MG has experienced many image overhauls over the decades. A British heritage brand once known for its neat sports cars, MG has become synonymous with practical, high-performance EVs delivering value for money. 

The latest of MG’s models to hit Aussie showrooms is the MG4 Electric, a smart, five-door hatch. Already winning ‘car of the year’ awards all over the world, the MG4 is gearing up to be a huge hit. Coming in cheaper than many new petrol and electric equivalents, does MG4 live up to the hype? 

Overview

Variants:

Four variations of the MG4 are available: the Excite 51, Excite 64, Essence 64 and Long Range 77.

Range:

Between 405km and 590km depending on the variant.

Charging time and ports:

All MG4 variants are served by a Plug Type 2 CCS charger, which charges from 10% to 80% in between 28 and 38 minutes using a rapid public 150kW charger.

Battery:

Between 51kWh and 77kWh depending on the variant.

Power:

Between 125kW and 180kW depending on the variant.

Energy consumption:

Between 130Wh/km and 184Wh/km depending on the variant.

Acceleration:

Between 0 to 100km/h in 6.5s and 7.7s depending on variant.

Top Speed: 

The Excite and Essence variants have a top speed of 160km/h and the Long Range 77, 180km/h.

Torque:

The Excite and Essence variants have 250Nm of torque and the Long Range 77 has 350Nm.

Weight:

Between 1635kg kerb weight and 1748kg kerb weight depending on the variant.

Dimensions:

All Excites: L 4287mm, W 1836mm and H 1504mm. Essence 64 and Long Range 77 L 4287mm, W 1836mm and H 1516mm.

Drive Type:

All variants are rear-wheel drive.

Design & look

The MG4 is designed in London, maintaining British legacy despite Chinese ownership. Although it’s a hatch, the MG4 looks like a pint-sized SUV, and all the better for it. All four variants have nods to MG’s sporty heritage, with a sleek aerodynamic profile and spoiler. The only difference in body styling is the Essence 64 and Long Range 77’s slightly taller height. 

The MG4 EV stands out with its striking contours and distinctive LED lighting, making it a head-turner. You can choose from seven colourways to suit your style and contrast the black roof, be it subtle metallic neutrals or vibrant volcanic orange or red. 

Features and interior

The MG4’s interior reflects the minimalist trend, with clear influences from premium German automakers. Notably, the heated steering wheel shares a squared-off design reminiscent of BMW’s iX and the column stalks wouldn’t feel out of place in an Audi. Although it’s a budget EV, everything looks and feels high quality.

In terms of tech, a 10.25-inch floating infotainment system has an excellent resolution and is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. The car’s neat iSMART system pairs with a smartphone app to allow you to remotely control the air con, plan your route and diagnose issues. For its value, the MG4’s tech does over-deliver.

Space-wise, it’s roomy enough for a hatch this size, with 363L of boot space and decent leg and headroom.

Performance

There is an MG4 variant for every performance and price range. The entry-level and most basic Excite 51 has a modest 51kWh battery, the Excite 64 and Essence 64 64kWh batteries and the Long Range 77 a (you guessed it) 77kWh battery. Batteries aside, the main variant variables are the charging units – the Long Range 77 (LR77) has a Three Phase 11kW one while the rest have a Single Phase 6.6kW one – and of course range, with the LR77 able to hit 530km in a single charge.

The MG4 is built around MG’s custom Modular Scalable Platform (MSP), which enables MG to scale and keep prices affordable. It’s also what will serve as the foundation for MG’s upcoming generation of electric models, encompassing hatchbacks, SUVs and sports cars. Since the MSP is tried, tested and perfected, it makes the MG4 a pleasure to drive. 

Smooth and responsive handling and peppy acceleration of around 0-100kmph in 7.2s offer a great ride, whether navigating city traffic or heading out on country roads. Charging is pleasingly quick. A Plug Type 2 CCS charger serves all MG4 variants. The Single Phase 6.6kW charging unit takes around 7.5 hours to charge at home, while the LR77’s Three Phase 11kW unit can get you fully powered in 7.

The MG4 has a 500kg towing capability as well.

Safety and warranty

Bestowed with a full five-star ANCAP rating, the MG4 is reassuringly safe. Onboard, the MG Pilot’s suite of active driver safety features includes adaptive cruise control, intelligent speed limit assist, blind spot detection, forward collision warning and many more. The Excites have nine features, and the Essence and Long Range come with five more. 

Each MG4 variant has six airbags, ISOFIX points in the rear seats for young children and rear ultrasonic sensors for those tricky parking moments. All MG4 variants have a generous seven-year warranty from the first registration date or 160,000km, whichever occurs first.

Summary

The MG4’s astonishingly good value price point makes buying an EV closer to reality for those who dream of owning one. Thankfully, you’re not compromising on a thing, and it’s best in its budget class. The MG4 looks sharp, comes with sizeable range and power, has all the high-tech kit you need onboard and is fun to drive. It has set a new benchmark for affordable EV standards.

Time will tell if the MG4 will outsell its closest competitors, the BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora, though it currently out-ranks them for range and charging speed. If the international acclaim and awards so far are anything to go by, the MG4 will be zooming up the sales charts into poll position.

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