MG4 Luxury review: compact electric car with British roots

Anyone who thinks that MG is still a purely British brand needs to first be convinced that the new vehicles no longer have anything to do with the United Kingdom. They all come from China, whether that's good or bad is something we know past tests already figured out for you. With the MG4 they are daring to attack the European automotive industry again. Can it succeed? We found this out for you in our test of the MG4 Luxury.

tl;dr: Really a serious opponent

tl; dr: No wonder that the MG4 is always at the top of the registration figures. We tested it in the Luxury version with a medium battery, which gave us an output of 150 kW / 204 HP on the rear axle and a battery with 64 kWh gross. 61 kWh can then be used, while VW has slightly less usable capacity, the range of both cars will be roughly the same. The driving behavior is also very similar, in a positive sense, because the MG4 is really very agile and also very comfortable in curves. The steering is very light, lighter than VW, and can be easily adapted to the driver's needs thanks to Custom Drive Modes. What's also successful is that the driving mode switch is located on the steering wheel, which saves you having to reach into the center console or go through sometimes annoying menus.

Thanks to the very similar technical data, one could almost assume that the same technology is used as in the ID.3. Many people don't know that SAIC (MG's parent company) sells Volkswagen models in China, including the ID.3. The quality is roughly equivalent to that of a pre-facelift ID.3. Here MG would have to upgrade the interior a bit, similar to VW. The software is rock solid, no better than VW, but it does what it's supposed to do. Unfortunately, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay only work via cable; this would certainly have been possible wirelessly too. The system can sometimes react a bit sluggishly and the graphics sometimes seem a bit outdated.

We can recommend the MG4 to those who don't want a VW, or just want something new and, above all, freshprowant to beer. The price is the same as the Luxury Version 41.990 Euros incl. 19 Procents of VAT

Test report as video:

Design: Typically Chinese

The design of the MG4 seems typically Chinese at first glance, but at a glance you might actually assume it's a European car. The front has a very sporty design; it is not difficult for us to compare it to the Cupra Born.

The rear, on the other hand, takes a lot of getting used to. Large taillights with LED lighting can be found here, as well as the MG logo in the middle. That alone ProThe problem that a lot of moisture collects in this light bar in our test car, as it protrudes relatively far, still remains. Whether this ProUnfortunately, we don't know whether the problem always occurs, but after a little while in the dry it should go away. SAIC itself also wanted to immortalize itself in the MG4, which is why there is a “SAIC Vision” inscription on both sides of the rear lights.

Unfortunately, this “SAIC Vision” does not offer a matrix LED or even dynamic flashing lights. There even seem to be halogen/bulb indicators installed at the rear of the MG4? Nevertheless, the MG4 offers extremely good illumination at night with the automatic high beam and also shines very well towards the edges of the road. Before we forget, since we do 2023 model year When driving the MG4, we also have a rear window wiper on board in addition to a one-pedal mode!

Infotainment: Visually an Android tablet from 2013

The infotainment on the 10-inch display in the MG4 is by no means covered in fame. The system is designed to be easy to understand and, commendably, important functions such as window heating and air conditioning can be quickly accessed using real buttons. However, the system sometimes reacts a bit slowly and sluggishly. Furthermore, but also highly subjective at this point, we find the UI in terms of design. Get it here NIO still the best user experience, especially graphically.

Nevertheless, as mentioned, all important things can be accessed quickly. In terms of design, if you're angry, you could compare it to an Android tablet from 2013. Luckily it's not that bad in everyday use. A lot of things are also bypassed with Android Auto. Then the display looks much more high quality. So MG, you can continue to optimize the software, especially the graphics!

Interior: Lots of space and good storage options

To put it mildly, we would advertise a similar amount of space in the MG3 as in the VW ID.4. Maybe even a little more thanks to the very deep center console. Unfortunately, the dashboard does not have a hole for a head-up display, but the ID.3 / Cupra Born is a lot ahead. Unfortunately, there is a bit too much piano lacquer here too, but not nearly as much as in the ID.3, fortunately.

Behind the steering wheel you will find a smaller Driver Info Display, which is inspired by the ID.3 or Cupra Born. The slightly protruding center console, where you can charge your cell phone wirelessly in the Luxury version, is out of the way and offers an interesting change in the otherwise very clean interior. There is the rotary pushbutton familiar from MG, not something for infotainment, but for selecting the gear levels. This worked smoothly in our test, and there was also an electric parking brake. However, this is pulled automatically when stationary when you switch to “P”.

The trunk has a capacity of 350 liters, almost next to that of the ID.3. In fact, the MG4 has a good 40 liters less storage space than the ID.3. The double loading floor probably makes a lot of difference here, because it is not as big on the MG4 as on the ID.3. There are three seats on the back seat, but in terms of space I would prefer the ID.3. It has to be said that in the photo both seats have been completely retracted, unfortunately only the driver's seat is electric, the front passenger still has to pump and pull regularly. The seats can be folded down in parts on the rear bench to provide a little more storage space. It is important to mention that comparable models such as the Smart #1 exist; like the ID.3, the trunk must be opened and closed manually.

Driving behavior & range: Very maneuverable and sometimes sporty

If we compare the driving characteristics with those of a VW ID.3 with the same engine, we came to the conclusion that the MG4 Luxury is a little easier to steer. Even in sport mode, you have to pull the steering wheel a little more in the VW. Nevertheless, the MG4 can be maneuvered very nimbly through curves or in the city center. Of course, the real range depends heavily on the driving pleasure you want to have. There are three different drive modes, Normal, Eco and Sport. You can also configure a fourth one, namely “Custom”, where all details can be coordinated individually. We also have a special mode called “Snow”, where the speed is probably reduced so that you don’t have to drive too much with the rear-wheel drive even in snow Prohas problems.

In our everyday test with country roads, urban areas and some motorways, we achieved a real range of 330 kilometers when the outside temperature is below 10 degrees. Consumption fluctuated between 16 – 18 kWh per 100 km a. Those are definitely good values. If you want a little more range, you should perhaps go for the MG4 Extended Range, which offers a real range of 420 kilometers and a 77 kWh battery. So very comparable to the large battery of the VW ID.3.

Service & Errors: Not everything goes well.

Everything ran smoothly in our test car and things went equally well for many other MG4 owners. Nevertheless, it should definitely be mentioned that the service probably needs to be expanded massively, including updates that were installed after which DC fast charging was no longer possible. If you would like to read more about the dark side of MG and its service network, you can go to LinkedIn and read Twitter/X user “Daniel Bönnighausen”. He reports on his sometimes very bad experiences with the MG service and how, to put it mildly, they don't seem to get anything done. Among other things, the case that has also plagued Hyundai Group electric vehicles is empty 12V batteries.

MG clearly needs to redesign its service here. Because the way things are currently going, long-term customer loyalty won't work.

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