Rent MG RX5 2023 in Dubai

Merge onto Sheikh Zayed Road in a rented Creta or a Seltos and you can feel the naturally aspirated engine hunting for revs the moment you need to get past a truck. The MG RX5 2023 doesn't have that problem. Its turbocharged 1.5-litre pulls harder from lower down than most SUVs renting at this rate in Dubai, and that's the reason we still put it forward to renters cross-shopping the usual mainstream names. It's a five-seat SUV, automatic, and we can have it at your door within one to two hours of booking. This page is about one decision: whether that extra shove is worth renting over a more familiar badge, and where the RX5 still comes up short.

The turbo four, and how it drives

Under the hood is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four making 169 hp and 275 Nm, sent through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic to the front wheels. That torque number is what separates it from the rest of the class. A Hyundai Creta's naturally aspirated 1.5 tops out around 144 Nm, and a Kia Seltos isn't far ahead at 151 Nm, so both need more revs and more patience to get past a truck on the E11. The RX5 doesn't. The turbo is already spinning by the time you've committed to the overtake, which makes it a more relaxed car to drive fast for a stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road.

The dual-clutch gearbox is the part you trade for that pull. It's crisp once you're rolling, but in slow mall traffic or reversing into a tight bay it can hesitate for a beat before taking up drive, the way most dual-clutch boxes do at low speed. You adjust to it within a day. One correction worth making here: despite what some listings claim, this is a front-wheel-drive SUV, not all-wheel drive. The extra ride height buys you a better view of the road and easier clearance over speed bumps, not traction in soft sand.

Room, boot and the family load

MG built the RX5 on a 2,708 mm wheelbase, long enough that the back seat doesn't feel like an afterthought. Two adults get real knee room on a full day out, and three kids fit across the bench for the school run without elbowing each other. Up front, the raised seating gives the view over traffic that's the whole point of renting a crossover instead of a hatchback.

The boot holds 430 litres, which is honest space rather than a marketing number. That's two large cases and a soft bag for a DXB or DWC pickup with the rear seats up, and folding the bench opens a flat floor for flatpack furniture or a couple of bikes. It isn't a seven-seater, so if you're regularly carrying four adults and all their airport luggage at once, you're at the limit of what a body this size can do.

Parking wants a little more attention than a compact crossover needs. At 4.57 metres, the RX5 is longer than a Creta or a Seltos, so a tight Marina tower bay or a mall's multi-storey slot deserves a proper look before you commit to the space. The 183 mm of ground clearance handles speed bumps and steep ramp entries without a scrape, which matters more than it sounds like it should on some of Dubai's older car parks. Don't read that height as desert capability, though. With power going to the front wheels only, soft sand and Hatta's rougher tracks aren't where this car belongs.

Heat, running cost and the cabin

MG quotes 6.8 litres per 100 km combined for the turbo 1.5, which is competitive for an engine with this much torque to give. Dubai traffic and a compressor running flat out push real-world consumption closer to 8.5 or 9, which is normal for the class rather than a mark against this specific car. The 55-litre tank still gets you roughly 650 km of city driving before you need to find a station, so a normal week of commuting and errands means one fill, maybe two if you're coming in from further out daily.

Check the mileage terms before you book. The daily allowance on this car is 250 km, generous for city use, and anything past that costs AED 0.5 a kilometre, so a full day trip to Hatta and back is worth tracking on the odometer. Salik tolls and any RTA fines are the renter's responsibility, as with every car we put on the road.

Cabin cooling is what people actually ask about in July. The RX5's cabin is mid-size, so it takes a little longer to pull down than a small hatchback would, but the front vents work hard and get it to a bearable temperature well before you've merged onto the highway after climbing back in on a 45-degree afternoon. MG has put its budget into the touchscreen and the equipment list rather than soft-touch plastics, so the cabin feels well specified without feeling expensive. Across a week or a month of driving, that's a reasonable trade.

Who should book it, and who should pay for a bigger badge

Book the RX5 2023 if what you want from an SUV rental is genuine highway pull without paying mainstream prices for it. It overtakes with less drama than a Creta or a Seltos, seats a small family with room to spare, and the boot handles a real airport run. Couples and families doing malls, school runs and the odd DXB pickup will find it does everything they need, and the turbo makes longer E11 drives less tiring than a naturally aspirated rival at the same rate.

Pay up for a bigger badge in two situations. If dealer familiarity and resale reputation matter more to you than outright pull, a Creta or a Seltos will feel a shade more polished inside and carries the reassurance of a name you already trust. And if your week includes Hatta or any driving off the paved road, skip every front-wheel-drive crossover in this class, this one included, and book a proper 4x4 instead. For most renters who just want an SUV that doesn't struggle on the highway, the RX5 earns its place. You'll need to be 25 to take the keys.