Impressive in terms of its quality/price ratio and its honorable features, the MG4, in both standard and Luxury versions, is intended for families looking for a first affordable electric car. But facing Tesla and its Model 3 and Model Y which regularly occupy the top of sales, the Sino-British brand has a lot to do to dethrone the American juggernaut.
Alongside the MG4 XPower version, bringing the power to 435 horsepower, MG Motors has also launched an Extended Range version, based on the Luxury finish while improving the technical sheet. In the manufacturer’s range, this new version is similar to an MG4 Grande Autonomie; it could well appeal to motorists who do not want to draw a line under long motorway journeys.
Embarking all the endowment of the Luxury finish, this MG4 Extended Range takes the opportunity to review its primary equipment, namely its engine and its battery. Unsurprisingly, to improve the autonomy of an electric car, increasing the size of the battery seems unavoidable. This new MG4 is no exception to the rule and swaps its 64 kWh battery for a 77 kWh model, thus increasing from 450 km to 520 km WLTP.
To move the additional weight of 1748 kg (+63 kg), MG has chosen to replace the 204 horsepower engine with a 245 horsepower engine, identical to that placed on the rear axle of the XPower version. More than the power, it is the torque that benefits the most with 350 nm (+100 nm), allowing it to gain 1.4 seconds on the 0 to 100 km / h (6.5 seconds). In addition, the charging power increases to 144 kW, against 140 kW, a menu change that will not make any difference in practice. During the test of the Luxury version, we noted a consumption of 23.1 kWh on the highway. We should find this value on this Long Autonomy model, and it will thus be possible to calmly approach stages of more than 250 km.
Displayed from €39,549, the MG4 Luxury Extended Autonomy enjoys the maximum ecological bonus to lower the bill. At this price, it is difficult to find competitors. The Cupra Born VZ XL with similar performance (230 horsepower, 77 kWh and 550 km WLTP) is trading from €46,500, while the French Megane E-Tech starts from €42,000 with a smaller battery.
Finally, it is still Tesla which represents the greatest threat with a Model 3 (41,990 €) and a Model Y (45,990 €) more efficient, more premium and more welcoming for families. Their autonomy, admittedly announced as less important, is largely compensated by their superior efficiency at high speed and the Tesla ecosystem based on the integrated scheduler and the network of Superchargers.