Fourth report: As the tiny EV celebrates a year in the fleet, it has become the de facto errand runner of the office.
A long-standing practice of Autocar India’s long-term fleet has been turned on its head by the MG Comet. For years, we’d run our respective long-termers (usually small cars) on the daily commute and then negotiate with our colleagues (usually Hormazd) to borrow a larger one for an occasional outstation trip. Now, as is the tendency of all cars to become big SUVs of some sort, almost all of us run relatively large cars every day and negotiate for a smaller car for quick errands in Mumbai traffic. In fact, the Comet is now in the Sorabjee household and likely sees more use than any of the fancy luxury cars; go figure!
Often mistake my earpods for the key.
First things first, a big thanks to MG for actually letting us use the Comet for the long term. It completed a year in the fleet last month, and though it’s no longer in my care, I’ve used it the longest so far, and I have a lot of anecdotes. So, in no particular order, here are some of them:
Autocar fleet is now more EV than ICE, with one for every need.
As it’s seemingly the most compromised in terms of space, I’ve been determined to use it for as many transport missions as possible; it passed them all with flying colours and the amusement of anyone involved. Nothing too major, of course; there were a few big grocery hauls, a large tropical plant and two airport runs with full-size suitcases (the rear seat had to be folded, of course). The one thing I transported in the back seat that fascinated me the most, however, was myself. A friend wanted to try the car out, so I hopped in the back for a roughly 30-minute journey. While the space is fine, it’s not particularly comfortable, with the choppy ride not helping. What’s more, thanks to the large front seats, very little AC draft reaches the back, and the view forward isn’t great. The view through the unique aeroplane-like windows isn’t bad, but they feel like they actually put you on display more.
Rear seating is spacious but no fun.
Efficient as the Comet is, it’s still a victim of its tiny 17.3kWh battery. The thing is that our long-term fleet is now more EV than ICE, so the sole 11kW ABB wallbox charger at the office gets a solid workout every day. And though every other EV has a much larger battery, the Comet takes just as long to charge, thanks to its slow 3.3kW max charging speed.
A slow 3.3kW charger means it takes ages to top up.
I’m glad they now offer a 7.4kW version, and if you’re buying a Comet, it is a must. The other updates they’ve added that I wish our car had are the creep mode, hill hold assist and upgraded brakes; it is deeply unsettling to screech to a halt, even when you’re not going that fast.
Transport almost anything if you’re brave enough.
Over-the-air (OTA) firmware update alerts have popped up on the screen, though I’m not sure about when they actually download and install, as the update requires several minutes of your undivided attention, which I’m never prepared to offer (please, I just want to drive the car). Some things have changed, though; the doors auto-lock and unlock based on your proximity to the car, so you never need to press the button. The annoyance is that the Comet also switches off when it locks, so every time I hop out to open the gate to my home, I have to restart the car when I get back in. I’m sure there’s a way to opt out of this.
At times, infotainment screen goes blank or doesn’t start.
I do hope it stays with us longer, or better still, MG swaps it out for the updated version because the Comet has now become an indispensable part of the Autocar fleet. Even if not as a daily commuter, it’s great for dashing off for a quick lunch meeting, a trip to the bank, or if you forgot your laptop at home. You can really park it anywhere.
Also see:
MG Comet long term review, 2,400km report
