MG Motor UK MG4 review

If you’re sat there asking yourself ‘Do I really want an MG4?’, the answer is yes. At least in terms of dynamic ability. Top Gear has only tried long-range variants thus far, but the results were pretty positive across the board. Obviously that’s framed within the parameters of electric hatchbacks, but the car is good basic stock.

How so?

The motor is slung out at the back and powers the rear wheels, so there’s an element of inherent dynamism, even if unintended. The weight distribution is 50:50 front to rear, and the steering has been developed with a quick rack and nicely linear response, so the car feels perky and forthright. It certainly feels lighter than the 1.7 tonne kerbweight would suggest.

When you add in instant electric response, the MG4 feels genuinely lively. But saying that, MG has resisted the temptation to make the MG4’s acceleration too insistent: 0-62mph in just under eight seconds for both models is peppy and useful without smashing one’s head against the restraints, and there’s plenty for safe overtakes of bimbling tractors and the like.

Is it comfortable?

The ride is a little firm at times, but you forgive the car thanks to decent damping and you get gentle, reliable body roll as a payoff. Yes, you can hear the suspension booming if you get the wrong sort of surface or road, but it’s not a killer. And grip is good, shading to gentle, easily-dealt with understeer if you push too far.

As for the rest, there’s adjustable brake regeneration which is good, though no switch or paddles to operate it. TG just programmed the spare steering-wheel button to cycle through the brake re-gen modes (which you can do from the central touchscreen), so that really wasn’t a problem.

That all sounds promising without being particularly exciting…

And you’d be right, the MG4 is a great little runabout with some little highlights. Pretty much as it should be. But MG has already mentioned that the 200bhp rear motor will also find a home on the front axle, meaning a 400bhp+, all-wheel drive MG4 with a sub-four-second 0-62mph time is coming.

Obviously a halo car, but the need for TG to recreate an MG Metro 6R4 with MG4 AWD bits is strong. There’s also a 77kWh ‘extended range’ car on the way with a possible - as yet not fully WLTP’d - 329 miles of range. But that sounds quite a specific number for a guess…

Oh, and we averaged around 3.8-4.0 mi/kWh in mixed driving, which is pretty good efficiency in electric car terms. Although again, we’d like to do our own maths rather than relying on the car’s own trip computer.