MG IM5 153 vs 396 kW Fast Charging in Australia
Quick answer: MG Australia sells the IM5 Premium on a 400-volt platform with up to 153 kW DC charging, while the Platinum and Performance use an 800-volt SiC platform and accept up to 396 kW. The architecture difference is large enough to change road-trip charging behaviour. It does not mean the 396 kW cars charge 2.6 times faster at every stop; the charger, state of charge and charging curve still decide the session.
The three IM5 charging personalities
| Variant | Electrical platform | Maximum DC charge | WLTP range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | 400V IGBT | 153 kW | 490 km |
| Platinum | 800V SiC | 396 kW | 655 km |
| Performance | 800V SiC | 396 kW | 575 km |
The Platinum is the interesting efficiency case: it combines the highest range with the same 396 kW ceiling as the Performance. The Performance trades some range for much higher output and all-wheel-drive acceleration. That means a buyer choosing between the two 800-volt versions should not treat charging speed as the differentiator; range and performance become more important.
Why 396 kW requires the right Australian site
A car can only request what the charger can deliver. On a 150 kW site, an IM5 Platinum behaves like a car connected to a 150 kW ceiling regardless of its 396 kW capability. To exploit the architecture, the route needs sufficiently powerful hardware and a battery that arrives in the right state-of-charge and temperature window. A 350 kW cabinet can still be very fast even though it sits below the car’s published maximum.
Do not multiply the peak by time
The IM5 will not hold 396 kW from 10% to 80%. Charging curves rise and fall as the battery management system controls temperature and cell voltage. The useful road-trip number is energy added over the stop. If the charger receipt says 62 kWh in 18 minutes, that average is about 207 kW; it can be an excellent session even though it never averages anywhere near 396 kW.
Premium owners are not “stuck with slow charging”
A 153 kW ceiling is still rapid. If the trip mostly uses 150 kW-class chargers, the Premium may perform similarly to an 800-volt version at those particular sites. The higher-spec architecture buys future and route flexibility, especially on corridors with 300–350+ kW hardware, but the value depends on where you actually travel.
Range can matter more than charging peak
The Platinum’s 655 km WLTP figure can reduce the number of stops compared with the Premium’s 490 km or Performance’s 575 km. One fewer stop can save more trip time than a slightly faster individual session. That is why charging curve and range factors should be considered together rather than ranking cars on kW alone.
A corridor-planning exercise
- List the chargers you actually use on your recurring intercity route.
- Write down their maximum power and number of high-power stalls.
- Check whether the route is range-limited or charging-power-limited.
- Choose the IM5 variant whose advantage appears on that real route, not in a laboratory comparison.
For a driver surrounded by 150 kW sites, the Premium may already be sufficient. For someone regularly using 350 kW hubs and covering long distances, the Platinum’s combination of range and 800-volt charging is much easier to justify.
Bottom line
The IM5 gives Australian buyers a rare architecture choice inside one model line. Premium is a 153 kW, 400-volt proposition; Platinum and Performance move to 396 kW on an 800-volt SiC platform. The best version depends on the chargers and distances in your life. Peak capability is valuable only when the route can use it.
Map your Australian high-power corridor before choosing 800V
The IM5 Platinum and Performance can only exploit 396 kW capability where suitable high-power chargers exist. Take the routes you drive between major cities and list every dependable charger above 250 kW, then note spacing and stall count. If your regular corridor is dominated by 150 kW sites, the Premium’s 153 kW ceiling may not be a major disadvantage. If 350 kW infrastructure is common and reliable, the 800-volt variants can use much more of their technical advantage. The charging network turns architecture into either a real benefit or a mostly theoretical specification.
Compare stop count before stop speed
The Platinum has the longest WLTP range in the IM5 line. On some routes, its 655 km rating may eliminate a charging stop that the Premium would need. Saving an entire stop is often more valuable than shaving several minutes from an individual session. Build a trip model with conservative real-world range, planned reserve and actual charger spacing. Only after stop count is known should charging power be used to compare versions.
Use energy-per-minute as the session score
At the charger, calculate total kWh delivered divided by minutes connected. This avoids overvaluing the 396 kW peak. A Platinum session that adds 65 kWh in 20 minutes averages 3.25 kWh per minute. A Premium session adding 48 kWh in 20 minutes averages 2.4 kWh per minute. The exact numbers vary, but the metric captures the whole curve and is easy to compare across networks.
Performance buyers should budget for efficiency
The Performance version shares the 800-volt charging architecture but has a lower WLTP range than Platinum. Stronger acceleration and AWD capability come with an efficiency trade-off. On long trips, that can mean arriving at the next charger with less reserve even when both cars leave the previous stop at the same percentage. Charging speed and energy consumption need to be evaluated together to understand total journey time.
IM5 buyer takeaway
Premium is not simply the “slow” car and Platinum is not simply the “fast charger.” The versions interact differently with Australian infrastructure. Choose based on the combination of charger availability, required range and performance priorities. Architecture matters only when the route lets the vehicle use it.
Create an Australian charger map for the IM5 trims
Before paying for the 800-volt Platinum or Performance partly for charging speed, map the chargers on the intercity corridors you actually use. Mark sites above 300 kW, 200–250 kW and 150 kW or less, then note stall count and recent reliability. The Premium is already close to its 153 kW ceiling at many ordinary high-power sites. The 396 kW-capable versions need genuinely powerful infrastructure to expose the full architectural advantage. If those chargers are rare on your routes, range or performance may be a stronger reason to choose the higher trim than charging speed alone.
Compare trip time with a stop-count model
Take a 700 km route and apply a conservative real-world range to each trim. Determine how many stops are needed before looking at charging minutes. If Platinum’s longer range removes a stop, that can save more time than any difference in peak power. If both versions require the same number of stops, then energy added per minute becomes the deciding charging metric. This order of analysis prevents buyers from overvaluing 396 kW when the larger practical benefit actually comes from the vehicle needing fewer charging events.
Use average kWh per minute, not the peak
After each public session, divide energy delivered by minutes connected. A 60 kWh session completed in 20 minutes averages 3.0 kWh per minute regardless of whether the display briefly showed 396 kW. Do the same calculation on Premium. This makes network and vehicle comparisons easier because it captures the entire charging curve, taper included. Over several stops, the average reveals how much the 800-volt architecture is really contributing on Australian infrastructure instead of relying on one best-case number.
Performance changes consumption as well as acceleration
The Performance trim’s extra power and AWD capability can increase energy use depending on driving style. If it reaches the charger with a larger energy deficit than Platinum after the same distance, some of the fast-charging advantage is spent replenishing that extra consumption. Compare total journey minutes from departure to arrival, including driving and charging, not charging time in isolation. A faster charger does not automatically create a faster trip when the vehicle uses more kWh per kilometre.
IM5 charging decision
Choose Premium when its range and 153 kW charging match the network you use. Choose Platinum when the combination of longer range and access to very high-power sites repeatedly reduces stops or minutes. Choose Performance for its dynamic capability while recognizing the range trade-off. Architecture should be evaluated against real charger locations; otherwise 396 kW risks becoming an impressive specification that the owner rarely sees in practice.
Test the IM5 on the weakest charger you routinely use
A useful buyer test is not only the fastest station in a major city but also the ordinary charger on a route you cannot avoid. If that corridor is limited to roughly 150 kW equipment, record how Premium, Platinum or Performance would behave there and whether the higher-voltage trims still save meaningful time. This exposes the difference between theoretical capability and network-constrained performance. A car that is spectacular on 350 kW hardware but spends most trips on lower-power sites should be judged by both environments before charging architecture influences the purchase decision.
Sources and verification
Manufacturer references used for the specifications above:
Last verified: September 6, 2026.