Drive of the season

It’s not often you find an SUV that rides like a sedan. But I discovered one when MG Philippines, one of the sponsors of The Philippine Star’s online show “Beyond The Game With The Dean,” offered a test drive of its MG RX5 Alpha 7TST just before the holidays.

MG is a car brand that resonates from way back. It’s a British heritage model that’s coming close to 100 years since birth. MG traces its roots to an Oxford retail sales and service center owned by William Morris. The initials stand for Morris Garages. The MG logo is an iconic badge whose octagon shape is well-known among car enthusiasts. Through the years, MG underwent a series of ownership changes with mergers and acquisitions marking a storied history. Today, it’s owned by the Shanghai Automobile Industry Corp. and headquarters remain in London.

To be honest, I’d never ridden in an MG car before. So when the offer for a test drive came, I said why not? It’ll be a brand new experience. My family took the MG RX5 Alpha to Nasugbu twice and it was a pleasant ride. No hard steering, no jarring on rough roads, no knocks. The drive was smooth. Five of us fit comfortably in the compact SUV, two in front and three at the back with enough boot space for bags and things. The rear seats had a split-fold function to accommodate oversized stuff. There was enough legroom and headroom. The leather upholstery was handsome and the retractable sun roof was a particularly fun feature. The 18-inch two-toned alloy wheels were another good-looking detail. The eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system was a charm. The sound from my Spotify on Bluetooth was amazing, no reverb, no static, no jolting. I’m particular with my music so this was a feature I enjoyed.

The MG RX5 comes in three models – core MT, style 7TST and Alpha 7TST. The MG sales staff describes each model as modern, stylish, smart, sophisticated and attainable. You won’t go far reaching out to the nearest MG dealership because there are 28 nationwide. Test drives are easy to arrange so you know how it feels to ride the model that suits you. By the way, there are several colors to choose from so you can’t go wrong.

What drives the MG RX5 is a fuel-efficient, 1.5 liter turbocharged engine. Its 7-speed TST guarantees seamless power delivery. Every buy comes with a five-year warranty/100,000 kilometers and access to a 24/7 customer care center. If you’re looking for an easy-to-ride SUV, check out the MG RX5 Alpha. Give it a spin. No obligations, go for a test drive. Call MG at (02) 328-4664.