Since the MG brand reborn, thanks to the current Chinese ownership of SAICimmediately focused heavily on the electrification of mobility, initially with several electric carswith a commercial focus that then also settled in the direction of the hybrid.
A car that was immediately a symbol of the proposal MG4 Electrica car that in our area we would define as average, with a particular design, interesting technical specifications, and above all a competitive price for the electrical sector. Over the months MG has continued to push sales of the model, and so we wanted to test this car to really understand strengths and weaknesses. As always we used it as our first personal car, adding a couple of our specific tests for electric cars.
The MG4 a rear-wheel Drive (with the exception of the new XPower), ed 4.28 meters long, which places it right at the limit of the B segment, almost halfway with the C, with a width of 1.83 (excluding mirrors) and a height that just exceeds 1.5 metres. The running weight is 1,726 kg, all in all not bad considering the battery pack with a decent capacity. In fact, they are under the floor 64 kWhwith 104 lithium cells with NCM chemistry. The battery supports DC charging up to 142 kW, while in AC the on-board charger reaches 6.6 kW for the basic version, 11 kW for the more equipped ones. All this feeds a 150 kW electric motor, or 204 HP if you prefer, with torque of 250 Nm, and maximum speed of 160 km/h. Not specifications pushed to the limit, considering the power of the engine, but the feeling that a balance has been sought between performance and consumption. The autonomy declared in WLTP between 435 and 450 kmwhich could actually be driven in urban areas, given consumption which has often fallen below 150 Wh/km.
As we know well by now, autonomy decreases at high speeds, but we will return to this point later. The style of the MG4 can’t exactly be defined as conventional, but it certainly has character and stands out from the crowd. The sharp lines of the front are of typically Chinese design, while the particular rear, with light band, and double upper spoiler, winks at those who appreciate a vaguely sporty design. Only on the aesthetic side though, because in practice the setup we tried is the Luxurycalibrated for a Average road behavior. The cockpit is probably the part that best demonstrates MG’s intentions. Nothing is missing inside, the perception of a minimal style, but not excessively cheap, even if there is extensive use of various types of plastic.
Behind the steering wheel we find the digital instruments reproduced on a 7″ display, with clear indications, but perhaps a little small font, and a lot of unused black space. The main 10″ infotainment, and just below retains some physical keys, for climate control and some other functions. The software is decent in quality, fluid, but definitely needs some work, starting from the fact that some features are only in a few main languages, and Italian is missing. Which is a bit strange considering that the car has been on our market for some time now. The menu structure for smart, with a tab layout that recalls particular functions quickly. If it weren’t for the sloppy localization, it would pass with flying colors. Furthermore, behind the wheel the graphics reproduce what the ADAS “see”, a useful detail, and which other manufacturers should implement, now having all digital displays, but poorly exploited. The levers on the steering wheel seem to be borrowed from endothermic vehicles, as all the controls for the electrical part, such as the direction of travel, are moved to the central console, which is also atypical. A high area it features the circular selector, and the tray for wireless charging of the smartphone, and further down there is the storage area. As you can see from our presentation video, the dashboard has a simple line, which certainly helps to keep the price lower, as do the seats, a bit flashy in design, but made with simple materials.
All in all, a compact car, which however offers a luggage compartment of 363 litres, with a very regular shape, and with an easily removable hat shelf, to make the most of the space also in height. In our luggage test video, with the standard suitcase kit that we always use on these occasions, we placed a large suitcase, as well as four cabin trolleys. Interestingly, there is a few centimeters more height compared to other competing cars, even with the wedge-shaped style of the MG4. There also remains some unused space, which could be exploited by more deformable bags, or backpacks of various sizes. There is no front cargo area, or frunk, as is often the case with smaller cars.
At the beginning we mentioned autonomy, which we also tested in more severe conditions. We took the MG4 on a motorway loop, a Fixed 130 km/hto discover the true autonomy in these conditions, which we know are those that put consumption to the greatest test. To try to make the test as truthful as possible, the driving mode chosen was sport, to have available all kW of power declared by the house. According to the counter on the dashboard we should have traveled 360 km with 100% battery, a value that we know is approximate and optimistic. With the greater aerodynamic resistance of high speeds, the consumption of the MG4 stood at around 21.7 kWh/100 km, with a total range of 270 km, with a slight charge surplus, around 3%. So a total autonomy, assuming you use all the battery, of approximately 280 km. A more than decent result, considering that, as you can see from the dedicated video, the test was actually carried out at a fixed 130 km/h, with the exception of the few meters of inversions in the motorway loop.
The car was used for several days on all types of journeys, not just on the motorway, and without any particular energy saving measures other than setting the regenerative braking at the highest level. In the city MG4 is fun to drive, very quick when stationary, but without exceeding the instantaneous power, therefore making the car easy to drive even for those who have a first approach to electric cars. For the more experienced user, however, it proves to be dynamic and fun, even if in more extreme situations it lets its qualities as a “car for everyone” shine through. In fact, the suspensions are quite softthere is a bit of roll in corners at higher speeds, a consequence of the desire to please a wider range of customers.
Coming to the pricing and configuration chapter, MG has decided not to wait for the newly developed state incentives, and to advance the discounts out of its own pocket. The MG4, in fact, in standard version (with 51 kWh battery) it is on offer at 19,790 euros (current incentives already deducted), exactly 11,000 euros less than the list price which would be 30,790 euros. The same discounts should also be available for the other versions, which would have the following prices:
- Comfort: 34,790 euros
- Luxury: 36,790 euros
- Trophy Extended Range: 40,290 euros
- XPower 41,290 euros
The Trophy version comes with an even larger battery, 77 kWh, while the XPower increases the power up to 320 kW, but with a double motor and a more rigid structure. In any case, the new state incentives will soon be active, so we will see how the brand will remodulate the discounts. In any case, there are various setups that you can take home for attractive prices.
