MG Comet EV Long Term Report: Nothing Vanilla About It

Let me begin with a confession, I am not a fan of EVs. Yes, there you go. So far, I have lived most of my motoring life driving and riding internal combustion vehicles (not a fan of calling them ‘ICE’ either), and I thoroughly enjoy them. But, I don’t think I can say that any more. The reason? It’s all because of the MG Comet EV that has been my long-termer for a little over a month now. Before being handed the keys to the Comet, I had given many reasons to avoid it, but now, I find all the possible excuses to not let anyone have it. Yes, that is what this EV has done to me. But, truth be told, I have fallen so much in love with it, that I find it hard not to complement the Comet EV every time I take it out.

Got Charge?

I have come to realise that the experience of living with an EV is incomplete if you don’t have a dedicated charging plug. And it is all the more important if the EV does not support fast charging, which is the case with this Comet. So, I had all the questions from searching for charging stations, which again is a task, since the Comet comes with an AC Type 2 port (2024 model year supports AC fast charging), the availability of charging guns is limited. Secondly, the duration it takes to charge the 17.3 kWh battery pack, which is anywhere from six to eight hours from a low battery charge. All of that became irrelevant after I had a 15A household plug-point installed in my garage.

Lucky me, since the meter room in my building is near my parking spot, the expense incurred was only a little above Rs 3000 (material + labour). Since then, I haven’t been worried about range and charging options. At the end of the day, on returning home with a very low charge left, all I have to do is plug the car, and the following day, I have a fully charged Comet ready to go. This literally solves one of biggest problems of owning an EV in a city like Mumbai!

Also Read: MG Comet EV Finally Gets Fast Charging

Genie’s Lamp

The Comet EV shorter in length than the Tata Nano, but still magically accommodates four medium-sized adults, and that too comfortably. Yes, even I found it hard to believe at first until my folks and friends got into the rear seats. And what was better, that I never heard anyone complain about being claustrophobic, or not having enough legroom. Also, the large rear windows, albeit fixed, lets in a tonne of light giving the passengers a feeling similar to that of sitting in the window seat of an airliner. Also, the proportion of glass to metal and the smart design of the Comet’s interiors offer lots of cabin space for a small car. Yes, the under-thigh support is limited but not a major deal-breaker in my opinion.

Speaking of cabin, yes, it is a pain to keep the all-white interior clean, but it feels very upmarket and premium every time you get in. From the premium plastic parts to the textured fabric inserts, to the leatherette wrapped steering wheel, everything is of top quality. What elevated the experience further is the wide dual screen central display - one used for instrumentation, and the other for the infotainment unit. And yes, you do get wireless Android Auto and CarPlay as well. In addition to that, I found the functioning of the unit (with CarPlay) to be crisp, prompt and glitch-free.

Feature Party

To be frank, I never expected the Comet EV to be this loaded with features for the tiny thing it is. The list is quite extensive and will leave you surprised. And I have the top-spec variant of the Comet EV, which gets all the bells and whistles. Starting from the outside, you get superbly good LED headlights that are bright and offer a good spread, lighting up the road well. Next, the resolution of the rear camera is excellent and you also get guiding lines that move according to the position of the steering wheel.

Getting inside is also effortless thanks to keyless entry. The large doors open nice and wide and the door pockets have enough storage space keep up to 6 bottles. Staring the car is also effortless. Depress the brake pedal twice, ignition turns on, turn the drive dial to D, release the hand brake, and off you go.

Also Read: MG Comet Long Term Review: What’s It Like To Live With The Little EV

Next, you get all sorts of features like hill-hold assist (for five seconds), TPMS, seatbelt warning for all four passengers, steering-mounted controls, 3-second turn indicator function, electrically adjustable OVRMs, LED interior lighting, two hooks for hanging a small bag/pouch and two USB-A charging ports, located under the dashboard and oodles of legroom with a flat floor. Also, if the steering is turned to either side, and once you start driving, self-centres which is visually and practically quite cool.

Well, there is a lot more on the Comet EV that I am excited to write about, but I shall keep it for the next report that’ll focus on the drive experience, handling, brakes and manoeuvrability of this EV. Until then, always buckle up and drive safe, but do have fun.

LOGGING OUT

MG Comet EV Plush

Odometer: 2327 km

Kilometres driven: 1,087 km

Living with: Janak

Price: Rs 8.58 lakh, ex-showroom