► MG 4 EV hatchback rivals VW ID.3
► But undercuts it massively on price
► 201bhp, up to 281 miles range, two trims
The new MG 4 is more than capable of taking the fight right to VW – and many other EVs. It’s by far the most convincing MG product yet, and quite how the brand’s managed it for the price it’s asking is genuinely a little bit astounding. Good reason, then, to end up on our best electric cars list.
MG’s two previous electric cars – the ZS EV and the 5 EV – have everything to offer except desirability. They make great pragmatic purchases, with long-range batteries and plenty of space for all the family, but plasticky interiors, dull driving dynamics and all the charisma of a UPVC window counted against them. In contrast, the MG 4 should worry the Volkswagen ID.3.
Read our MG 4 review in full to find out why.
Don’t go thinking of MG as some budget bit-player any more – so far this year it’s sold more cars in the UK than Skoda or Land Rover. A long warranty, small and friendly dealers and significantly less supply disruption than some of its rivals has proved a winning recipe so far.
Now, it’s got an excellent car to accelerate its growth further. If British car buyers can continue to get over their brand hang-ups, we might be seeing rather a lot of these on the road once deliveries start in late September 2022.
What exactly is the MG 4 EV?
Thinking of it as a Chinese ID.3 isn’t too far off. Size-wise, there’s very little in it (the ID.3 is a little taller) giving the 4 family hatchback dimensions. It rides on an all-new scalable electric platform with a thin skateboard-style battery under the floor. Currently RWD, a high-performance AWD model will join the range next year, promising a staggering 443bhp.
Two battery options are available from launch – the Standard Range gets 51kWh net capacity, while the Long Range has 64kWh, giving ranges of 218 and 281 miles respectively. Opt for a Trophy model and range drops to a still-respectable 270 miles. An extended Range car with 77kWh is due out next year, targeting 329 miles of range.
Atop that sits an angular, insectoid body. It doesn’t look half bad in the flesh – somewhat under-wheeled with just 17-inch rims compared to the ID.3’s 19 or 20-inch affairs, but modern and smart nonetheless. There’s a distinctive rear light bar and smart twin spoiler, plus good launch shades – the orange you see in the photos here joined by an electric blue and a classier metallic red.
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It’s a modern MG, so it’ll be crap to drive, right?
Surprisingly, no. The Trophy model we sampled has 150kW (201bhp), and 184lb ft of the usual seamless electric torque. But being rear-drive it’s much less prone to lighting up the tyres at the merest hint of acceleration like the 5 or ZS EV are, allowing you to get a move on with minimal drama.
And you’ll be more than happy getting a move on with the way the 4 EV rides and handles. Those dinky wheels round off bumps admirably well, and the body control is excellent. MG’s new platform offers 50:50 weight distribution and a low centre of gravity and it pays off here – this isn’t just a good budget EV, it’s a good EV to drive, period. More comfortable than an ID.3 or a Cupra Born, and better-resolved than a Renault Zoe or Kia Niro EV.
It even offers a little entertainment if you treat it like a blunt instrument, though the traction control steps in before anything gets too messy.
Driving modes include the usual Normal/Sport/Eco, altering throttle response, braking effort and steering weight, while you can also select from four levels of regenerative braking including an adaptive mode. Shame there’s no one-pedal drive, but the top level of regen will take you down 80 per cent of the way.
That interior looks very minimalist
It’s not just in dimensions that the 4 apes the ID.3. The interiors are very similar too, though the brighter and more rounded aesthetic of the VW contrasts the very sober and straitlaced MG.
There’s no starter button. Step in, sit down and press the brake and the car will come to life, with two admirably high-definition screens staring at you over a sea of pleather.
Poke around a bit and you’ll find where MG’s saved a bit of cash. You don’t get grab handles or lighting in the visor mirrors, and the plastics atop the doors and lower down on the dash are decidedly hollow-sounding, while the floor mats are hilariously abrasive. But the steering wheel and both armrests are nicely cushioned, so does it really matter?
Physical controls are minimal and amount to a row of buttons below the infotainment screen, plus the drive selector and parking brake. This is where the first real annoyance creeps in – if MG was going to take inspiration from the ID.3, why did it have to be in routing everything through the touchscreen?
It’s just about okay for media consumption, but changing the climate control with an array of diddy onscreen buttons is frustrating. Frustrating too that the drive modes, regen and even toggling cruise on and off is done through a buried sub-menu. Oh, and don’t bother using the wireless charging pad – it’s so slick your phone will slide off at the first roundabout.
The steering wheel controls are unmarked and multifunctional, though we suspect owners would commit them to memory after a few days of ownership without great trouble.
Space for passengers is acceptable – four six-footers will fit with average legroom but good headroom, and unlike some EV rivals the floor in the rear isn’t ridiculously high. The boot is a good size and shape too, with space under the floor to store the charge cables.
So just how cheap is the MG 4?
That’s the really exceptional part. MG wants just £25,995 for an entry-level SE car with the Standard Range battery. Add £2500 for the Long Range car, and a further £3000 on top of that for the Trophy trim which brings a lot of tempting kit.
That’s already impressive enough (an ID.3 starts from £36,195 at the time of writing; a much smaller Vauxhall Corsa-e, £29,305) but even the finance packages are bang on the money. CAP predicts the best MG 4 will retain an amazing 64.6 per cent of its value after three years – residuals on par with Porsche, Tesla and Land Rover – and even the top-spec one will retain 61.7 per cent.
That means MG can offer the SE Standard Range model, on a three-year PCP with a £4000 deposit, for around £300 a month. A Zoe on similar terms is £417. A Corsa-e, £430. Want the ID.3? That’ll be £564, please…
That sort of monthly payment makes the MG 4 outstandingly good value. It’s unbelievably affordable for a modern, good-to-drive, long range electric car.
Verdict
So should you buy one? Perhaps for the first time since MG was taken over by SAIC, the answer is a resounding yes.
MG’s managed to make a desirable car that somehow undercuts its main rival by more than £10,000. It’s loaded with kit, genuinely competent on the road and backed by a strong concoction of seven-year warranty and friendly local dealers. Definitely one of 2022’s bigger surprises, and a car we’re looking forward to spending more time in…
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