Isn’t it nice when car companies actually listen to feedback and respond.
Such is the case with the MG4 EV, the cute little four-door coupe that really made people sit and take notice of the Chinese car maker with the fondly remembered British name.
To wit, the second generation MG4 is a much better offering than the car it replaces, as appealing as the original might have been.
Launched in 2022 and updated in July last year, MG has obviously listened and made the appropriate changes, and it shows — because this car has a lot going for it. Importantly, they didn’t fool with the look of the MG4 because it’s the stubby, sporty, wedge shape that drew buyers to the car in the first place.
We’re big believers in the three Ps. For a car to garner commercial success and this goes for any car, it has to present well, be priced sensibly and perform satisfyingly — that is fun to drive.
The MG4 ticks all three boxes and while it might look pretty much the same as before, slip inside the latest version and you’ll find things have changed — quite a lot in fact.
And before we proceed, the MG4 EV should not be confused with the similarly named sibling the MG4 EV Urban that was released recently. It’s a cheaper, more conservative offering.
STYLING
The range has been pruned and streamlined, reduced from five to just two versions.
There’s the MG4 EV Essence 64 and the halo MG4 Xpower, priced from $39,990 and $47,990 respectively — both prices driveaway.
The MG4 EV Urban effectively replaces the lower end of the range. The number 64 denotes the size of the battery, which in both versions is the same 64 kWh. Sadly, the long-range Essence 77 (77 kWh) didn’t make the cut, the battery that is.
That said the Essence 64 delivers increased range, up from 435km to 452km from a single charge (WLTP),
That’s still nowhere near the Essence 77 however at a distant 530km. That makes no sense — why the hell take range away?
Inside, the cabin has been redesigned, borrowing heavily from the new design language of the MGS5 and new MGS6 EVs.
It looks and feels more upmarket, with a more refined finish and the addition of buttons for various controls.
There’s single-zone climate air conditioning, combo cloth and synthetic leather, heated seats and a heated steering wheel, with a six-way power adjustable driver seat.
The rear seats are genuinely roomy and the boot features 388 litres with the rear seats up, or 1164 litres when folded.
Standard kit includes heated front seats and leather steering wheel, and power adjust driver seat, with keyless entry and start and an electric parking brake.
It also comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, auto high beam, adjustable steering weight, LED head, tail and daytime running lights, auto lights (but oddly not wipers), auto-dimming rear view mirror, rear parking sensors and rear privacy glass.
To this XPower adds a sports kit and black roof, more power and torque, all-wheel drive, launch control, different battery type, 18-inch five-spoke alloys, metallic brake calliper covers, electronic differential system, PVC/suede upholstery, front sports seats and manual driver seat lumbar support.
A 12-month subscription to iSmart provides remote access to the car and allows owners to unlock the doors and turn on the air conditioning.
The MG4 EV is covered by a 10‑year/250,000km warranty if serviced by the company (otherwise it’s seven years/unlimited kilometres).
The battery itself is covered for 7 years or 150,000km.
Service has been reined in to 12 months or 25,000km (from 24 months/40,000km).
INFOTAINMENT
Both the driver and infotainment screens have increased in size, the driver display from 7.0 to 10.25 inches and the infotainment touchscreen from 10.25 to 12.8 inches.
Sounds like they used the old infotainment screen for the driver and brought in a bigger one for infotainment duties.
The menu system seems easier to navigate, with Bluetooth, voice control, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, built-in navigation, wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto, and apps like Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, and Amazon Music — all of these things are fairly standard these days.
Audio is provided by an unbranded, six-speaker sound system (minus the sound field calibration).
There are two USB C ports, along with a 12-volt outlet in the centre console box, plus another USB-C port in the rear.
A fourth port near the base of the rear vision mirror has been removed.
SAFETY
This version of the MG4 carries a five-star safety rating (Xpower does not). Six airbags, a 360-degree camera and the MG Pilot safety suite of 14 systems deliver the goods.
Forward Collision Warning detects vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians in urban areas, activating Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) to prevent collisions through alerts and automatic braking.
Traffic jam assist detects heavy traffic and automatically follows the vehicle in front, controlling acceleration, braking and steering within the lane.
Lane Departure Warning uses a front smart camera to detect and correct lane deviations, enhancing driving safety.
Rear cross traffic alert warns of approaching vehicles and pedestrians when reversing out of parking spaces. Blind spot detection registers objects in hard-to-see areas to help you change lanes safely. Door opening warning warns of approaching danger when opening vehicle doors.
An advanced speed assistance system is also standard.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The 64-kWh battery in Essence (61.7 of which is usable) is paired with a 140kW/350Nm electric motor that drives the rear wheels via a single-speed automatic transmission.
DRIVING
The MG4 fires up in anticipation of the driver entering the car.
Get in and it’s ready to go, but it’s not fully automatic, approach, walk-away locking/unlocking.
These’s one of those tiny thumb buttons sticking out of the door handle to unlock the doors, and they’re proper handles — not pop-outs.
In point of fact, you need to lock the car using the keyfob to actually turn off the drivetrain, or the system remains active, lights blazing a warning.
Settling into the drive seat for the first time, a quick look around reveals a very different cabin to the previous model, with a new dashboard and centre console that have been completely redesigned.
The touchscreen is larger too, so is the driver display panel which no longer sits proud but is inset in the dash.
The weird, floating console which was the source of much comment has been replaced by a more contemporary one with upper and lower levels.
The top of the dash has also lost the tacky, retro dashmat that used to adorn the top.
There are even some proper knobs for controlling the audio system volume as well as the aircon, including cabin temperature.
But at a far more basic level there’s still no air vents to keep the rear seat passengers from becoming car sick.
The new console also sees the addition of a wireless phone charging pad, while CarPlay and Android Auto now support wireless connectivity. AM radio also puts in an appearance.
Legroom front and back is good, and the driver’s seat is reasonably comfortable, with power adjustment and tilt/reach adjustment for the steering wheel, but the steering wheel is offset to the left a little.
With the addition of a third headrest for the rear seat, visibility through the rear window is challenging. A rear-view camera compensates in part.
The lights are automatic, including high beam, but there is no auto setting for the windscreen wipers.
The MG4 delivers a remarkably sporty drive, thanks in part to its electric motor, rear-wheel drive and low centre of gravity.
Performance is sharp, it handles okay and the ride quality is generally good, although the car has a tendency to become bouncy on poor, undulating roads.
Suspension is Mac strut at the front and a multi-link set up at the rear, and it rides on 18-inch alloy wheels with Bridgestone Turanza 235/45 profile tyres and low wind resistance wheel covers as is the norm with EVs.
They supposedly help reduce drag at highway speeds and extend range, compared to heavier alloys. That’s the theory anyway.
The dash from 0-100km/h takes 7.5 seconds. If you hanker for more, this figure drops to just 3.8 seconds with the more powerful, all-wheel drive XPower.
There are five drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, Snow and Custom and the steering weight can be adjusted, plus four levels of regenerative braking, including one-pedal driving.
Interestingly, although the Essence 64 and XPower have the same size battery, they’re actually different.
The first is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit, the second a lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery.
NMC batteries have a higher energy density, which means more energy can be stored in a smaller, lighter package.
That makes it ideal for the more demanding XPower model.
Energy consumption is a claimed 17.6 kWh/100km, delivering a range of 452km.
The car can be charged using AC at a rate of 6.6kW and with a commercial DC fast charger at up to 164kW.
Charging from 0-100 per cent takes 9 hours (AC) and from 10-80 per cent will take about 29 minutes (DC).
MG4 misses out on under-bonnet storage, but the boot has a false bottom providing access to a shallow storage area where charging cables can be stashed.
We find ourselves reaching for Eco mode more often these days, especially in an EV to maximise range, and while it has the desired effect the setting does not tick between restarts.
But there’s no shortage of warnings from the driver assist systems, often for no apparent reason.
At one point the loud take-a-break warning sounded after just a few minutes in the car and it took us a minute or two of searching to work out how to turn it off.
Wireless charging is a boon when using your phone for navigation, but our Pixel overheated quickly and failed to charge.
We were getting 14.2 kWh/100km after close to 470km of mixed driving. Much better than the claimed 17.6 kWh.
A tyre repair kit is provided in the event of a puncture.
SUMMING UP
It’s not perfect, but the MG4 is better than before and deserves a place on your short list if you’re in the market for an EV.
It offers sharp performance, is fun to drive and offers a decent amount of range, and most importantly — it doesn’t cost a bomb.
Check it out!
RATINGS:
Looks: 7.5
Performance: 7.75
Safety: 7.5
Thirst: 7.5
Practicality: 8
Comfort: 7.25
Tech: 7.5
Value: 8.25
Overall: 7.7
AT A GLANCE
MODEL LINE-UP
MG4 EV Essence 64: $39,990
MG4 EV Xpower: $47,990
Note: These prices are driveaway and include government and dealer delivery charges.
SPECIFICATIONS (MG4 EV Essence 64, single-speed automatic, RWD hatch)
POWERTRAIN
Single electric motor, 64 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP)
Combined energy consumption: Claimed 17.6 kWh / 100 km
Maximum Power: 140 kW
Maximum Torque: 350 Nm
Charging: 164 kW (10-80pc) 29 min
DRIVELINE:
Single motor, single-speed automatic, RWD
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT, AND CAPACITIES
Length: 4287 mm
Width: 1836 mm
Height: 1516 mm
Wheelbase: 2705 mm
Kerb weight: 1765 kg
Turning circle: 10.6 m
BRAKES
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Ventilated disc
STANDARD WARRANTY
7 years / unlimited kilometres
