MG4 EV Review: Sporty, Family Hatchback

MG4 EV at a glance...

Sporty-looking family hatchback

New rear-wheel drive EV platform

Good to drive

270-mile range

MG4 EV design & powertrain

The MG4 has an all-new electric vehicle platform. This might sound a bit boring, but the result for drivers is that the MG4 is rear-wheel drive rather than sharing the front-wheel drive layout of the MG5 and MG ZS.

The MG4 EV Trophy (Long Range) has a battery with a total capacity of 64 kWh (and a 61.7 kWh usable capacity).

Although the MG4 is a family hatchback, the styling is sporty, with a low front end and a rear end dominated by twin aero spoilers.

The cabin is fairly minimalistic, with virtually all car controls accessed via the central touchscreen.

What is the MG4 EV like to drive?

As well as the MG4 looking sporty, it also feels sporty to drive. The rear-wheel drive chassis provides a rewarding driving experience, and avoids the potential wheelspin and torque steer from a front-wheel drive EV – although the rear tyres of the MG4 can struggle for grip when accelerating from standstill in the wet.

The steering also has decent feel, and the ride quality is comfortable. As with most EVs, acceleration is responsive and linear, and the MG is quiet and refined, both around town and at motorway speeds.

The MG4 has a kerb weight of 1,685 kg, which is relatively light for an EV, resulting in it feeling agile and fun to drive.

There’s a choice of drive modes: Snow, Eco, Normal, Sport and Custom. You can also choose the level of brake regeneration: Weak, Medium, Strong or Adaptive. Drive modes and brake regeneration levels are both adjusted in the touchscreen, by pressing the ‘Vehicle’ button on the home screen, then selecting the ‘Driving’ button, and then choosing a drive mode or a regeneration level.

There are also other car controls accessed via the touchscreen – including the heating and ventilation. If you want to change the cabin temperature, fan speed, adjust where the ventilation comes from, or switch on the heated seats or steering wheel, you need to swipe the home screen to the right and then select a button marked ‘AC’. Although there’s a ‘fan on/off’ button under the touchscreen and a button on the steering wheel, both of which bring up the climate window on the touchscreen, this information only appears for a few seconds.

Charging the MG4 EV

The MG4 EV Trophy Long Range has a 64 kWh battery giving a WLTP Combined electric driving range of 270 miles (around 220 miles in real-world driving). This increases slightly to 281 miles for the MG4 Long Range SE model. The MG4 SE Standard Range model has a smaller 51 kWh battery giving a driving range of 218 miles.

The Long Range model can rapid charge at up to 135 kW. A 10% to 80% charge should take around 35 minutes at a 150 kW rapid charger. The Standard Range model can rapid charge at up to 117 kW.

As well as being able to take a charge from the electricity network, the MG4 can also be used to ‘give a charge’, ie. to power electrical items such as domestic appliances or tools, thanks to having ‘vehicle to load’ capability.

MG says that the MG4’s platform will allow battery swapping to take place when this technology is commercially available.

The MG4 EV price and model range

The top of the range MG4 EV Trophy Long Range costs £31,495. The MG4 EV SE Long Range is available for £28,495, and the MG4 EV SE Standard Range is priced at £25,995.

Conclusion

The MG4 is a welcome addition to the choice of electric family hatchbacks. With its rear-wheel drive chassis it offers a sporty driving experience (to match the sporty exterior styling), but the MG4 also delivers comfortable ride quality and refinement at motorway speeds. And with prices starting at £25,995 for the Standard Range model, the MG4 is good value. The main issue to be aware of is the lack of controls on the dashboard or on the touchscreen home screen to adjust heating and ventilation, and the need to also delve into the touchscreen to change settings for drive modes and regenerative braking.