Apparently the new MG 5 EV's roof rails are for decorative purposes only. I mean, who designs roof rails in to a car and they cannot be used as err, roof rails. The manufacturer has removed all references to bike racks and roof bars on the new EV. Page 62 of their manual says the roof rails are not capable of carrying a load.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-9154981/MG5-EVs-225-roof-rails-decoration-not-safe-carry-weight.html

 

Small print right at the bottom.

 

https://mg.co.uk/files/2020-12-50/mg5-accessoires-brochure-a5-4pp-v2-web.pdf

Edited 19 January, 20215 yr by FrankNicklin

Its simply a homologation paperwork **** up, not much else they could do really, if it were me I would have just kept quiet about it but no doubt someone would have staged an accident and sued my ar5e.

1 minute ago, J.R. said:

Its simply a homologation paperwork **** up, not much else they could do really, if it were me I would have just kept quiet about it but no doubt someone would have staged an accident and sued my ar5e.

Hardly safe to keep quiet about it. The risks are huge. Imagine 2 or  bikes falling off on the motorway. Even though they have advertised roof bars which have since been removed from the sales blurb, the took the trouble to mention it in the user manual. 

Not having the correct homologation paperwork does not make the roof rails any stronger or weaker.

 

I think you are safe though, I doubt that I will wake up tomorrow and decide to become a production vehicle manufacturer.

 

Bikes fall of cars all the time, its usually down to the muppet that tied them on, not always though, in the 80's there was a spate of rear hatch mounted cycle carriers falling off the rear of Citroen BX's taking bits of the tailgate with them.