MG S6 EV vs Smart #5

The Smart #5 costs £1,805 more than the MG S6 EV. For that premium it adds 70 kW more power and a 2.3s quicker 0-62mph time. The MG S6 EV is not just cheaper - it also offers 41 miles more WLTP range and lower energy use, 166 versus 185 Wh/km. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MG S6 EV comes out ahead overall.

The MG S6 EV is £1,805 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £184 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG S6 EV comes out roughly £1,885 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 232 miles for the MG S6 EV and 202 miles for the Smart #5 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The MG S6 EV goes roughly 30 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 38 minutes in the MG S6 EV and 30 in the Smart #5, so the Smart #5 loses less time at each stop. So the MG S6 EV stops less often while the Smart #5 stops for less time - pick on which you would rather do.

The two are within 8 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 488 mm of total clearance for the MG S6 EV and about 480 mm of total clearance for the Smart #5.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 84% battery health for the MG S6 EV and 90% for the Smart #5. That gives the Smart #5 a modest edge in retained real-world range. The Smart #5's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the MG S6 EV's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.