MG4 line-up gains 520 km Range & 428 hp Performance variants [Update]

Update: ‘MG4 EV Extended Range (Range variant)’ section updated.

SAIC-owned MG Motor has developed an electric vehicle that is more advanced and premium than the MG ZS EV, despite the car’s lower price positioning—the MG Mulan. The company offers the new electric hatchback as the MG4 EV in the UK and Ireland and as the MG4 Electric in other overseas markets.

At the MG4 EV’s European launch held on September 13, 2022, Camille Caux, Product Manager, MG Motor France, revealed that it will be available in two more variants in the future, one with a longer range and another with higher performance. These variants have since been launched, and here’s what we know about the MG4 family.

MG4 EV Extended Range (Range variant)

The MG4 EV Extended Range is targeted at customers who frequently do inter-city journeys, as well as those seeking worry-free long-distance preparedness. It has a 77 kWh battery pack that gives the car a WLTP range of up to 323 miles (520 km), making it the first MG that can travel over 300 miles. Charging from 10 to 80% using a 150 kW DC fast-charger takes 39 minutes, or 6.2 hours if using a 7 kW AC charger.

Power comes from a new motor that generates 180 kW (241 hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb.-ft.) of torque and gives the car a 0-62 mph sprint time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 112 mph. Thus, the Extended Range variant is suitable for customers who want better acceleration and more speed than the Standard Range and Long Range variants but not necessarily something extreme like the XPower variant, which we’ve detailed below.

In our experience, extended-range variants are more for psychological comfort than addressing a real need, as most trips in a compact car are completed within the city, and charging infrastructure is ever-improving in the areas where the MG4 will gain popularity. That said, the performance gains from the punchier motor would surely be welcomed by many customers who frequently drive on highways.

The MG4 EV Extended Range retails at GBP 36,495 (USD 46,560) in the UK.

MG4 EV XPower (Performance variant)

The MG4 EV XPower brings more power, style, and capability with comprehensive technical and aesthetic upgrades over the standard car. The talking point is a dual-motor powertrain that produces a whopping 435 PS (428 hp) and up to 600 Nm (443 lb.-ft.) of torque. A 150 kW motor powers the front wheels and a 170 kW motor drives the rear wheels, meaning this EV has an AWD layout and offers more grip than the standard car.

A 0-62 mph sprint in the MG4 EV XPower takes just 3.8 seconds. So, did MG engineers just pour cold water over the Volkswagen’s Golf R 333 Limited Edition announcement in May 2023? You bet. The most powerful Golf to date, with 333 PS (328 hp) and 420 Nm (310 lb.-ft.) of torque, takes 4.6 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph. 1.2 seconds is a day and night difference on the track. It’ll all come down to how well the EV handles around the corners and how exciting it is through the twists, but hopes are high.

SAIC has used Bridgestone Turanza tires for more grip in the MG4 EV XPower. Recalibrated spring and damper tuning, stiffer anti-roll bars, and sharper steering should lead to better handling. Overall, suspension stiffness is up to 25% higher in the electric hot hatch. The regenerative braking software has been adjusted to allow one-pedal driving.

Uprated, ventilated 345 mm disc brakes on all four corners give the MG4 EV XPower more stopping power. The car can come to a stop from 62 mph in just 33.9 meters. It has a 64 kWh battery pack and can cover a distance of 239 miles on a full charge, as per WLTP.

The MG4 EV XPower has been priced from just GBP 36,495 (USD 46,560). That makes it approximately USD 37,000 cheaper than the VW Golf R 333 Limited Edition, which retails at EUR 76,410 (USD 83,497) in Germany. With those savings, you could purchase a regular Golf for extended travel backup and still have some left over change!

Here’s more on the current MG4 variants:

MG4 Design

The MG4 is a result of joint efforts of London-based SAIC Design Advanced London and Royal College of Art, and the SAIC Motor Design Center in Shanghai. To stay true to the MG legacy, sporty styling is a must-have for every vehicle it makes, and the MG4 is no exception. It has a clean and fluid design, and it looks sporty, too, especially at the front, the company’s chief designer Oleg Son said, as per an article on Auto&Design.

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. With the exception of the low ride height, it resembles a crossover in many ways.

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

Interior

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.

Specifications

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. If you ask us, 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 & Range

In the UK, the MG4 EV is available in Standard Range and Long Range single-motor RWD variants. 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 0-62 mph in 7.5 seconds (Standard Range)/7.7 seconds (Long Range) and achieve a top speed of 100 mph. We have mentioned the charging times and other specifications in a table at the end of this section.

DP-EPS

The MG4 Electric has a 50:50 weight distribution, which should make it better at handling. Plus, at least in China, it gets a Dual Pinion-Assist Electric Power Steering (DP-EPS) instead of a conventional Rack-Assist Electric Power Steering (REPS). The new technology has come to the auto industry just in time when customers around the world have started increasingly preferring the SUV body style and electric powertrains. Steering loads are higher in EVs compared to ICE vehicles because of the weight of heavy batteries. They require a different steering system to handle the additional weight. In DP-EPS, the primary pinion is optimized for vehicle dynamics and performance and the secondary pinion is optimized for assist.

One Pack 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.

Charging

The MSP platform enables 800-volt charging technology as well. The models equipped with 800-volt charging technology will get a range of 200 km (124 miles) with just five minutes of charging and take only 15 minutes for charging to 80% level. The models equipped with the regular 400-volt charging technology will get a range of 100 km (62 miles) with five minutes of charging and take 30 minutes for charging to 80% level. The Autohome report suggests that bidirectional charging will also be possible in the Nebula platform (MSP)-based models.

Aspect	MG4 EV Standard Range Specification	MG4 EV Long Range Specification
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 (0-62 mph)	7.5 seconds	7.7 seconds
Top Speed	100 mph	100 mph
Battery Pack Capacity (Net)	50.8 kWh	61.7 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

Trims

MG offers the 4 EV in the UK in three configurations: SE Standard Range, SE Long Range, and Trophy Long Range. The base configuration includes automatic LED headlights and rear lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, the MG Pilot ADAS suite, adaptive cruise control, etc. The Long Range SE configuration adds 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 adds 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 is safer.

Price

MG4 EV Trim	MG4 EV Price
SE Standard Range	GBP 26,995
SE Long Range	GBP 29,495
Trophy Long Range	GBP 32,495

In the UK, the prices of the MG4 EV start at GBP 26,995 (USD 34,440). Production takes place at SAIC’s Ningde factory in China, which is Asia’s largest automobile plant. The MG4 has proved to be a big hit in the UK. In Q1 2023, it was the second-best-selling electric car, with over 5,200 units delivered during the three-month period.

Safety

In its press release on December 7, 2022, the automaker announced that the MG4 Hatchback has been awarded a full five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The MG4 scored 83% for Adult Occupant protection and 80% for Child Occupant protection, in the safety tests. Euro NCAP also mentioned this rating is valid for both RHD and LHD versions of the MG4.

The automaker noted that this was the first test result to involve its new Modular Scalable Platform (MSP), which will underpin several next-generation MG models. We can expect those cars, besides future MG4 variants, to score a similarly satisfactory safety rating as well.

TopElectricSUV says

We remember the time when brand MG was lost in the crowd and wasn’t being considered by those on the hunt for a new car. Today, however, with the release of their reasonably priced EVs like the MG5 and the ZS EV, this is no longer true.

If you’re looking for a compact electric car that’s packed with high-end features but won’t break the bank, then take a close look at the MG4. On paper, it’s better than the VW ID.3 in many ways and leaps ahead of the Nissan Leaf, which created this segment. Plus, with the range- and performance-focused variants en route, the MG4 will offer something for almost every potential family hatchback buyer.

MG4 EV FAQs

Featured Image Source: SAIC