One of the benefits of driving an EV is seeing just how well they cope with congested city traffic. Maybe it’s the smooth and refined way an electric car copes in stop/start traffic and if you’re lucky & you’ve picked the best options for your cabin, you could possibly commute in the most serene way possible. Now hear me out, it may look like a Micra but lurking underneath is the Mk5 Golf GTI of the electric world. Apart from the infotainment, that’s more ID.3. I used to own a Mk 5 GTI, please don’t @ me until you’ve driven the MG 4. Now if you can look past this particular colour of Easy Jet Orange, also known as Volcano Orange which is a little bright for Irish tastes as witnessed by some of the reactions which were a complete 180 to the giant bumble bee yellow ID. Buzz I had last week. Judging by the more demure car park tastes out there, especially in this category, a slightly less shouty colour might be well advised or you may never get out of that junction.
Special mention : I cannot stress how much fun it is to drive; steering, pace and some of the best dynamics yet from an EV. They’ve used some nice materials on the steering wheel, seats are comfy and there’s plenty of space for a hatchback.
Needs work : Volcano Orange is not it’s strongest colour, exterior design is a little in your face (although I really like the rear ‘spoiler’). The infotainment is fiddly with functionality such as air con, fan speed, lane assist and driving modes hidden in menus.
| BHP 200 BHP | Electric / Auto |
| 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds | Road Tax €120 |
| Price: from €29,495 | Boot Space 363 – 1,177 litres |
MG have quite quickly made inroads into the Irish market. Where Skoda’s & Toyota’s used to be the preserve of the Irish taxi driver, you now see MGs and… well Skoda’s (the Enyaq is quite popular for taxis nowadays). So with that you assume there must be plenty of on-board space and you’d be right. The front passengers are treated to a cubby with a sliding lid that covers two cup holders and the top of the central armrest opens up into a cavernous area for larger storage.
The entry-level MG4 model has a 51kWh battery and is capable of covering up to 350 kms on a single charge. Moving up to the 64kWh SE Long Range version means you should benefit from a 450 km maximum. It can cope with rapid charging up to 150 kw going from 10-80% in 35 mins. Long Range models will go from 10 to 100 % in 9 hours using a 7kW charger. You get two battery options either 51 kWh or 64 kWh. Both power a rear-mounted electric motor, producing 168bhp with the smaller battery or 200bhp with the large one and while that sounds like there’s lots of rear wheel drive fun, it’s all designed to be economical as opposed to sporty. This also means that getting from 0-100 km/h takes just 7.5 seconds with the smaller battery with the latter taking 7.7 seconds and both have 250 nm of torque.
The MG4 EV offers a comfortable and relaxed ride and it’s easy to drive. There are five driving modes from eco, sport, snow, custom, and standard but they’re tricky to access on the go as you need to deep dive through the menu to access them.
Standard equipment is generous, with all cars featuring 17” alloy wheels, auto LED headlights, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control and a 10.25” infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However on the SE Long Range model you don’t get heated seats, wireless smartphone charging or an upgraded audio system. You also get Keyless entry, automatic headlights, electrically-adjustable heated door mirrors and the steering wheel is height and reach-adjustable. The top-of-the-range Trophy adds extras such as a heating function for the front seats and steering wheel, a six-way adjustable driver’s seat, an adjustable boot floor and a wireless smartphone charger.
The outside of the MG4 is striking with angular headlights and a twin aero rear spoiler and the colour options won’t allow the car to go unnoticed in Volcano Orange, Dynamic Red or Holborn Blue. And on the inside there’s plenty of space and it’s not too fussy. Rear passengers get a reasonably decent amount of rear legroom. You don’t get much space for your feet but they have carved out space for some knee room. Strangely there is a central hump in the floor which at least is quite low.
The steering wheel has a slightly squared-off end to it and the 10.25” display is sharp with good resolution. The main menu uses widgets to access system functions. There are also some handy shortcuts for music, phone, nav and car settings on the right of the display. Even though there are physical keys along the base of the infotainment screen, the air-con settings can only be adjusted on screen. Which means adjusting the fan speed involves taking aim and prodding the display to the exact position you want.
The MG4 will arguably spend much of its life in and around town navigating through stop-start traffic. The boot could be slightly bigger and some of the materials in the cabin are more hard-wearing than high-end, but as an overall package you’ll struggle to beat the MG4 EV. MG4 EV hatchback offers a spacious interior, good levels of standard equipment and decent range, all with a starting price of around €29,495. Looks like a Micra, drives like a MK 5 GTI.
