MG4 EV: One of the most surprising cars we've reviewed

[Music] the mg4 redefines its brand and redefines what customers should have to pay for a cutting-edge compact 5-seat EV family hatchback it probably won't be on your wish list if you're currently looking for a car of this kind it should be please for the first time in its long history mg is a proper mainstream player proper in terms of sales it's currently outselling Brands like mini skoda and Land Rover and proper in terms of product or at least in terms of this one the mg4 the company calls this compact full EV hatch a disrupter offering much more for much less and that's exactly what it is for less than the cost of an EV super mini here's an all-electric family car that makes similarly priced Rivals look hopelessly overpriced with new Chinese era mgs of the past there would have been a caveat to come at this point or several cheap build quality dull Road manners Naf interior Plastics and in the case of an EV feeble driving range none of which on paper at least seemed to apply to the mg4 the first of several future models from the brand to use the sophisticated all new modular scalable platform that in coming years will transform what we can expect from the mark if you're about to sign for a Volkswagen ID3 or a Kia Niro EV stop and watch this film first the usual thorough car and driving road test [Music] there's no key or starter button and thankfully unlike some other Far Eastern models no silly Chimes either once you're comfortable in the seat you just press the brake and the car comes to life foreign this is the first in a series of New Era mg models that ride and handle at a similar level to pricier volume brand competitors being able to base everything on properly modern underpinnings helps in this case the Brand's freshly developed modular scalable platform but there's more to the engineering here than that a slender battery pack that occupies almost the whole wheelbase length a compact rear mounted motor and perfect 50 50 weight distribution to start with there's a choice of two powertrains both of which put out 250 newton meters of pulling power the base 51 kilowatt-hour version has a 170 PS motor manages 218 miles of range and makes 62 miles an hour from rest in seven and a half seconds ideally you'll want to stretch to the 64 kilowatt-hour version which has a 203 PS motor is a fraction slower to 62 miles an hour 7.7 seconds but goes 281 miles between charges or 270 miles if you opt for the plusher but portla trophy trim spec if that's not really enough for you then wait until mg introduces the extended Range model which has a larger 77 kilowatt hour battery and targets 329 miles of range for the future a dual motor all-wheel drive performance hot hatch model is planned which will be the far fastest mg in history with 443 brake horsepower and a sub 5 Second not to 62 mile an hour Sprint time we hope mg does something about the steering feedback by the time it introduces that car because there isn't much of that here which is a shame because in most other aspects this car feels really quite sporty as promised that new chassis helps the car feel taut and responsive and though the rides on the firm side is something that you could live with and it gives you the feel that this mg would be up for a few playful back roads if you could afford the battery range to let it have its head do that and you'll find decent body control eager traction and not too much evidence of the portly near 1.7 tonne curb weight it's easily the most entertaining mg to date you'd expect various Drive modes and settings and sure enough this mg provides them there are five driving modes normal sport Eco snow and custom and four selectable regenerative braking settings weak medium strong and adaptive the first list of these doing 80 are braking for you annoyingly there's no dedicated button for the drive modes nor are there paddles for the regen settings so you have to fiddle with a small virtual buttons buried in the menus of the center screen to access all the various options which is also necessary for you to turn off the constant beeping from the lane departure warning system all this gives you the feeling that mg is still getting to grips with some of the technology demanded of a modern EV like this it's all there though for the money you're getting a very complete package indeed [Music] did you ever imagine an mg might look like this not to the point did you ever imagine an ordinary family hatchback might look like this like us you might wonder whether a humble EV limited to 100 miles an hour really needs the downforce of a twin Aero rear spoiler but hey why not that's a feature limited to this top trophy spec as is the strobe patterned rear center light bar which will illuminate your mg4 distinctively as you search for it in the Tesco car park on a wet Friday night think of this car as a Chinese take on a Volkswagen ID3 and you won't be far off the mark the two EVS are similar in size and if anything the mg4 looks more contemporary almost cooper-like with its floating roof heavily sculpted black lower body work short rear overhangs and intricate rear light clusters it's also the first mg model with badging referencing its saic conglomerate parent in the side of the rear light unit the insectoid looks could do with a larger set of wheels than the standard 17-inch rims to set them off but aesthetically that's about it on the debit side clip the key fob and the projector LED headlamps spring into life welcoming you in what's in store inside something very different is the answer it feels minimalist Uber modern and a whole generation on from anything mg has previously ever offered us before at first glance there's a curious and slightly over large steering wheel flat topped and bottomed through which you view a seven inch instrument screen plus the center floating 10.25 inch infotainment display and not a lot else the interior look lacks the bright and cheery feel of an ID3 and you can nitpick about some aspects of plastics quality but overall the design here lacks little in either ambition or execution apart from the rotary Drive selector and the accompanying electronic parking brake switch the only physical Dash controls are a row of buttons beneath the central screen the far left one brings up a climate screen that requires far too much of your attention away from the road in order to perform simple temperature tasks as we've said before systems like these represent a step backwards in Cabin ergonomics we're not especially keen on these unmarked toggle steering wheel controls either though you'd probably get used to them in time apart from that though unless you object to the rather dark dour feel and there are the basic design of the square twin screens one writer thought they looked like they were sourced from a Radio Shack fire sale there's little else to object to stretch to this top of the range trophy version as many customers will and you're properly spoiled to check our market and model range section for information on that a few more words on those screens the instrument one isn't particularly configurable and seems rather over cluttered with information with speed and range in the Center Drive Assist features on the left and selectable data readouts on the right this large Center screen could do with a clearer interface to the home page being one of those that you can split into customizable widgets here we've got charging Weather Radio and navigation a shortcut right hand column that connects you quickly through to nav Music phone and vehicle functions apart from the rather narrow door bins storage Provisions decent you get a deep stowage bin beneath the central armrest with a netted pouch ahead of it plus a covered draw between the seats and twin cup holders above which you'll find a 12 volt socket and a usba port there's also a properly sized glove box and a tray for your smartphone which with this top spec version includes a charging mat mg is remembered sunglasses compartment two you might find it annoying that there's no way of turning the car off should you wish to park up and remain in it the only way of powering the mg4 down is to get out and lock it let's gain access again and take a look in the back a great benefit of EV drivetrain packaging is the way that it usually frees up surprising amounts of rear seat legroom which is again the case here even a six foot adult wouldn't have too many complaints in this case look carefully and you'll see that subtle cost saving choices have been made the lack of a central armrest and an overhead grab handle for instance but you're more likely to notice the absence of an obstructive Center tunnel and the smart blue upholstery stitching is also quite nice plus there are reasonably sized bins in the doors and suit back stowage usefully there are also two more Pockets higher up for smartphones and down here a socket from which to charge them with a cubby just below out back the tailgate Rises to reveal a 363 liter boot that looks reasonably sized but is 22 liters smaller than that of a rival Volkswagen ID3 still there are small netted Side Pockets plus the Practical shaping means you can make good use of what's available and there's an adjustable height floor under which you can conveniently store the charging cables no room is provided further down for any sort of spare wheel though so as with most TVs in the event of a puncher you'll be stuck at the side of the road with a pump and a tennis sealant there's no room for the carriage of lengthy items if the back seat is occupied because mg provides neither a ski hatch or a flexibly spit back rest if flatten that and up to 1177 liters of capacity is freed up unlike some other EVS mg doesn't provide you with any extra storage space beneath the bonnet [Music] from the launch of this car and at the time of this test in Autumn 2022 prices started from around 26 000 pounds which gets you the mg4ev in base SE form a variant available with either standard range or for a 1500 pounds more long-range batteries the top trophy version around 31 and a half thousand pounds only comes in Long Range form now these figures might sound a lot if you're not familiar with EV pricing these days but it they represent a massive saving on segment Rivals and also undercut smaller EVS too the key segment rival Volkswagen's ID3 starts at around 37 000 pounds as does a Kia Niro ev even in a much smaller Vauxhall Corsa electric super mini costs around 31 000 pounds that was at the time of this test you could also consider a Nissan Leaf priced from around 29 000 pounds at the time of this test but the usual 39 kilowatt hour version of one of those takes you only 168 miles between charges about 50 miles less than an mg4 most EV customers buy with finance and there things look even better the volume mg4 SC Long Range model would at launch require 300 pounds a month from you for a three-year 30 000 mile package after a four thousand pound down payment compare that to 564 pounds a month for a rival Volkswagen ID3 or 417 pounds a month for for a smaller Renault Zoe and 430 pounds a month for a smaller Vauxhall Corsa electric you get the idea there are big savings to be had here as advertised This truly is disruptive pricing it isn't as if mg has skimped on kit either SC models get automatic LED headlights and rear lights rear parking sensors LED tail lamps 17-inch alloy wheels adaptive cruise control automatic climate control a seven inch instrument screen an alarm and mg iSmart at connectivity media connectivity is taking care of by a 10.25 inch color touchscreen incorporating a four-speaker dab audio system and Apple carplay Android auto smartphone mirroring is it worth stretching to a top trophy variant like this one you might well think so with that you gain a two-tone roof a fancy patterned rear center light bar this twin Arrow rear spoiler a rear privacy glass and power folding mirrors inside at trophy level there's a faux leather interior with an electric driver's seat a heated front seats and a heated steering wheel plus Bluetooth satellite navigation a 360 degree camera wireless phone charging and an auto dipping rear view mirror in terms of Media stuff trophy spec gets you an improved six-speaker dab audio system with 3D sound plus mg's Suite of live services including weather live traffic and access to Amazon music across the range options are few but a towing mode is provided so that you can add a tow bar which isn't possible with every EV in this class you'll need to pay extra for most of the available paint colors choose bright volcano orange paintwork if you really want your mg4 to stand out what about safety provision well MG cars have taken a huge step forward in that regard in recent years and this one continues that Trend thanks to a very complete Suite of mg pilot features the active emergency braking system has pedestrian and bicycle detection there's Lane keep assist with a lane departure warning system intelligent speed assist with traffic sign recognition there's intelligent high beam assist that'll dip your headlights for you at night there's driver attention alert that's there to warn you if drowsiness is detected and even a traffic jam assist system which will effectively drive the car for you at low speeds in congested queues as you'd expect the usual front side and curtain airbags feature too along with isofix rear child seat fastenings this top trophy trim level adds more along with adaptive cruise control there's blind spot detection to stop you dangerously pulling out in front of another vehicle Lane change assist allowing you to switch lanes with a click of the indicator door opening warning alerting occupants about to open their doors in the face of oncoming traffic and rear cross traffic alert now that's there to warn you oncoming Vehicles when you're reversing out of a space it's all very reassuring foreign [Music] we gave you the driving range figures 218 miles for an sc 51 kilowatt hour model 281 miles for an SE long range 64 kilowatt hour version and 270 miles for a trophy 64 kilowatt-hour top variant with the promise of 329 miles for the future 77 kilowatt hour extended range derivative to give you some perspective on that we'll tell you that arrival 58 kilowatt hour Volkswagen ID3 manages 265 miles of range while the 64.8 kilowatt hour battery of arrival Kia Niro EV takes it 285 miles so mg's right up at the prevailing class standard with these figures to achieve them you will of course need regularly to activate the provided Eco driving mode and maybe also select the available energy saving mode from the center screen which moves all of the car systems to their most efficient settings to eke out battery mileage you'll also have to get familiar with the regenerative braking modes and regularly use the fiercest strong mg quotes a combined driving efficiency figure between 3.6 and 3.8 kilowatt hour and between 4.9 and 5.2 kilowatt hour in town now we've been getting up to 4.2 miles per kilowatt hour from this long-range model throughout our test which is very class competitive and works out to an actual real world range of 259 miles aerodynamics are key here of course hence the importance of the active Grille system which regulates airflow at the front of the car you'll want to keep an eye on the EV section of the center monitor badged charging this initially connects you through to a screen showing available range and percentage battery use from there you can switch to an energy consumption display giving you three options an energy flow monitor a circular regen benefit meter showing how much energy you've been harvesting and an energy consumption graph as for charging the battery well the 64 kilowatt-hour long range variant 61.7 kilowatt hour usable that most will want equals the same charging speed that you get with the Rival Volkswagen ID3 accepting rates of 135 kilowatts the Bear in mind that figure Falls to 117 kilowatts with 51 kilowatt-hour standard Range model which has 50.8 kilowatt hours of usable battery capacity connect up this long range model to a 150 kilowatt public charger and that's enough to replenish the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 35 minutes 39 minutes for the standard range version most of the time of course you'll be charging from home using a conventional 7.4 kilowatt garage wall box the standard Range model needs eight hours 15 minutes for a full charge it'll be 10 hours for this long range version you can preset charging times via the center screen or by using the provided mg iSmart app you might worry about depreciation from a budget brand like mg actually the opposite is true industry experts cat reckon that this mg4 in volume SE long range form will retain up to 64.6 percent of its value after three years which is similar to the return you'd get from premium Brands like Tesla Porsche and Land Rover even the top trophy version will retain 61 percent of its original cost and if that doesn't convince you then the comprehensive and transferable seven year eighty thousand mile warranty just might Insurance Groups start at 27d for the base 51 kilowatt hour SC model it's 28d for the 64 kilowatt hour SC variant and 29d for this top trophy 64 kilowatt hour mg4 service plans are available including full AA roadside assistance and costing from around six pounds a month with repayment spread over two to five years like all zero emissions EVS it also avoids the London congestion charge and your benefit in kind taxation will be rated at a super low two percent [Music] foreign [Music] G was taken over by the Chinese saic conglomerate the cars it sold have been good value well equipped and practical but never desirable or dynamically truly class competitive all that changes with the mg4 what's really important here is that the basics are right in fact this is one of the most surprising cars we've reviewed for ages all the engineering stuff Stacks up it looks good and driving range and charging figures are well up to Snuff yes throughout this test we've criticized a few detail things the rather somber cabin a few infotainment issues and a lack of cornering feel from the steering rack but these are the kind of issues a quality European brand could probably fix in a couple of afternoons and anyway you'll forget all that when you find that this car costs up to ten thousand pounds less than some of its obvious Rivals is better equipped and comes with a seven year warranty after trying an mg4 you may well still decide you want a better known segment rival but make no mistake if you're choosing an EV in this class try one you must foreign [Music]

Channel: Intelligent Car Leasing

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Id: 7z-oZae51RI

Length: 23min 20sec (1400 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 08 2022