Electric cars have come a long way since the Toyota Prius, which was a great introduction to hybrid motoring, but you could not really label it as a head turner or even just easy on the eye. Today’s discerning drivers are looking for a lot more exterior style no matter what is powering the engine, and we really are becoming spoiled for choice. The MG4 however is high up there as being one of the best- looking electric cars available at the moment with its sharp lines and 17-inch alloy wheels. But can this Chinese manufactured “British” brand compete in the highly competitive market when it comes to the drive, the range and of course the cost. In a word “undoubtedly! We cannot begin to tell you how pleased we were testing this car, not sure to be honest if we were all that excited about the arrival of just another electric car to drive but the MG4 changed our minds almost instantly.
Entry level MG4 comes as a Standard Range Model with 51kWh battery claiming a range of 218 miles if at full charge which is more than enough for us popping into the office or visiting our nearest and dearest in neighbouring towns. Our test car was an SE Long Range also claiming a fantastic range, this time 281 miles which avoids the stress of working out how long the upcoming return is and if we can get home without having to recharge or as has happened before, drove home with no radio or heater on just in case!
There is plenty of space inside back and front, certainly for our needs and as we are not golfers or need to carry around baby buggies or bikes, the boot is perfectly adequate.
We both had the chance to drive in town, in the country and on the motorway. The MG4 is an easy, comfortable drive and the 200hp makes it quick off the mark, with 0-62mph in around 7.7secs. The steering is light but positive and visibility is really good. It offers five driving modes, Eco, Custom (didn’t bother with these) Snow (would have been handy the following week) but Sport and Standard both doing what we expected.
So, let’s cut to the chase, it looks good, it drives well, the range is very competitive, so is the MG4 a real viable contender to take on the big boys?
At a starting price of around £26,000, most definitely.
Ally says: “As a frugal Fifer, I was really surprised to learn that the MG4 was under £30K, this puts it way in front of some smaller and less attractive electric cars. The range too has to make it a clear winner for me.”
Lorraine says: “At last, an electric car that ticks all the boxes but doesn’t cost the earth in an effort to save it. Environmental savvy drivers, take a closer look.”
