THE PEOPLE’S TESLA
ANYONE looking for a good family five-seater electric car for under £26,000 that’s fun and easy to drive with feisty performance, decent range and a comfortable minimalist interior should check out the new MG4 EV. Or, as i’ve dubbed it — after taking one of these smart, streamlined hatchbacks for a drive on the urban, country and fast-flowing roads around Bicester in Oxfordshire — ‘the people’s Tesla’.
There are five driving modes to suit conditions, but i had most fun in ‘sport’. The MG is like the Aldi or lidl of the automobile world, which will be welcomed by cashstrapped families who want quality during a cost-of -living crisis.
it is taking the slot vacated by evermore-expensive skoda.
Order books for the MG4 are open for first deliveries in mid-september. There are three versions on sale and they come with a seven-year, 80,000mile warranty.
The MG4 EV starts at £25,995 for the fully stocked SE standard Range, which has a 51kWh battery linked to a 125kW/170hp electric motor that propels it from rest to 62 mph in 7.7 seconds, and up to a top speed of 100 mph, with a range of 218 miles.
The more powerful SE long Range costing £28,495 has a bigger 64kWh battery linked to a 150kW/203hp electric motor and manages rest to 62mph in a slightly slower 7.8 seconds up to the same 100 mph top speed, but with a longer range of 270 miles.
i drove the top-of-the-range MG EV Trophy long Range, priced from £31,495, which has the same performance figures as the SE long Range but with extra kit, safety tech and bling including a black roof, privacy glass and twin aero rear spoiler. Charging takes about nine hours on a domestic charger but between 35 and 60 minutes on rapid chargers.
The rear-wheel-drive platform delivers 50: 50 weight distribution, which translates to a solid driving experience.
Once a legendary British car brand, MG is now owned by shanghai-based sAiC, China’s biggest car-maker.