MG4 EV XPower
MG4 EV XPower
WE’RE fans of the standard MG4 because it’s one of the best-value ways to get into electricvehicle ownership. Does the package still stack up when it’s sprinkled with a bit of hot-hatch magic? At £36,495, it undercuts the Cupra Leon by £4,455.
Tech highlights
ONE change that MG has made to turn the MG4 into a hot hatch is to more than double its power output. There’s a massive 429bhp on offer, which is a whopping 133bhp more than the Cupra Leon, and is even ahead of the UK’s most powerful petrol hot hatch, the 416bhp Mercedes-AMG A 45 S.
However, rather than just crank up the standard car’s rear-mounted electric motor, MG has added a second unit to the front axle, so the XPower comes with four-wheel drive.
Other updates under the MG’s skin include recalibrated springs and dampers, stiffer antiroll bars and sharper steering, while electronic assistance comes in the form of launch control and a Dynamic Cornering Control System that adds an electronic diff lock and torque vectoring to send power to the wheels with the most grip. The regenerative braking system has been revised to include one-pedal driving, while new 18-inch wheels are fitted with Bridgestone Turanza rubber.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the MG4’s battery, because the XPower has the same 64kWh pack as the Long Range model.
SAFETY: The MG4’s five-star safety rating earned in 2022 also applies to the XPower variant, while the flagship comes with the MG Pilot suite of safety equipment as standard. This includes advanced kit such as blind-spot detection, assistance when changing lanes, rear cross-traffic alert for reversing and a door-opening alert that activates if you’re about to open a door on approaching traffic.
THE XPower is a rocket in a straight line, but it doesn’t have the finesse in corners to stand out as a great hot hatchback.
AROUND TOWN: While 429bhp is a lot of power to manage, there’s plenty of travel in the MG4’s throttle, so it’s easy to drive smoothly without tapping into its vast reserves. MG quotes a 0-30mph time of 1.7 seconds, so it should be strong off the line.
As already mentioned, there’s one-pedal driving on offer, and the car’s energy recovery is smoother to use than the mechanical discs and brakes. There are 345mm vented discs all round, but they tend to grab quite harshly compared with the regeneration, so there’s a distinct step in braking performance.
A & B-ROADS: From a standing start up to the national speed limit, the MG4 XPower is a little unruly. The wallop of acceleration sees the car pitch back on its suspension and the front wheels momentarily lose traction, which is an odd sensation in a four-wheel-drive car. There’s also some torque steer to fight through.
Once you’re up to speed, however, the XPower feels reasonably agile and well balanced front to rear, and it hides its 1,800kg kerbweight well. There’s plenty of grip on offer, too, but the hottest MG4 doesn’t feel particularly involving, thanks to the lifeless steering.
Trail brake or lift off in the middle of a corner and it’s possible for the rear to move around, but we think the rear-wheel-drive MG4 is more playful to drive than this AWD version.
MOTORWAY: The XPower remains firm but not harsh at higher speeds, while most of the noise at a motorway cruise comes from the tyres.
These 18-inch Cyclone alloys are exclusive to the XPower model. Behind them are bright-orange covers that shroud the brake calipers themselves