[Auto] MG Motor 4 EV review

[Agent47]

 

 

Even a short while ago, the idea that MG Motor could directly benchmark one of its cars against a Volkswagen, not merely as an ambition but as a serious attempt to match and even better the model in question, would have produced reactions ranging from acidic cynicism to full-on mirth.

But study the look, content, price, spec and price again of this MG 4, then take a drive, and your mind will be duly adjusted. This car is more than competitive, more sophisticated than anything MG Motor has offered to date, decently enjoyable to drive, very well equipped, civilised and priced to make you look twice.

Guy Pigounakis, MG Motor’s commercial director and industry veteran of more than 40 years, calls the MG 4 a ‘disruptor’, for offering vastly more for less. He’s particularly pleased with a residual value forecast that enables an especially competitive PCP, starting at £300 per month.

Market essentials such as these, along with a now-extensive dealer network and a seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty, provide the bedrock from which to launch a model that Pigounakis expects to swiftly become MG Motor’s best seller. These days that will make it quite a big seller too, the company’s UK sales swelling near-unstoppably.

The essence of the MG 4 is an all-new modular scalable platform that will see service across parent company SAIC Group’s own-brand models, potentially achieving massive volumes. The MG 4 is the first SAIC product to use a platform notable for a slender battery pack that occupies almost the entirety of the wheelbase, a compact, rear-mounted motor and a 50:50 weight distribution regardless of battery output.

Of which there’s a choice of two, the base 51kWh pack of the £25,995 MG 4 SE teamed with a 168bhp motor to deliver 218 miles of range and a 7.7sec sprint to 62mph. The £28,495 SE Long Range provides a 64kWh unit good for a 281-mile range and a slightly slower surge to 62mph in 7.9sec, while the range-topping £31,495 Trophy serves the same statistics with usefully more kit.

Not that the standard SE goes short, providing a floating 10.25in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-compatible infotainment screen, a DAB radio, a data-packed 7.0in driver information screen, an extensive suite of electronic driver aids including radar cruise control, lane keeping and traffic jam assist, five driving modes and four levels of regenerative braking.

All this is packaged within a style notably more contemporary than you’ll currently find in an MG Motor showroom, if a little generic. That said, the short rear overhang, elaborate rear lights, floating roof and heavily sculpted, black lower bodywork produce a look more athletic than the Volkswagen ID 3’s.

The dashboard is more striking too, its strong horizontality broken by the twin floating screens and a steering wheel rim flat at both top and bottom. If the cabin is a little gloomy – seats, carpets, door cards and headlining all dark as night – it’s nevertheless pretty spacious, especially against the electric superminis that the MG 4 competes with on price. Boot space is less clever, but the false floor allows tidy stowage of the charge cable, and the folding rear seats are split.

Such practicalities are soon forgotten when it comes to the driving. Merely getting in ignites the twin screens, drive-away readiness is achieved by pressing the brake. Swivelling an almost comically large rotary knob resembling a high-end 1970s amplifier volume control selects drive, and you’re off, in silence and enjoying a ride that rounds off sharp bumps to comfortingly good effect. If you’ve recently stepped out of an ID 3, you’ll also notice less road noise, a smoother ride and slightly sharper performance. Of which there’s plenty, given that this is a family hatchback, with enough in-gear zest to make overtaking a satisfyingly brisk experience.

 

Link : https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/mg-motor/4-ev