The big news out of MG this year is the launch of the all-new Cyberster, an electric Porsche Boxster rival with up to 536 hp. The smaller and much slower news is the launch of the MG Comet, a tiny electric city car with less than a tenth of the power and a charging speed that can be measured in ice ages.

If the Comet’s hideous face looks familiar that’s because it’s a rebadged Wuling Air, the miniature electric runaround that’s built in China by a company set up by GM and MG’s parent company, SAIC. Other than the MG badge on the front charging flap the two cars are all but identical, both sharing the same awful mashup of styling cues that makes it look like the design was the work of 100 people, none of whom had any idea what the other 99 were doing.

 

Powering 12-inch wheels that look even smaller surrounded by the unusually tall body is a single electric motor that generates an earth-shattering 41 hp and draws on an equally diminutive 17.3 kWh battery. A 230 km range is actually pretty good for a city EV, but it’s just as well because it takes an eternity to charge. There’s no DC fast-charging functionality so filling the battery from zero to full is a seven-hour mission – bearable if you can charge at home, but not great for anyone else.

The 2.97 m long Comet’s incredibly tight 4.2 m turning circle will make ideal for its intended urban home and though safety equipment is lacking by western standards, it’s not quite as bad as you probably feared. Anti-lock brakes, parking sensors, and dual front airbags are all part of the package and the interior looks surprisingly slick in pictures, an impression that’s almost entirely down to the dual 10.25-in infotainment screen and gauge cluster displays that feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

We won’t get the Comet in North America or Europe, but the Wuling Air has proved popular in other Asian countries like Indonesia, and we can imagine MG’s version being a hit in India. Styling aside, it’s got plenty going for it at a price of ₹ 798,000 (US$ 9,800), which is more than the ₹ 620.589 (US$ 7,600) Indians are being asked to pay for Citroen’s Ami, but the four-seat Comet is a (nearly) proper car, not a 21st century rickshaw.