We like the MG4 at Business Car, its combination of sharp looks, spacious interior, a great drive and offering a long range, saw us giving the hatch from the now Chinese-owned iconic British brand, our coveted ‘Car of The Year’ award at the latest 2023 Business Car Awards.
Between us driving the MG4 Trophy and giving the award, MG swiftly released this performance range-topper, revisiting an old MG Rover performance tag along the way – XPower.
Outside, we’re pleased to say that the XPower makeover is subtle, which is a relief as we like the standard MG4’s sharp and distinctive styling. Look closer and you’ll spot the new 18in wheels, with big, orange-coloured brake callipers behind them. Other less obvious changes to this MG4, are more gloss black detailing and more exterior colour choices. But considering the power the XPower is packing (we’ll go into that later), it’s a subtle makeover for MG’s performance range-topper.
Inside, the changes are equally miniscule. Instead of the usual blue on the now Alcantara trimmed seats, this has been replaced by red stitching, and a set of metal pedals have been fitted. It is a shame the XPower makeover didn’t stretch to a sportier steering wheel, more supportive seats, and better infotainment, as the overall feel is stark and dark.
On the positive side, the MG4’s interior still feels spacious both front and rear, and the driving position is comfortable even for the tallest drivers, and boot space reasonable at 363 litres.
The big changes for the XPower version take place underneath the MG4’s curvy hatchback body. Despite the XPower using the same 64kWh battery, MG has added another motor to the front axle, along with the usual rear one, and the result is four-wheel drive and an incredible 429hp and 600Nm of torque. All this performance equals a claimed 0-62mph figure in 3.8 seconds. For comparison, the closest EV rival is the rather unruly Smart #1 Brabus, with 442hp and 3.9 seconds acceleration to 62mph, and the Smart costs nearly £7,000 more than the MG!
Considering all this performance, you’ll be pleased to know that an electronic differential, uprated springs, dampers and anti-roll bars, recalibrated steering, bigger brakes (previously mentioned), plus a set of Bridgestone Turanza tyres have been added to the MG.
On the road, considering all the performance available, it’s no more difficult to drive than the standard MG4. Short stamps on the throttle, equals acceleration sharp enough to put you in the back of your seat. However, like with the Smart, we’d advise keeping a firm hold on the MG’s steering wheel when you do, as the XPower will alarmingly follow its own direction thanks to all that torque. It is particularly bad on cambered roads. Once you become more used to the XPower’s considerable performance, you have to admire this MG’s sensible throttle mapping – which is surprisingly easygoing when you don’t need the performance, like around town.
Where the MG4 XPower disappoints is in the handling and ride department. The stiffer springs and bigger wheels might be necessary considering the performance, but they unsettle the body control and previously refined ride – there is noticeably more road noise too. Although marketed as a high-performance hatchback, we’d suggest MG need to do more work on the set-up of this car, as there’s too much body roll and it’s too easy to find the grip levels of the new Bridgestone rubber.
Although better than the Smart #1 Brabus, the MG4 XPower is an EV best enjoyed at slower speeds – defeating the point of having the extra power. In fact, we’d go as far as to say that the cheaper Trophy Long Range is more fun to drive and with 365 miles has a better range. The XPower is only capable of a 239-mile range, but it can be charged from 10 – 80% in just 35 minutes.
MG4 64kWh XPower
P11D: £36,093
Residual value: 44.6%
Depreciation: £19,993
Fuel: £4,394
Service, maintenance and repair: £2,675
Cost per mile: 45.10p
Range: 239 miles
CO2 (BIK %): 0g/km (2%)
BIK 20/40% a month: £12/£24
Luggage capacity: 363 litres
Battery size/power: 64kWh/429hp
