MG Cyberster Review: Is This a Game-Changing EV Roadster With Scissor Doors – and How Does It Drive?
Watch DriverReviews ambassador Vicki Butler-Henderson give her verdict on the new MG Cyberster.
There aren't many 2-seater electric car options on the market, and this one in particular offers a spectacle usually reserved for cars that cost six figures to buy new. With that in mind, and prices starting at around £55,000, could this be enough to spark your interest in owning MG's flagship model of the modern era, the MG Cyberster?
Specifications
• Price: From £55,000 for the trophy edition and rising to £60,000 for the GT version.
• Power: 340bhp / 475nm
• Acceleration: 0-60mph happens in 5.0s
• Battery Range: 316 miles
• Top Speed: 121 mph
Exterior
We might as well start with the obvious, those scissor doors. They are theatrical, they are eye-catching, and they are innovative in that they are a niche feature for an electric car. If you're taking this to a shopping centre or the shops, Vicki points out that you don't need to worry too much about being parked by too closely by someone else because these doors give you more room to get in and out of the car. However, if it's raining, be prepared to get soaked for longer than you'd like while sitting in the car waiting for the doors to close.
The Cyberster is a convertible, and you can open and close the roof wherever you’d like as long as you are moving at less than 30 miles per hour. In a similar way to the doors, it does take a short while to go up or down at 15 seconds so if it is raining and you are caught with the roof down, those 15 seconds might feel like 15 minutes. There is 249 litres of boot space at the usual end of the car (there is no storage whatsoever in the front where you would usually expect to store charging cables). The space in the boot isn’t so conventional though as it has been designed to work with the roof’s resting place when it is down so Vicki recommends packing “squashy” bags if you are travelling/staying somewhere over night.
When it comes to the overall look of the Cyberster itself, it is indeed sleek. There are 32 different roof and body colour combinations to choose from and they all come with contrasting black trim at the bottom. Moving to the rear of the car, and a real talking point online, are the arrow-shaped headlights. We've seen manufacturers get creative with their brake lights, such as MINI with the Union Jack design worked into the brake lights. We'd love to know what you think, so head over to our video on YouTube and let us know in the comments. The length of the car is probably more than you think as it spans 4.54 metres, which if you look at the competition in this segment, the Cyberster is longer:
• Porsche 718 Boxster: 4.38 metres
• BMW Z4: 4.32 metres
• Jaguar F-Type Convertible: 4.47 metres
Wheels & Tyres
On the Cyberster in this review, are a set of 19” lightning design alloy wheels. These are wrapped in Pirelli’s P Zero tyres.
They have been reviewed by thousands of drivers on DriverReviews and have achieved a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Interior & Technology
When you get into the cockpit of the Cyberster, you are greeted with a trio of wrap around screens. There’s a whole host of elements to look at from climate controls, your driving information (i.e. speed), a screen for your media/audio, and more. If you are in a location where the climate is on the colder side, you will welcome the heated three spoke multi-functional steering wheel which is finished with two circular buttons at thumbs reach.
There is a fourth screen sat away from the immediate cluster which gives you control over things like the air conditioning, lumbar support, interior lighting, traction control, and more. With a lot going on here, you would imagine that MG would pass some of this control over to the passenger, but no. There is a rather large grab handle between the driver and the passenger blocking the passenger from accessing the touchscreen.
In terms of bringing your own technology to the Cyberster, it is finished with Apple CarPlay and there are a couple of USB ports under the armrest and located within the storage area. A potential drawback to the Cyberster in the eyes of some is there is no wireless charging.
There is a parking camera which is welcomed as this is quite a long two-seater, however, the screen hosting the image of where you are trying to park is displayed on the screen located on the right of the steering wheel which isn’t the most intuitive place for it. An interesting bit of kit on the Cyberster is the sensor which detects when you take your eyes off the road. Give your attention to anything other than the road for too long and the car will start to bing and bong until your gaze is back on the road.
Powertrain, Engine & Launch Control
The Cyberster comes in two different editions (GT and Trophy) the one we are looking at is the Trophy. For those who are interested, the GT has 500bhp and will do 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds. The GT, however, is slightly less powerful than its GT sibling and has just 340bhp and will do 0-60mph in 5.0 seconds. It is worth noting that all of the power is going to the rear wheels though and although the car is heavy, could make for some fun!
The Cyberster does possess launch control if you needed it, ensuring that traction control is off, and the car is in sport mode you can keep one foot on the brake while planting the other on the accelerator. Of course, when you lift off, you can expect to be doing 60mph in 5 seconds.
You might be wondering what the paddles behind the steering wheel are. They don’t go through “fake” gears like the paddles do in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N which we have reviewed, and you can watch that review here or read the article here. These paddles in the Cyberster do something different, the one on the left is for regenerative braking and the one on the right goes through the various driving modes (sport, custom, and comfort).
Ride Comfort, Handling & Braking
As already mentioned, the Cyberster is heavy weighing in at approximately 1,885kg and is rear wheel drive. Vicki demonstrates in the video that if you do prod the accelerator and turn sharply, you can kick the rear end out. Where it lacks – according to Vicki – is the department of grace and delicacy. In the video review, Vicki mentions alternative competitors to the Cyberster such as the Boxster and the Taycan which of course is all electric too (and two/three times the price) but there is room for improvement in these areas here.
Underpinning the whole car is MG’s electric platform which is called the modular scalable platform MSP. This platform was first seen in the MG4 hatchback and will be used in many more of the electric models to come. MG have equipped the Cyberster with big Brembo brakes and Vicki points out that they have a damped feel to the pedal and are a joy to use which is fantastic feedback!
Range, Charging & Usability
As with any EV, you will want to know what the range is like. Well, the Cyberster’s (Trophy) official figures are 316 miles. This is 40 miles more than the high-performance specification you can buy (the GT). You can plug both models into a rapid charger and go from 10% to 80% in 38 minutes which isn’t great. However, the 7-year / 80,000-mile warranty might bring you back onside here if you are considering one.
Vicki’s Verdict
“Those doors give it the wow factor big time.”
Vicki proclaims that the Cyberster is a very credible halo car for MG, and we agree, it might not have a whopping V8 engine under the bonnet, but as far as electric cars go, this one looks fantastic. The doors really set it off and will turn heads, so if you want an EV that can shout in some capacity, this is the one for you.
We would love to hear your opinions on the MG Cyberster so head over to our YouTube channel and let us know in the comments. Don't miss out on future reviews and automotive insights - subscribe to DriverReviews on YouTube for the latest updates and in-depth analysis from our brand ambassadors!