MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R) vs Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small): which engine is more reliable?

According to our risk index, the MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R) carries less risk than the Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small): 20/100 (low risk) versus 38/100 (moderate risk). The MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R) has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «High-voltage system fault warning and loss of propulsion»; the Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small) has 1 documented serious fault, the main one being «Anode delamination in 52 kWh battery cells (2026 campaign)».

Risk index

MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R)

Low risk · 1 serious fault

Lower risk

Risk index

Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small)

Moderate risk · 1 serious fault

The index (0–100) weights the severity and frequency of the three most serious documented faults. How it is calculated

Reviewed on 30 October 202614 sources How we work

Is the MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R) reliable?

MG electric cars have few documented battery or motor faults; the most cited is AC charging, which is sometimes rejected or interrupted. What Car? places the MG4 in the lower part of its survey, mainly for minor electronics.^[1][2][3]

See the 2 of the MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R) faults

Is the Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small) reliable?

2024 drivetrain with little data: Fiches-auto.fr has only 11 owner reports, and the official issues are an inverter reprogramming (0EN5, around 15,700 cars from 2024) and a campaign over defective cells in the 52 kWh battery from December 2025 to January 2026. There is no longevity data.^[4][5][6]

See the 3 of the Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small) faults

Side-by-side comparison

Comparison of MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R) and Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small)
Item	MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R)	Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small)
Technical data
Type	Engine	Engine
Fuel	Electrical	Electrical
Displacement	—	—
Timing	—	—
Power	143–435 hp	95–150 hp
Production	since 2019^{[7][8][9][10]}	since 2024^[4][11]
Reliability
Risk index (what is it?)	20Low risk	38Moderate risk
Documented faults	2	3
Of high or critical severity	1	1
Worst severity	High severity	Critical severity
Main faults	Medium severity: Charging faults: on-board charger and interrupted charging High severity: High-voltage system fault warning and loss of propulsion	Critical severity: Anode delamination in 52 kWh battery cells (2026 campaign) Medium severity: Motor inverter: no-start fault and 0EN5 campaign reprogramming Medium severity: Rejections, errors and charging interruptions on the R5 E-Tech
Most expensive documented repair	No reliable data	No reliable data
Which versions to buy
BuyRecommended versions	ZS EV Long Range 72.6 kWh, 177 hp (2021-2024)^[12]	None
With cautionVersions to be cautious about	MG4 Standard Range 51 kWh LFP, 170 hp (2022-present)^[2] MG4 Long Range 64 kWh, 204 hp (2022-present)^[1] MG4 Extended Range 77 kWh, 245 hp (2023-present)^[1][2] MG4 XPower 64 kWh, 435 hp (2023-present)^[13] ZS EV 44.5 kWh, 143 hp (2019-2021)^[14] ZS EV Standard Range 51 kWh LFP, 150 hp (2022-2024)^[12] Marvel R Comfort/Luxury 70 kWh, 180 hp (2021-2024)^[3] Marvel R Performance 70 kWh, 288 hp (2021-2024)^[3]	R5 E-Tech EV40 95 hp (70 kW, 40 kWh battery, 2024-present)^[4][5] R5 E-Tech EV40 120 hp (90 kW, 40 kWh battery, 2024-present)^[4][5] R5 E-Tech EV52 150 hp (110 kW, 52 kWh battery, 2024-present)^[4][6]
AvoidVersions to avoid	None	None

Severity of each fault: green, low; amber, medium; red, high; dark red, critical. How we rate them

Cars that each one is fitted to

MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R)

Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small)

Other comparisons

With the MG eléctrico (MG4, ZS EV, Marvel R)

With the Renault 5 E-Tech (AmpR Small)

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Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

Fiabilité Mg MG4 (2023): toutes les pannes connuesFiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
Used MG4 2022-present reliabilityWhat Car? · Reliability study · consulted 30 October 2026
Fiabilité Mg Marvel R (2021): toutes les pannes connuesFiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
Fiabilité Renault R5 E-tech (2024) (11 témoignages)Fiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
Grosse alerte chez Renault : 16 000 véhicules rappelés en urgenceL'Automobiliste · General press · published 5 March 2025 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
Rappel Renault 5 et R4 E-Tech : 19 véhicules concernés en France pour un risque de batterieMotorsActu · Motoring press · published 21 March 2026 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
MG4 EVWikipedia · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
MG ZS (crossover): sección MG EZS / ZS EVWikipedia · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
Datos generales MG MG4 Electric Luxury (05/23 - 07/25)ADAC · Technical documentation · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
MG Marvel R Electric: motores, equipamiento y preciosCarnovo · Technical documentation · published 21 July 2023 · consulted 30 October 2026 · in Spanish
Renault 5 E-TechWikipedia (en) · Other source · consulted 30 October 2026
Fiabilité Mg ZS: toutes les pannes connuesFiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 30 October 2026 · in French
Foro GoingElectric: MG4 XPower con fallo del sistema de control y sin cargaGoingElectric · Owners' forum · consulted 30 October 2026 · in German
Foro MGEVs: batería de tracción de un ZS EV de 2019 averiada con menos de 22.000 millasMGEVs.com · Owners' forum · published 26 August 2025 · consulted 30 October 2026