All New MG4 EV Review: All New MG4 EV is MG’s first fully-electric hatchback car. From launch the MG4 is available in Standard Range and Long Range forms, but it’s already confirmed that an Extended Range model will be introduced in 2023. That particular variant will use a 77kWh battery and according to MG offer a range of up to 329 miles, which is about 10 miles shy of the equivalent VW ID.3 or Cupra Born.

The brand also estimates the high-performance version of the MG4, which will pair the 64kWh Long Range battery with a dual-motor setup, should be able to cover around 250 miles on a charge.

All New MG4 EV Review

Range applies to All New MG4 EV SE Long Range with the 64kWh battery from a single charge on the WLTP combined cycle: Combined Range 281 miles (450 km): City Range: 360 miles (579 km); Combined Driving Efficiency: 3.8 miles/kWh (16.0 kWh/I00km).

Model	Range	Wall box Charge Time	Rapid Charge Time
Standard Range	218 miles	8hrs 15mins (0-100%, 7.4kW)	39mins (10-80%, 150kW)
Long Range	270-281 miles	10hrs (0-100%, 7.4kW)	35mins (10-80%, 150kW)

MG4 EV range

The Standard Range MG4 starts at just under £26,000, for which you get a 51kWh battery and 218 miles of range. That might not seem like loads, but it’s further than more expensive EVs like the Fiat 500 or an entry-level Nissan Leaf can manage on a full battery.

Upgrade to the Long Range powertrain, which includes a larger 64kWh battery, and range increases to 281 miles for SE models, or 270 miles should you go for the range-topping Trophy model. Both figures are slightly longer than the range for a VW ID.3 or Cupra Born when fitted with a 58kWh battery, and for considerably less money.

The MG4 has proven itself to be extremely efficient, as we’ve seen it return up to 4.2 miles per kWh. Based on a usable battery capacity of 61.7kWh for a Long Range model like our Trophy-spec test car, that works out to a real-world range of 259 miles; that’s within 4% of its claimed figure, without any real concession to hypermiling.

If you’ve got a bit more of a lead foot or do lots of motorway miles, the MG4 will return closer to 3.8 miles per kWh, which works out to a real-world range of 235 miles.

MG4 EV Price & Release Date

In the UK, the prices of the MG4 EV start at GBP 25,995, and its launch will take place in September 2022.

MG4 EV Trim	MG4 EV Price
SE Standard Range	GBP 25,995
SE Long Range	GBP 28,495
Trophy Long Range	GBP 31,495

SAIC started exporting the MG4 Electric to Europe on July 22, 2022. The company said in the announcement that it will launch the EV in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg in Q4 2022. Production takes place at SAIC’s Ningde factory in China, suggests images circulating in the local media (view on d1ev.com). The facility is Asia’s largest automobile plant.

Distinctive Design of MG4 EV

MG4 EV Exterior Design

The MG4 Electric is an aggressively designed electric hatchback. SAIC says it’s the first truly global car from the MG brand, and the design is such that it appeals the Chinese and global customers alike. At the front, the MG4 features a shark-like nose section, petal-shaped, three-eyed headlamps, a muscular bumper with vertical side air intakes, a split lower air intake, and a lip spoiler.

The MG4 Electric has a sporty appearance on the sides with a rising beltline, sharp creases on the door panels and shoulders, orange brake calipers, and two-tone black and silver alloy wheels in an EV-typical aerodynamic design. The charging port is on the quarter panel above the left wheel arch.

At the rear, the MG4 Electric features a hunkered-down stance, a large, almost full-width tail light (featuring the SAIC Vision LED Lighting System), a clean bumper, a split rear spoiler, and an SUV-style large skid plate. Except for the low ride height, it looks like a crossover in many ways.

In the UK, the MG4 EV will be available in Volcano Orange (new), Camden Grey (new), Holborn Blue, Dynamic Red, Black Pearl, and Arctic White colors. MG will offer a two-tone roof option as well.

MG4 EV Interior Design

The MG4 features a simplistic yet contemporary interior featuring a sleek dashboard with slim AC vents, a floating center console with the drive mode selector and electric parking brake, a compact, two-spoke steering with flattened top and bottom, and a light white and gray two-tone upholstery. The instrument cluster is a 7-inch compact display attached to the dashboard. A 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment display sits atop the center of the dashboard.

 

MG4 EV Specifications

Aspect	MG4 EV Standard Range Specifications	MG4 EV Long Range Specifications
Length	4,287 mm	4,287 mm
Width	1,836 mm	1,836 mm
Height	1,504 mm	1,504 mm
Wheelbase	2,705 mm	2,705 mm
Front Track	1,550 mm	1,550 mm
Rear Track	1,551 mm	1,551 mm
Boot Capacity (rear seats up)	363 liters	363 liters
Boot Capacity (rear seats folded)	1,177 liters	1,177 liters
Wheels	17-inch	17-inch
Curb Weight	1,655 kg	1,685 kg
Gross Weight	2,103 kg	2,133 kg
System Power	168 hp	201 hp
System Torque	184 lb.-ft.	184 lb.-ft.
Acceleration (0-60 mph)	7.5 seconds	7.7 seconds
Top Speed	100 mph	100 mph
Battery Pack Capacity	51 kWh	64 kWh
Combined Range (WLTP)	218 miles	281 miles (SE)/270 miles (Trophy)
City Range (WLTP)	305 miles	360 miles (SE)/358 miles (Trophy)
Charging Time (7 kW AC fast-charger)	7.5 hours	9 hours
Charging Time (50 kW DC fast-charger)	52 minutes	60 minutes
Charging Time (150 kW DC fast-charger)	39 minutes	35 minutes

MG4 Electric specifications (Source: mg.co.uk)

Nebula Platform (MSP)

While the ZS EV came off a combustion engine model (ZS), the MG4 Electric is a bespoke EV based on the Nebula platform. That’s what MG is calling its new platform back home. In Europe, the branding used is Modular Scalable Platform or MSP in short. In a report it published on June 26, 2022, autohome.com.cn called this a “super platform” developed from the ground up exclusively for electric vehicles. ‘E2’ is the internal codename as per the Chinese report, meaning it’s the successor to the MG Marvel‘s E1 platform.

The MSP’s scalable design allows developing EVs with a wheelbase of between 2,650 to 3,100 mm. It’s possible to design EVs with various body styles on the new platform: hatchback, notchback, saloon, SUV, and van. It will have a key role in the growth of MG in Europe.

When the development of the Marvel X was completed, work on the Nebula platform (MSP) began immediately, according to Kang Huaping, Vice President of SAIC Innovation Research and Development Institute. SAIC spent a lot on this platform to achieve standardization, modularization, integration, and intelligence. In the future, the Roewe, Feifan (formerly called R), and Zhiji brands will also get models based on this dedicated EV platform.

Dimensions

MG’s electric model measures 4,287 mm in length, 1,836 mm in width, and 1,504 mm in height. The compact electric car has a generous 2,705 mm wheelbase. Thus, it competes with the VW ID.3, Cupra Born, Renault Megane E-Tech, and the Nissan Leaf.

Performance

In the UK, the MG4 EV will be available in Standard Range and Long Range variants, both with a single motor mounted at the rear. The Standard Range variant’s motor generates 125 kW (168 hp) and 184 lb.-ft. of torque, while the Long Range variant’s motor produces 150 kW (201 hp) and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. The former has a 50.8 kWh battery pack that delivers a WLTP range of 218 miles, while the latter has a 61.7 kWh battery that returns a WLTP range of up to 281 miles.

The MG4 EV can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds (Standard Range)/7.7 seconds (Long Range) and achieve a top speed of 100 mph. An AWD variant with an additional motor powering the front wheels is in the pipeline. It could be a performance-focused variant with a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint time of under 5 seconds, to challenge the VW ID.3 GTX. We have mentioned the charging times and other specifications in a table at the end of this section.

MG4 EV Battery

MG says it was able to keep the car’s height so low because of its exceptionally flat battery, which belongs to the “One Pack” battery system (called Rubik’s Cube battery system in China). This is the flattest battery that parent company SAIC has developed.

One Pack battery system, with its recumbent cell arrangement, allows an industry-leading 110 mm minimum battery height. The battery’s length and width are 1,690 mm and 1,300 mm, respectively. SAIC has used the new cell-to-pack or CTP technology, which makes the MG4 Electric one of the brand’s most advanced EVs to date.

With the One Pack battery system, it’s possible to design battery packs with energy storage capacities ranging from 40 kWh to 150 kWh. Battery swapping is also possible, meaning SAIC will be able to sell MSP-based EVs with BaaS (Battery as a Service). Zhu Jun, Deputy Chief Engineer, SAIC, says that users can upgrade and even shift to a smaller battery when needed. Ningde E-CON Power System, a Shanghai E-CON Power System company, in which SAIC has a 30% ownership through Ningde Jiaocheng SAIC Industry Upgrade Equity Investment Partnership (LP), makes the battery pack of the MG4 Electric.

Charge time

The Standard Range MG4 has a maximum charging speed of 117kW, while the Long Range models top out at 135kW – which is on par with the speeds you’ll get from the ID.3 or Cupra Born. That means if you plug the MG4 into a 150kW rapid charger, it’ll take 39 minutes to top up the Standard Range model from 10-80% capacity, or 35 minutes for the Long Range version.

Fully replenishing the 51kWh MG4 at home will take around eight hours from a 7.4kW wallbox, or 10 hours if you go for the 64kWh battery.

Available Variants of MG4 EV

MG will sell the 4 EV in the UK in three configurations: SE Standard Range, SE Long Range, and Trophy Long Range. The base configuration will include automatic LED headlights and rear lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, the MG Pilot ADAS suite, adaptive cruise control, etc. The Long Range SE configuration will add an Active Grille Shutter (AGS) system that improves the EV’s aerodynamic efficiency by up to 30% and can increase range by up to 10% by regulating the airflow.

The Trophy Long Range configuration will add a two-tone roof, rear privacy glass, rear spoiler, front seat heating with electric adjustment for the driver’s seat, heated steering wheel, wireless smartphone charger, an upgraded MG iSmart system, and more. Moreover, with a 360-degree camera and additional MG Pilot features (Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, and Rear Cross Traffic Alert), the range-topping configuration will be safer.

MG4 EV in Australia

In the export commencement announcement on July 22, 2022, SAIC confirmed that it plans to launch the MG4 EV in Australia, New Zealand, South America, Mexico, and the Middle East in 2023. Talking about Australia, where the ZS EV is the country’s most affordable EV and finished in second place in EV sales nationally in 2021, the local subsidiary is saving the launch announcement for a later date. An MG Australia spokesperson has said that a launch is under consideration and that the local subsidiary is looking into the model’s possible variants, The Driven reported on July 27, 2022.

MG sale in Europe

2021 was an excellent year for MG in Europe, where it is an emerging brand. The company sold 52,546 vehicles across the continent last year. That may be a small, five-digit sales figure, but compared to 2020, MG tripled its sales in the region. The UK was its biggest market there in 2021, accounting for 30,600 units of the total sales. Another significant achievement for MG in 2021 was the growth of sales and service locations from 150 to 400 points.

In Q1 2022, MG delivered 22,135 vehicles in Europe, marking a whopping 158% year-over-year growth (Q1 2021: 8,580 units).

MG4 EV FAQs

What is the MG4 Electric release date?

The MG4 Electric will be launched in the UK in September 2022.

What is the MG4 Electric price?

In the UK, the MG4 Electric costs £25,995 onwards. Expect the base price in Europe at well under EUR 30,000.

Which models will be MG4 EV rivals?

Alternatives will include the likes of Opel Astra-e, VW ID.3, Cupra Born, and Nissan Leaf.

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