting. Abhijit Mitra

Engine is cut off with a switch placed below the dashboard. Abhijit Mitra

ON THE ROAD

Being an electric and an automatic, the Comet performs well in city traffic and while its performance isn’t, well, electric, like we have come to expect from EVs, it does what it is designed to do pretty well, that is give a fairly low-stress commute even in bumper-to-bumper city traffic. However, with a tallish stance, short wheelbase of just about 2m and 12-inch tyres, road imperfections do come though. If most of the driving will be done on bad roads, this may not be the best option. Going faster isn’t terribly confidence inspiring, given the proportions, but then the opportunity to do so in the city is quite limited anyway. Going by the car’s own range measure, it should do around 200km on a full charge, and the charging will have to be done at home.

The rear is functional and plain. Abhijit Mitra

THE CALL

This car caters to a very specific kind of user, one who mostly drives alone, would find a city runabout convenient to use because of traffic congestion and tight parking, and lives somewhere with reasonably good roads. It is probably quite convenient as a second car in the family. And in that capacity, could serve the purpose quite well. Prices are Rs 7.98lakh, 9.28lakh and 9.98lakh. That might prove a bit steep for many.

Abhijit Mitra