MG 4 | Test Drive | Auto Class Magazine

MG 4 | Test Drive

Words Carlo Brema / Photos Gian Romero

I can’t help but be nostalgic. If you say MG I immediately think of those beauties of times gone by: the A of the 50s or the B of the 60s. But I could never forget all the fines I collected as a fresh driver at the wheel of my ZR, much less the taste of summer offered by the more recent F and TF. A lot of water has passed under this bridge and after having absorbed – in 2007 – by the Chinese giant SAIC, the brand is back with a pretty interesting range that introduces a fully electric model that promises to shake off the combination of Chinese car and purely economic choice.

It’s called MG4 and it’s a hatchback with rather generous dimensions. In fact, we are talking about a length of almost 4.3 meters and a wheelbase of 2.7 meters that allows great habitability for five people on board, with those at the back having plenty of room for head and feet despite the rather angular and descending line of the tail, a key aspect of the MG4 design with a light cluster that is integrated by a huge plastic profile and a double spoiler that accentuates the sleek image offered by the car, which can easily also be considered a crossover, due to its ground clearance.

The MG4 is a multifaceted car: it is spacious, has a fresh and different look compared to the rest of the range, bringing some stylistic features that in my opinion are more typically Chinese, but which go well with a European taste that is not yet ready to give up edges and slits, also well integrated and which do not suggest in any way that this is a 100% electric car. This is the fundamental aspect of the 4, born on a dedicated platform and with 64 kWh batteries positioned well down and liquid-cooled with the help of a heat pump. The version tested is called Luxury and has 64 kWh batteries for a maximum range of about 390 km, which can also be recharged quite quickly: at 50 kW you regenerate about 270 km in 60 minutes.

We talked about its exterior appearance, an obviously subjective value that personally convinced me from the very beginning. In the passenger compartment we have fabric and eco-leather seats, a material that is not excellent and that gets dirty easily, to the point of borrowing a bit of color from the jeans of those who have been on board previously. Apart from this, it is a nice and very airy environment, with a small 7″ display that summarizes the main information in front of the driver and a 10.25″ screen positioned in the center of the dashboard. There are some physical shortcuts, but to get to certain functions you have to fiddle around in the menus for quite a bit, often with buttons that are too small and not exceptional in terms of responsiveness. In that case, it is better to stop or set everything before leaving, like the driving assistants that unfortunately do not store your preferences once the car is turned off.

There are several compartments for storing objects and also the induction charging platform for your smartphone, which I would have preferred to be more shaped, so as not to risk my phone ending up on the floor at the first sudden maneuver. No gear lever, but a wheel that on a couple of occasions acted up by not engaging the forward gear unless I first put it in P pressing the brake pedal to the floor. There are different driving modes: Snow, Eco, Normal, Sport and Custom, with the additional option of choosing the type of regeneration on release: Weak, Medium, Strong or Adaptive and it was precisely once on the move that I appreciated the MG4 and forgot those little flaws found when the car was stationary. First of all, you can feel a lower weight than usual. Just 1,685 kg that make the 204 horsepower of the 64 kWh brilliant in any circumstance. It takes 7.9 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100, while top speed is electronically limited at 160 kph, after all it is a car designed for anything but racing a motorbike at the traffic lights.

Having traction on the rear axle only, you have a precise behavior during acceleration, but also while on the move, to the full advantage of a very large turning radius, a convenient aspect in the city and when maneuvering. By the way, the squared steering wheel with only two spokes is an additional plus that I found meeting the latest MG incarnation. The 17″ rims accentuate the agility and if you decide to adopt a sportier driving style, the 4 does not disappoint and also puts into play a maximum torque of 250 Nm that make it more fun than I thought.

Driving like a civilized person you also get interesting values on the consumption matter, with an average of about 19 kWh every 100 km, figures that for an electric car that comes home for less than 40 thousand Euros are a point in favor that should not be overlooked at all. Here, let’s talk about prices. Without bothering with the more powerful versions, the MG4 starts at just – and I stress just – €30,000 for the 51 kWh, while it takes €4,790 or €6,790 more for the 64 kWh, in the Comfort and Luxury trims respectively. We are talking about much more than honest figures and above all money spent on a car that is pleasant to drive and that absolutely does not feel like a second choice. To be clear: I never had the impression for a moment that I was driving a Chinese alternative to more traditional brands. Of course, it is not perfect: the infotainment could be more practical, the seats should not age after less than 10,000 km, but the battery pack has an impressive warranty and both the feedback at the wheel and the overall quality are well above average. It is not comparable to the glories of MG’s past, but a model like the MG4 is undoubtedly what the contemporary automotive landscape requires. SAIC Motors responds and does so exceeding our expectations and if it continues on this path I am sure that MG will remain with us for a long time. Thankfully.