MG4 XPOWER / 430hp AWD / Real Rally Driver's assessment
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ธ.ค. 2023
- MG XPower 64kWh full review. If you're surfing through the many reviews of this car, you might notice it's fashionable to criticise this hatch as somehow missing the mark as a genuine hot hatch. Not really a competitor to a Golf GTi, Type R, i30N or Focus RS so some journalists say. Do they really think so or are they just massaging their own egos a bit? Maybe they're right.
Who am I to say? So I thought I'd better get a championship-winning rally driver, one with no experience of fast electric cars, but heaps of experience with fast road and race cars to give his impartial verdict - is this a hot hatch or is it not?
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I loved how unbiased and open to the experience you both were; that's proper reviewing.
exactly
Thanks dude! We try to be fair
Really interesting to see how Andrew is initially a bit sceptical and gradually comes around to really enjoying the car.
i was and i did :) It really went well which i wasnt prepared for
Most TH-camrs won't call it a hot hatch because of an ego thing. Here are two men comfortable in their own skin with great experience calling it.
Agreed. Most car TH-camrs watch other people do a review and copy it. They're scared to give their own impressions.
Great review as always and sums up why I went a base MG4 rather than the XPower as a daily driver: The risk to my license.
The Wisemans ferry loop is always a good run. A great spot for testing!
Every time he floored it they both giggled like naughty school kids. I have an Essence 64 with half the horsepower and booting out of a corner always makes me smile. I'd love to have a drive in an X-power but I reckon it would scare the pants off me. Then again I could just drive it like any normal EV and savour the grunt for times I need an adrenaline rush.
Brilliant review and nice to see new talent behind the wheel. These cars get good reviews everywhere and they are £20k less than a Model 3 Performance.
I've got one myself in green and I love it! Yes it's not perfect but for the price it's great
I got my MG4 Xpower for about 1 mounth ago, I do love the drive, but damm they have to work on the software... so many small faults, so many stupied giltses.. simpelt things.. but there is a lot of them. but tesla did the same in first models, software did upgrade over time, and hopefull this will to.
Would love to see your take on how the BYD Seal Performance drives on these roads and how it compares to the XPower
Still trying to get hold of a Seal. Will keep trying.
You have a good preso style. Thank you. U made it fun!
Even the AI bots like me. Kewl!
Great review , I agree the grey looks smart
Excellent video as always!
I have just bought one!
Proper review. Thanks gentlemen.
From what I can find in the brochure the Track Mode only gives you different info on the screen, doesnt change suspension settings or anything that can enhance performance on a circuit or in serious rally driving
You're right. I also believe it's just about have a stopwatch / lap timer. It doesn't have active suspension so nothing changes in that area. I don't know if it changes throttle mapping or steering feel - I suspect it's the same as Sport mode. Importantly unlike Hyundai's track mode, it doesn't give you warranty cover for any competition or track day events.
We got our case's into the MGzs EV, 20m to 5 am in an Exstremly hevy down pour, emedetly confronted with a river of water from Hill st, then drove through a pudel where the water came over the bonet, in Thirroul, then we headed up Bulli Pass some pudels but OK when I got to the emergency runoff for Trucks at the elbow there was a river of rocks and gravel, the car got through this, I think that the weight, and the fact that the EV is AWD saved the day, managed to to get the rest of the way up the Pass sumtimes on the outside of the road to avoid the water falls, drove along with emergency lights on and following the cats eyes. Got the car delivered to the higher place, find out we had lost the number plate.
Conclusion is that I don't think an ICE car would have done as well as it did, VERY IMPREST with the MGzs. Ian Mutch Auckland
NOW THAT'S A TEST!!!!
PS. I went for a drive to BauldHill to see how sporty it was, i gave it the fat, from Stanwell Park to the top of Bauldhill, more powerful than a V8, and great breaking, lot's of fun 😊😊😅
Merry Xmas guys!! Keep up the great work with your videos!!
Love this review of the x power , can’t wait for my own to arrive , thanks awesome 👍🏼
Great episode
Thank your for sharing the flyer i gave you
Hope it helps create some awareness Sam.
You've got a nice presentation style.
When I decide to get rid of my i20N, this will be on the short list, probably under a novated lease (if the tax benefits are still there)
Have you had any mechanical issues with your i20n yet ?
@@ljp1942 No, has been good
I enjoy these reviews and recognise most of the roads the cars are being tested on.
The handling varies substantially, depending on the selected mode eg Eco is RWD only; Sport is AWD. Softening the front anti-roll bar looks like it will reduce the AWD power understeer a great deal. Standard tyres aren't really hi performance either.
Some seem to expect too much out of lane keep assist. It is just an assistant and shouldn't be expected to do the work of keeping the car in a lane. It is there to assist the driver by reminding they are exceeding the lane and gives cues with a steering bump or a beep, or both. If you want self driving, that's another matter.
That said, it can be very annoying on narrow country roads.
Good review though and that looks like a great car.
Great review Stu & Andrew. It’s encouraging to see more people appreciate EVs and judge them fairly - ie as how they perform as a car.
$60k for a brand new car that can do 0-100 in 3.8 seconds and handle like a hot hatch is an absolute bargain.
@Stu: You mention needing a “good fast charger” at home. This is a misconception. For the 180km daily commute you do need more than a standard power point, but a simple 32A single phase charger will give 7kW, and the MG is apparently only capable of 6.6kW. At the claimed 150Wh/km that’s a charging speed of ~44km/h while parked overnight, so an easy 4 hour daily charge off peak. Putting all of that in perspective, a 22kW capable Tesla charger (compatible with all EVs and best value on the market imo) is $750. Double that to allow for some installation costs and you are at about $1500 once off for your home setup.
For the car itself they look great with a balance of specs to stay sensible for a super competitive price. The 6.6kW AC charger is a bit slow and the maximum DC charging speed of 150kW is on the low side compared with some other cars, but to be honest more than enough for 99% of people 99% of the time. In comparison My old 2014 S85 maxes out at 120kW and uses ~30% more power for the same range (200Wh/100 vs 150Wh/100). As you know I’ve done a lot of trips in it and generally it is ready to go before we are.
At the end, you show a real issue that BP and the other petrol companies getting into charging will have to face. You were sitting in your car at a servo which is a sub optimal experience. Other chargers are being put in locations where you’d like to be - ie with cafes, restaurants or shopping. There is an opportunity for companies getting into this market to increase their profits offering better food and drink next to the chargers. Most people on a trip would spend some money for a coffee or a snack/meal. Certainly my experience is that I look for places to charge where I’m not wasting time.
Hi from Iceland. I can definitely confirm that placing chargers by road stops is a great option. The three bigger gas station companies here have all at least dipped their toes into putting chargers by their stations along the ring road, and it's always nice being able to fill up on snacks, or get a hot dog and visit the rest room while the car's sitting for its 20-30 minutes.
@@GreatJoe Yep. Some of the chargers here in Australia are near decent cafes and restaurants. In the early days with fewer chargers we had to fill up for longer and so the restaurants were better. My experience is that generally the car is ready to go before we are done eating.
Thank you for a real drivers review, no discussion of piano black plastics, fake exhaust pipes, missing retractable door handles or electric assisted tailgate. Hopefully the 2nd revision of the XPower will rectify the in-car electronic controls.
Thank you. That was a real treat.
I've known a few competition drivers over the years, and any time you can get a giggle out of one in a ROAD CAR, there is definitely something special involved.
So, as you say, it's a hatch, and it's hot. And as the rally driver said, it's definitely a hot hatch.
BTW, you really have to be impressed at how it simply waltzed away from possibly one of the all-time greatest hot hatches; the Hyundai i20N, seriously, that's a wow moment, and no mean praise from the rally driver.
You need TJA on if you want it to be mid lane tracking. Not perfect but good enough. Great review and conclusion.
Great review Stu, Andrew did a great job as fill in for Mark. Your smiles give me hope for some fun in our electric future even if the sound is missing
Im not really sure the horse powers are that important for hot hatches. I mean of course a little bit is necessary but really its more a combination of a multitude of subtle factors in combination. A Clio RS, Fiesta ST, Peugeot 205 etc. are not famous due to their power and acceleration . Its all about mechanical feel and involvement. Acceleration while initially impressive tends to fade and is a bit a one dimensional feature (whatever the power one eventfully 'just get a bit numb to it'). I believe a proper hot hatch needs to be very firm (to feel connected to road + its makes everything feel a bit faster than it really is). Steering feel, brake feel etc. are also super important. And of course manual cars are always more entertaining as there is more for the driver to do. I'm much more anxious to try out the ioniq 5 N if the future needs to be electric. Oh, sound is also more important than one would think (that statement is easily testable in cars that have an exhausts flap).
my KONA does hold the bend if there is double while lines on the road, with hands off....
Thank you
You are still going to have an under done seat in the MX5. I would be interested in the mod market for ev's, can you get better suspension, brakes, seats, etc. Really enjoying your approach to test driving.😊
MG do you let you spec sports seats in China. Hopefully they will change their minds and let others markets get all the goodies.
Hey mate, could you do a haval H6 hybrid review by any chance? thanks
Seal 4AWD next I reckon:)
Seconded! Pls review the performance version and let us know Stu
Yes please. Great video
In the future drivers trying ice cars are going to be thrilled with the visceral experience. Can you be one of those reviewers that measures both wheels and disc brakes in inches please, its illogical and frustrating for older blokes when wheels are inches and discs are mm's. Cheers and best wishes for Christmas. 👍
In the future drivers trying ice cars are going wonder is this thing broken? It vibrates, farts, is slow as a wet week and what the hell is that stink .
@@martinsmallwood9605 I can't agree with all of that Martin. Technically you're probably correct but there will always be a love of classic petrol cars, just as some people still love horses - which are slow, uncomfortable, vibrate, smelly and fart rather a lot of environmentally unfriendly methane. But despite all that people still love them for their elegance and beauty.
345mm 13.6" front and rear. Yes wheel diameter would have to be the very last vestige of Imperial measure left in Australian car culture. Apart from a Ford 9" diff. Oh and quoting MPH at drag races, but that's a US throwback. I realise parts of UK and USA are still fiercely resisting the metric system almost 50 years after the efforts of Ford, Reagan and G.H.W.Bush to legislate metrification as the US standard. Peeps don't like a changin' their ways. And the UK? Very slow to let go of cultural traditions. (e.g. Brexit, Monarchy)
yes but we all know 300mm is 12" don't we....so we go from there...
ALSO TV's are in " as well here
We need to be multi lingual guys...
USA is ofcourse stuck in the past...
@@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834 I am just annoyed that the wheel is in inches and disc is in mm's, like you would buy trousers that are inches waist and mms leg? One or the other, why both? are we stuck with the USA for wheels and Europe for discs. 🤪
Wow, that wonky lanekeep assistance aiming you off the road is really scary! Did they fix that?
Nice car, supercar acceleration for alot less money, they look nice in green too 🏴👌👍
well done tx i would def fanci brakes and fake noise maker
good to see normal people on the telly. Sick of over the top annoying people
Thank you
Can you give me an idea of the range at full racing speeds on a circuit.
I have asked MG but they have not replied
We'd only be guessing. But if I had to guess, it'd say that 15 kWh/100km would go to about 40 kWh/100km at full noise. So I'd expect a range of barely 150 -180 km if you were driving it at a track day. Similar to a V8 petrol race car, which goes from 15 l/100km around town to about 50 l/100km at full noise.
of course it's a hot hatch. There are different types of hot hatches, and this is one type. Of course, you might not like it, but it's hot.
Yeah, it's a softer hot hatch like a Golf R or something. It's not dialled up enough to be along the lines of a Megane RS or Civic Type R or i30N, but there is no technical reason MG couldn't make it stiffer and more dynamic or offer a "Trophy" or "Clubsport" package beyond the standard one (just as the GTI Clubsport brings the extra sharpness over a Golf R).
Is this Galston gorge??
Please get your friend to test drive the new Hyundai ioniq N with you.
OK will do! We will have a IONIQ 5 N in April. Really looking forward to it
The main problem with this car is its 1900kg
Why?
@@inCARnationAustralia if u r a car guy u know why
@@ocoet3575 You should go in one. Like the considerably heavier Taycan it seems to defy the laws of physics. Goes like stink, grips like sh*t to a blanket, stops pretty well, low polar moment, changes direction well, you'd never know it'd had too much Christmas lunch. I struggle to see the problem
@@inCARnationAustralia u r funny
Same 0 to 100 as an Audi RS 3 3. 8 seconds
lovely roads where you filmed thid id be all over this car if only it didnt look the way it does lol
EVs cannot have the brake feel of normal ice car due to Regen braking system that is not in ICE cars.
Looks ok to me. 🤷
It’s a MG lol
Steering feel improves if you select Sports mode. Same for torque vectoring as Sports mode engages permanent AWD.
Great review though.
Spent the whole time thinking "those roads would be fun in a real car".
That's what your wife thinks about men.
@@InspectorBadger your mother has no complaints m9
The i20n is a little buss box, and the mg4 is not..
Is that because you've never driven one ?
Umm Take a look at lap times. they're garbage.
Please share. I'm interested. Which track?
@@inCARnationAustralia four months on an there's no response from this person. I wonder what the problem is finding evidence of their claim? ;)
@@4ebees Yes I saw an average punter in a road MG XPower on an open track day did a 7:52 Nurburgring BTG. Anything under 8 minutes BTG is a very quick car, especially if it's unmodified. Seeing as the original poster is a M-car fan, worth pointing out you'll struggle to do that on a public day in a E46 M3. So the XPower is a long way from "garbage". Everyone's a hero on the internet