MG TO THE POWER OF X (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

MG aims to reinvent the hot hatch with this MG4 XPOWER EV. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 59

The MG4 XPOWER isn't your ordinary EV family hatchback. It accelerates like a Ferrari, yet costs about the same as an ordinary electric compact family five-door. It's got all-wheel drive, has all of the required sporty vibe and spoils you with equipment. There's a lot to like here; but is this a real hot hatch? You'll need to decide.

Backgroundword count: 139

Chinese conglomerate SAIC have bought back the old MG Rover 'X POWER' badge for the dual motor performance version of their MG marque's MG4 EV. Off the line, this model really wouldn't be that much lower than ultimate velocity six-figure luxury EV is like the Tesla Model S Plaid or the Audi RS e-tron GT. And it comfortably has the legs of a combustion-engined super hatch like, say, a Volkswagen Golf R. It's considerably cheaper than one of those too. 'Cheaper' is possibly not the right word to use for a compact family hatch priced well the wrong side of £35,000, but the fact remains that this XPOWER model's asking price is still below what you'll probably pay for an ordinary EV hatch like a Volkswagen ID.3. So what's served up here as well as extra power? Let's see.

Driving Experienceword count: 253

XPOWER versions of old Longbridge-era last century MGs were really all about straight line speed and not a lot else. Which, to some extent, is an observation you could level at this MG4 XPOWER. It's urged forward by a 201bhp motor on the front axle and a 228bhp motor on the rear axle. The resulting 429bhp total propels the car to 62mph in just 3.8s on the way to 124mph. You'll win virtually every traffic light Grand Prix. We're less sure that you'll triumph in back road brawling with more deeply developed conventional hot hatchbacks. But MG maintains a UK engineering team and they've done what they can here to keep all that power in check. The springs are 15% stiffer at the front and 10% stiffer at the rear, the steering's been re-tuned, you get launch control and there are ventilated 345mm disc brakes front and rear. There's also brake-based torque vectoring and MG has additionally fitted wider tyres, though not performance rubber. Sports seats and a limited slip differential are notable by their absence too. As with the ordinary MG4, there are five driving modes - 'Eco', 'Sport', 'Snow', 'Custom' and 'standard'. And four regenerative braking modes - 'Auto', '1', '2' and '3'. MG has also added a 'One Pedal Driving' brake regen setting which, when engaged, means you'll hardly ever need to use the actual brake pedal. Driving range is rated at 239 miles, 31 miles less than the ordinary 'Trophy Long Range' model which uses the same 61.8kWh battery.

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