MG4 XPower Review

Which means that it can send the correct amount of power to whichever wheel has the most grip which helps it get from rest to 62mph in less than four seconds - 3.8 if we’re being picky - and on to a limited top speed of 124mph. Which is basically as fast as a Porsche 911 Carrera S, for a third of the price. 

Add to that speedy 150 kW charging, a decent sized boot, a smart interior with a screen and physical buttons, along with a useful range, and the MG4 XPower starts to look like a brilliant all-rounder. It costs slightly less than an entry-level Cupra Born and is nearly a thousand pounds less than a base VW ID.3. And yet it has around TWICE the power. Or to put it another way, the same amount of power as both the Born and ID.3 combined.

MG4 XPower performance and driving

If you drive the MG4 XPower normally and go easy on the accelerator, it feels just like the standard long-range model. The XPower feels calm and composed, albeit with a slightly nibbly ride over some bumps, but you’d never really know the potential this car has for power. But put it into Sport mode, set the launch control, plant your foot on the accelerator and it becomes a very different beast. However; it’s irritating that you need to fiddle with a menu on the touchscreen to unleash the performance, and we’d have liked MG to have added a separate button on the steering wheel to change the drive modes. 

But apart from that, the most powerful MG ever made comes into its own at speed when you really get the most from the 429 bhp that’s delivered by its pair of electric motors. An all-new Dynamic Cornering Control System, available for the first time on an MG, has a locking electronic differential along with Intelligent Motor Control which allows torque vectoring between all four wheels. This gives fantastic grip and road holding, the XPower feels very planted even when you’re pushing hard. One downside is that you do get a sense of the weight this car carries when you head into a corner.

Aside from that it feels steady and stable, due in part to the fact that the springs are 25% stiffer than the normal car. The sharp and responsive steering comes into its own at speed and the engineering team have tweaked the regenerative braking software to allow one pedal driving, which feels slightly stronger than the standard car. It also has the stopping power to match the performance with a 62-0 mph stopping distance of just 33.9metres, thanks to uprated and ventilated 345mm discs on all four corners of the car, whilst Bridgestone tyres specially developed for the XPower also add loads of grip.

There are some oddities though. Although the XPower has four wheel drive, the peculiar way the system works means it is pretty useless on slippery surfaces such as snow and mud, and will spin a single wheel uselessly. More irritating is a vibration which can be heard and felt from the drivetrain at speeds above 68mph. We thought it might just be our car, but a quick dive into the forums reveals it is common to all XPowers. It's not unbearable, but is noticable.  

​MG4 XPower battery and charging

Because the XPower gets so much more horsepower, you won’t get the same range as the normal Long Range MG4. Where that will get 280 miles of WLTP range from the 62kWh usable battery, the XPower only manages 239 from the same unit. Of course, if you use that acceleration at every traffic light and indulge in a lot of rapid overtaking, that figure will drop. But you will be able to top up quickly as it comes with 150kW of DC charging ability, where the standard car gets 135kW. This means you’ll be able to top up the battery from 10-80% in about 35 minutes at one of the faster chargers, which may encourage you to make the most of that acceleration and performance.

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​MG4 XPower practicality, exterior and interior

At first glance you wouldn’t think that the MG4 XPower was anything special, it gets green paint and orange callipers for its big brakes, along with special 18-inch wheels that are unique to the XPower. But there’s no massive bodykit, and no huge wide arches. It is a bit lower and a tiny bit wider, but not so much that you’d really notice. The same goes for the inside, this isn’t some stripped-out racer with only one seat and the finesse of a skateboard. 

It’s a normal, five-seat MG4 with a driving position that feels natural, and more like a traditional hatchback than an SUV. The Alcantara bucket seats give you a bit more security when you’re travelling at speed, and you get some metal pedals, but that sets it apart massively from the standard cars top of the range Trophy edition. 

It’s got the same floating centre console, the same gear selector, the same multimedia screen in the middle. And like that car, one of our concerns is that the gear selector plinth juts out from the centre console. Those with longer legs will find the edge a little too close to their knees - especially when getting inside in a hurry. 

Further back, the boot is wide and decently shaped. The capacity figure of the boot is 363 litres, the same as the standard car which is only average for the class. But the load floor is wide and should easily be able to accommodate enough luggage for a week away. Don't expect a flat floor when you fold the seats though, and there are areas where the cost cutting is evident when you open the tailgate too, with bare metal and dull paint.

MG4 XPower Price

Price is where MG excels across all of its electric range, and it doesn’t disappoint with the XPower, which is priced at £36,395. That means it costs slightly less than an entry-level Cupra Born at £36,420 and is nearly a thousand pounds less than a base VW ID.3 which is currently priced at £37,115. More interesting than that for most buyers are the monthly finance figures. Thanks to strong resale values these are expected to bd very competitive.

Verdict

So what do we think of the MG4 XPower? Well, the numbers stack up, in more ways than one. Performance is impressive, as is the price. In fact, we don’t think there’s anything quite like it on the market, whether it’s driven by petrol, diesel or electricity. Plus it still has all the good stuff - including that seven year warranty - that we like about the MG4. We think MG is onto a winner because in terms of bang for your electric buck, the MG4 XPower is a killer.