Among the dozens of electric vehicles being offered in the country, there’s only one fully electric two-door convertible—the MG Cyberster. Not only is this MG’s memento for its centenary, but it is also the brand’s first sports car in 60 years. That was why when MG Philippines offered it to us for a week, we immediately accepted it. We came into this review with this question in mind: When it comes to creating fun-to-drive electrified sports cars, is MG headed in the right direction?
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Styling
You have to admit, the Cyberster is a looker. It’s a big car, much bigger than even the BMW Z4, and it looks more like a grand tourer than a sports car. The design isn’t aggressive, but there are hints that this is, indeed, a performance car. Neatly-placed aero bits can be found around the underside of the body. There’s even a 100-year anniversary badge on the side skirts to remind us that this is MG’s way of celebrating its centennial year. The car sits on massive 20-inch wheels that complement the generally clean look.
It may have a tame-looking body but there’s some drama in it. It has electronic scissor doors that open and close with the touch of a button. The mechanism feels solid and I never encountered a problem with it. There are even sensors that keep them from hitting objects when parked in a tight space. The scissor doors are a clever design and add a lot to the whole ownership experience.
There’s just one thing I really hate about its exterior: the taillights. They look like they were designed by a high-school teenager addicted to computer games. Had MG removed the arrow-like pattern, the entire rear would’ve been way more pleasing to the eye. But overall, I still like the exterior and think the car deserved the attention it got wherever I drove it.
Interior
When I first entered the cabin, the overall feel surprised me. The build quality is far from that of other typical family cars from MG. The interior is covered with leather and other soft-touch materials. It’s spacious even for my size, and the zero-gravity seats are comfortable even on long drives. I also appreciate the carpets that add up to the whole premium experience.
Electric cars are known to have lots of screens and the Cyberster is not an exception. The main infotainment system is a 10.25-inch display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is connected to a Bose system that produces superb sound. I do hate how CarPlay randomly disconnects, and sometimes when I’m listening to my favorite Jusin Bieber album.
Apart from the main screen, there are three seven-inch displays for the instrument cluster. I honestly had a hard time navigating them because they are a bit overwhelming. There is one last screen for the A/C controls, and it’s positioned beside the gear selector. All the screens look good and the graphics are amazing, but I’ll get to that later.
The cabin is also friendly for people who usually bring a lot of stuff. There are pockets on each door and each side of the center console, two cupholders, a sizable glove box, and a compartment under the center armrest. There’s also a decent amount of storage space behind the seats that can fit small bags.
Engine performance
Now we’re on to the fun part, and probably the strongest asset of the Cyberster—performance. The Cyberster has a dual-motor setup that produces an astonishing 536hp and 725Nm of torque. All that power is fed into its four wheels. Judging by the numbers, it should accelerate from 0 to 100kph in mid-3sec.
On the first day that I got the car, I floored the accelerator as soon as I exited our village and it felt…meh. But then I noticed I was in ‘Eco’ mode and that there was a red button by the steering that said ‘Super Sport.’ When I pressed the button it felt like I was in a video game and had just entered a cheat code where I became the most powerful playable character. The dials across the screens changed into sportier-looking ones and the artificial engine sound became more aggressive. I felt like I just unlocked the car’s full potential.
I found an empty road, floored it again, and in just a snap I was doing 100kph. It really is fast—probably one of the fastest-accelerating cars I’ve ever driven. And it was actually addicting. The Cyberster’s acceleration is one of its strengths, and I enjoyed using every bit of the torque from its motors. The motors and the batteries never overheated even after a lot of pulls. But it did make for an unusual feeling driving a convertible at speed and hearing nothing but the wind in your face.
Handling
In the city, the Cyberster is easy to maneuver. Visibility from behind the wheel is also great, but I don’t like how the reverse camera is displayed via the infotainment screen because the steering wheel tends to block the view when turned at certain degrees. On the highway, it’s comfortable, and the suspension easily absorbs most of the road imperfections. I really wouldn’t mind driving this all day.
Bringing the car on mountainous roads is a different story, though. It is heavy on the corners and you can feel the onboard computers struggling to keep their composure one turn after the other. Don’t get me wrong, I still had fun with it thanks to its meaty Pirelli P Zero tires and strong Brembo brakes. The chassis also feels solid and the low center of gravity gives it a sporty driving feel. All that being said...I don’t think this is meant to be thoroughly enjoyed through twisties. It felt like if I made an error while cornering, it would be hard to correct and the car’s two-ton body would spin out into the trees.
Battery and charging
The car was delivered to us with less than 30% charge remaining since it came straight out of an event. We plugged it in first thing in the morning at Solenad 1 Nuvali using a Type 2 connector. It was 90% charged when I finished charging, and the instrument cluster indicated that the remaining range was 400km. We drove it to from Santa Rosa to Tagaytay, then to Calamba before going back to Santa Rosa. That’s around 100km and we ended up usingless than 30% of the battery. We then charged it again the next day to 90% before bringing it to Caliraya.
Our friends were a bit skeptical at first because the drive was more than 150km, but I told them I had confidence in the car and that I wanted to try its range. We left Petron KM44 Southbound at 8am, a little late thanks to our handsome friend who drove a nice blue Evo VII, so traffic was already bad on the South Luzon Expressway. By the time we reached Pansol and Los Baños, traffic got even worse. The roads only cleared up when we drove past Bay, and that was when we started to stretch our respective cars’ legs. It was mostly open roads up to Caliraya and back until we got stuck in traffic again on our way to Los Baños.
By the time we got back to Santa Rosa, the Cyberster still had 42% battery remaining. That was impressive, considering we were either stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic or we were driving at high speeds that day. That 400km range was actually attainable given the right circumstances.
Verdict
Now that MG Philippines is already opening its reservations for this car, do you think this car’s worth P4.5 million to you? My answer would be a resounding yes. The Cyberster ticks a lot of boxes. It looks good, it has decent build quality, it is comfortable and spacious, and above all else, it’s very fast. You just have to manage your expectations since this is different from your traditional sports car and, again, is more of a GT. But if you want a good-looking roadster that can smoke almost any other car at its price point, then consider the MG Cyberster. If you end up getting one, just try not to bring it to the twisties.
SPECS: MG Cyberster 2025
Price: P4,500,000
Motor: Permanent-magnet synchronous
Power: 536hp
Torque: 725Nm
Drive layout: All-wheel-drive
Seating: 2
Score: 8.5/10
More photos of the MG Cyberster 2025:
