When the whole world is rushing towards SUVs, there are a few who would weigh comfort, convenience and ease over status, power, and sheer road presence. And That’s what the MG Comet strives to achieve by being the odd one out here, with its practical yet quirky design that none can afford to ignore.
Our test car MG Comet, even though launched almost a year ago, still doesn’t fail to turn heads wherever it goes. The unconventional hatchback with an oddly pleasing design packs in oodles of space and a host of modern features making it an immediate attraction for onlookers. How does it feel to own one, and does the peculiarity in design gets carried over to other aspects of vehicle ownership? Read on to find out.
Also Read: MG Comet EV Finally Gets Fast Charging; Cheaper ZS EV With Panoramic Sunroof Launched
CONVENIENCE
Let’s begin with some of the biggest pluses offered by the car. On the outside, Comet appears tiny in comparison to all other cars in the parking lot which incidentally turns out to be a huge advantage when it comes to navigating through tight spaces. It is also extremely easy to manoeuvre in traffic and does not feel intimidating for people, who often dread the thought of taking a big car to a crowded and unruly marketplace. In addition, Comet offers excellent all-around visibility, thanks to the large windows, big ORVMs and the presence of a rear-view camera with a dynamic guidelines feature. A higher seating position further aids better visibility. However, the absence of driver seat height adjustment may result in IRVM obstructing the front view for tall drivers.
It’s a thoughtfully designed car evident from small little things done by MG to make the user experience very warm and pleasant. For example, doors get unlocked automatically when you walk up to the car with keys and it locks automatically when you walk away from it. A welcome greeting that changes every time you get into the car is another nice touch. The doors also unlock automatically the very moment the driver's side seatbelt is removed after turning the gear to N.
In terms of interiors, the minimalism approach exercised while designing the controls is clearly visible. A large 10.25” touch screen, a fully digital Instrument Cluster and Voice Commands provide easy access to features and make the user experience a breeze. Interestingly, there’s no Start-Stop button, Comet comes alive just by pressing the brake pedal. The Instrument Cluster displays useful information like the exact door open indicator and real-time charge consumption graph while driving. The graphics are clean and easily readable too. A special i-call button on the steering, if pressed can instantly connect you to an MG customer care executive over the car audio system for immediate help in distress situations.
NIGGLES
There are a few niggles however that could have been dealt with better by MG. The steering control switches for the vehicle we tested were too hard to operate, even to the extent of being non-functional sometimes. A long door for MG Comet coupled with a long seat travel results in the placement of a seat belt hook way behind the co-passenger seat. As a result, it may become difficult for the co-passenger (especially for someone with a hefty build) to reach out for the seat belt without a back-wrenching twist. Longer doors also mean that the car needs wider elbow room for passenger ingress egress when Comet sits between two other cars in a parking lot.
Also Read: Actor Suniel Shetty Brings Home A Comet EV
Besides, the placement of the Hazard switch on the ceiling is a little odd for a car that boasts of generous headroom space, your hand won’t reach there instinctively in emergency stop situations. Light colour interiors make the cabin look very spacious, albeit it run the risk of catching stains too fast and may become difficult to maintain in the long run.
DRIVE EXPERIENCE
Comet ride quality is not much to complain about at normal city speeds, though it's clearly not meant for high-speed roads and intercity travel on highways. Tiny wheels with thin rubber are meant for well-finished tarmac and may be unsettling for the occupants when encountered with big potholes.
On the brighter side though, the quiet cabin makes feel very relaxing. The car comes with three drive modes – Eco, Normal & Sports with different regeneration settings, that are primarily there to help capture regenerated charge during vehicle braking, although higher regen modes also enable Comet to be used as a single pedal drive, making it even simpler to drive.
Also Read: 2024 MG Comet EV: Variants Explained
SPACE
The cabin space offered by Comet is surprisingly huge considering its small external dimensions. A long front-seat travel and a higher seating position with generous headroom ensure it can accommodate drivers of all heights. The rear seat can also comfortably accommodate two fully grown adults with sufficient legroom. Getting in and getting out may be cumbersome for some, but it doesn’t feel claustrophobic from the inside due to the presence of large windows.
The lack of a closed glovebox and seat height adjustment are important misses, and difficult to ignore. The car also lacks boot space, any luggage to be carried must be placed on the rear seat, or on the floor, which thankfully is fully flat in profile. The boot can barely accommodate small luggage or shopping bags not thicker than a regular laptop bag.
CHARGING & RANGE
The Comet comes equipped with a 17.3 kWh battery with an ARAI-certified range of 230 km, the downside however is that it doesn’t support fast charging. It can hold charge well and you can easily expect a full range of around 170-180 km in city conditions depending on your driving style.
Charging away from home is a serious drawback though, as accessibility to 15A public charging socket is extremely difficult to find while on the go. The development pace for AC charging infrastructure is slow and primarily designed to cater to the electric two-wheeler segment. Hence most AC charging stations are not compatible with the space requirements for charging a car, even when it’s as small as a Comet. With no DC charging support, Comet takes forever to charge. The display will warn you, in case you forget to shut the charge lid accidentally after a long wait at the charging station. During our test run, we observed a 15 per cent charge intake by the battery for every one hour of plugging in.
As a caution, it’s not advisable to plug your car into a random household socket. You don't want to pay for melted cables, switches and sockets. And then there is the risk of a fire incident due to a short circuit, as you would never know the quality of electricals used at a non-metered and non-authorised charging socket. Charging stations installed by the company are the best bet when it comes to safe charging of your car.
Having said that, MG recently launched two new variants of the Comet which do support AC fast charging. So if you are considering getting one, our advice would be to go for the fast-charging variant.
CONCLUSION
Comet is so easy to drive that it almost takes no time for anybody to get used to it. It’s a perfect car for city usage and a suitable candidate for a second or third car in the family. Occasionally, it can take duties of a family car for short trips around the city. The rear seats are spacious and comfortable barring the slight botheration of getting in and out, sliding the front seat forward every time. It is best suited for local city driving within a 50-60 km radius, to avoid frequent long halts to the charging station. With daily night charging at a home-installed charger, you may strive to go further too.
All things said, the car is loaded with convenience and smart features, it’s the perfect companion for someone new to driving or wants to avoid the hassle of driving around a big car in a city ridden with constant traffic woes.
Written By: Aashish Bharadwaj
