The MG4 is one of Australia's cheapest electric hatchbacks. In this first impressions video, I detail what I liked, what could be better, and whether or not you should consider the MG4 for your next car.
I wish MG offered an Essence 51. The spec upgrade between Excite and Essence 64’s is $3k. That’d equate to an Essence51 being $41990 and great value for an urban driver who doesn’t want or need the bigger battery. Seriously, I think MG wouldn’t be able to get enough of them.
That would be a good option, only I would want the 150kW motor to improve efficiency/range. Based upon EV database, the smaller motor and battery combo MG are using is only getting 17 kWh/100km, so that means 300 kms of range. If they put a bigger motor in, overall it will use less power to keep the car going and improve efficiency.
Thanks for a well researched and factually CORRECT review Chris. Your review is SOOO much better than CarsGuide. They even WRONGLY stated they ALL variants charge at 50kW even though MG showed the slide with Max AC & DC charge rates for all variants. You made the effort to note, capture and show this info at 8:34. Thanks for all your hard work summarising all this info 👍.
Great video, I've had the MG4 here in the UK for a few months now. Strangley, our cars don't have the one pedal driving option in the menu so the car will not come up a complete stop 😑
Hey Chris I'm really keen on getting one. Excite 51, I'm retired (empty nester) Just the two of us and two dogs. You said it would be a great second car. I wanted to use it as our only car? Does it really have an option for one pedal driving. The earlier UK version only had low, medium and high regen. settings. High wasn't quite strong enough. And no reversing camera. Your advice would be most appreciated Thanks
Thankfully from day one, all models get one pedal driving in Australia. I think the only penalty for going with the Excite 51, is that the motor isn’t big enough to efficiently push the car forwards, so I think real world range will be 300kms. If possible, stretch for the 64kWh versions.
Chris you are right, the car should remember individual profiles say for two regular drivers and yes the missed opportunity in the front for storage is a shame.
I agree with your comments about settings. Even if they don't support Driver Profiles, remembering where the settings were last should be pretty easy to implement. It's annoying for the driver to have to re-set them all every time they get in the damned car.
My bad! I should have said the Essence model gets the iSmart lite which enables you to remotely start the climate, do vehicle diagnostics, and find your vehicle. Whereas the Essence has iSmart Mobile which adds to the lite version with route planning and Bluetooth key (mobile phone key), which you can share with others.
It doesn't on my MG4 Standard (the Euro 51kWh model). It doesn't even have all the Type 2 pins, it is missing 2. So it also impossible to have non-CCS DC med charging (two pins for negative and 2 for positive), I don't know if it accept DC low. And I don't know if the NMC batteries version (64 and 77) have any non-CCS DC capabilities either. But for the 51 models it is a bit of a shame, given that it can only charge at 88kW max it could have allowed the use of less expensive 50kW charging stations that only have Type 2 connectors without CCS. I'm also bummed that it is impossible to have Type 2 hybrid 1-phase AC+DC low charging with a solar panel setup feeding DC to the car directly as well as pulling AC from the grid. I'm sure few cars if any support mode that but I like the idea of a domestic solar supercharger without the losses from having to convert solar DC to AC back to DC for the battery.
I think the efficiency is good as you did the combined cycle in real world conditions. Driver profiles can't be that hard to put in a future OTA update, assume it does OTA updates.
How does it compare to a 40kwh Nissan Leaf? the torque seem a bit on the down size 250 compared to Leaf 350.
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I very like the design and tech of the MG 4. But it is too low for me and missing some features. So I ordered the BYD Dolphin Extended which offers in Thailand more for a little less money.
The Dolphin is fwd.. There is no comparison between the driving dynamics (fun) of a rwd MG4 to a fwd Dolphin. Fwd in an ev is a crime.
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@@nordic5490 It is not a «crime»; RW is nice-to-have. I have driven FWD cars since decades and I have survived. The Dolphin will be my daily driver. I don't need (dangerous) «fun» while driving.
@ oh yes, fwd in an ev is a crime. The fwd cars were made for; 1 - packaging - cramming the engine and gearbox and diff right upfront leaves a lit more room in the rest of the car - space is a premium in a small car. However, evs motors are tiny and can easily fit under the rear floor. 2 - cost, ie ease and speed of installation in an ice - 4 bolts and the entire engine + trans + diff and dront suspension, drivehsrts, cvs etc, are installed in one hit in a few seconds on the production line. Higher speed of assembly = lower cost. Fwd was never made because it is better to drive, because it certainly isnt. I have owned 3 fwd, and 8 rwd cars, and there is no comparison in the fun to drive factor between fwd and rwd. Why a crime ? Clean slate ev designs have absolutely no benefit to the manufacturer by being fwd, but there is a detriment to the owner in having fwd - primarily understeer - you are asking those front tyres to both apply driving torque to the road, and steer, all at the same time. This is all a bit much for fwd tyres. All pain, and no gain, and, that is a crime.
Thanks Chris I saw it at the Fully Charged Show and the shape and finish looked good. With the new platform probably the next level on from your ZS, although smaller? Ioniq 5 has profiles but does not save the regen level. Maybe it could be for safety reasons i.e. the driver needs to knowingly engage it on each trip.
Maybe, but its a bit of a "nanny" move. I mean what if I prefer eco mode and no hold when stationary (my wife's preferred settings), every time she has to play around with KERs and drive mode when she gets in our MG. I'll do some more testing when I get some more time with it.
@@chrisvanderstock Ioniq 5 does retain the drive mode at next restart. Again probably not a profile based save - we both use Eco mode so have not tested that. Forgot to say that MG4 not having a start button is definitely a plus!
Apparently, the Essence Grade get's an EV trip planner with charger locations, did you get a chance to play with that? Tesla's have it as std, would be great to see cheaper EV's come with good trip planning with EV chargers, for longer journeys.
Great report thanks Chris. Only thing we need to agree to disagree on is that orange duco, yuck to me. Other colours, nice. Are paint colours dearer? P.S. I drive and own an Atto3 and firmly believe MG has a winner here in base spec over the lethargic Dolphin with its 70kW motor but would buy the Dolphin Premium over the MG4 64 Essence because IMO finish and equipment plus the LFP blade battery are superior to NMC.
Agree with you there about the Premium Dolphin being a better buy than the 64kwh battery Excite for a similar price. I am elderly and would appreciate the higher ride height, more power and the extensive bells and whistles that model Dolphin offers over the MG4. I will certainly be checking out the base MG4 when it arrives though, mainly to see if the wife and I can enter and exit it easily.
Regardless of the cost any cars in-car entertainment system should be butter smooth, zero chance I’ll buy any car regardless of price (even a BMW or Mercs) if the in car system is laggy, zero excuse for this in 2023. Car manufacturers need to stop thinking of in-car systems as being a last thought, they are central in modern cars. We are use to phones and tablets that are smooth and lag free, cars should be no different. If it’s laggy when you buy it imagine after a few updates, no thanks.
The main moan is the agressive Lane Keeping Assist 'feature' which is downright dangerous and cannot be permanently disabled so you have to remember to turn it off at each restart.
Umm no on that corolla comment. Go in a zr Corolla hybrid and the quality is way above the MG. Why did you compare it to a N/A Corolla for ownership running cost? that's just stupid. I think you need to look up the service cost for the MG. What an absolute biased look at the MG4.
nope efficienty is spot on. its bad but good for its price. on moterway its hits up to above 23kWh/100km ofcourse when you go for the 77 then you need to ask im i paying the right price or can i buy a much better/efficient car for only 3-5k more
Thanks for the insight. I'll have to try two distinct runs, one involving freeway only, and the other urban. From your numbers, I'm guessing they need a bit more power to push this car.
Look at the MG4 UK reviews. The Australian ones are naff. They don't talk about anything that's important like the battery chemistry on each model. And they forget it's a cheap EV. Review it on that. Comparison to a Tesla just shows ignorance. Well they don't make cars in Australia perhaps that's something to consider. Anyway I couldn't watch or listen to it anymore.
![Electric Chris [Chris Vanderstock]](http://yt3.ggpht.com/qxfI75BghYdT1dTJZL1BUpsCDP0Z3egBhGdfcon8D317GWcfNSPR4A7J28c5ConhaqQw7ldVZg=s48-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj)
The MG4 is one of Australia's cheapest electric hatchbacks. In this first impressions video, I detail what I liked, what could be better, and whether or not you should consider the MG4 for your next car.
I wish MG offered an Essence 51. The spec upgrade between Excite and Essence 64’s is $3k. That’d equate to an Essence51 being $41990 and great value for an urban driver who doesn’t want or need the bigger battery. Seriously, I think MG wouldn’t be able to get enough of them.
That would be a good option, only I would want the 150kW motor to improve efficiency/range. Based upon EV database, the smaller motor and battery combo MG are using is only getting 17 kWh/100km, so that means 300 kms of range. If they put a bigger motor in, overall it will use less power to keep the car going and improve efficiency.
They do bought a new MG4 X in Thailand.
It’s planned this way. MG and the dealers make more margin out of the Essence 64 than anything else
Thanks for a well researched and factually CORRECT review Chris. Your review is SOOO much better than CarsGuide. They even WRONGLY stated they ALL variants charge at 50kW even though MG showed the slide with Max AC & DC charge rates for all variants. You made the effort to note, capture and show this info at 8:34. Thanks for all your hard work summarising all this info 👍.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, I've had the MG4 here in the UK for a few months now. Strangley, our cars don't have the one pedal driving option in the menu so the car will not come up a complete stop 😑
Weird, I guess MG could roll out a software update to add this.
The ones coming out of China do now, even for the UK. Probably being reserved for the MY24 update. The new cars will get a rear wiper too
Hey Chris I'm really keen on getting one. Excite 51, I'm retired (empty nester) Just the two of us and two dogs. You said it would be a great second car. I wanted to use it as our only car? Does it really have an option for one pedal driving. The earlier UK version only had low, medium and high regen. settings. High wasn't quite strong enough. And no reversing camera. Your advice would be most appreciated
Thanks
Thankfully from day one, all models get one pedal driving in Australia. I think the only penalty for going with the Excite 51, is that the motor isn’t big enough to efficiently push the car forwards, so I think real world range will be 300kms. If possible, stretch for the 64kWh versions.
Chris you are right, the car should remember individual profiles say for two regular drivers and yes the missed opportunity in the front for storage is a shame.
12:51 I see rear ends if it slows down around slight corners without brake lights
Like when engine braking and slowing down in a manual car - there are no brake lights then.
@nordic5490 potentially, but does sound a bit problematic if people don't notice.
EVs brake lights do come on if the regen is slowing the car significantly.
I agree with your comments about settings. Even if they don't support Driver Profiles, remembering where the settings were last should be pretty easy to implement. It's annoying for the driver to have to re-set them all every time they get in the damned car.
Nice review, again Chris. Good to see some decent EV options that should suit the budgets of more Australians.
Agreed!
Driver profile / yes
For sure, right!? I spoke with Kevin from MG and he didn't promise anything but didn't say it wasn't possible. So hopefully!?
Will Australia get the performance AWD version which can do 0-100 in less than 4 secs ?
Sure will. By the end of the year. X power is its name.
I never see the top trim with the daylight running led on the flasher leds
At 5:00 you state ‘entry level essence gets ismart connectivity’….is this correct? Did you mean to say ‘excite’ instead??
My bad! I should have said the Essence model gets the iSmart lite which enables you to remotely start the climate, do vehicle diagnostics, and find your vehicle. Whereas the Essence has iSmart Mobile which adds to the lite version with route planning and Bluetooth key (mobile phone key), which you can share with others.
@@chrisvanderstock all good Chris, thanks for clarifying….altho u may want to re-read what you’ve written there..😀I think you’ve done it again!
Wait, I'm confused... does iSmart app work on every model??
Congrats on grabbing an early drive in the MG4 and sharing thoughts Chris. Cheers.
Thanks I was very fortunate to have this opportunity.
Does the excite 51ke midel also support 11kw ac charging on theee phase?
I think so, yes - but let me check with MG and I'll re-comment on this.
It doesn't on my MG4 Standard (the Euro 51kWh model).
It doesn't even have all the Type 2 pins, it is missing 2. So it also impossible to have non-CCS DC med charging (two pins for negative and 2 for positive), I don't know if it accept DC low.
And I don't know if the NMC batteries version (64 and 77) have any non-CCS DC capabilities either. But for the 51 models it is a bit of a shame, given that it can only charge at 88kW max it could have allowed the use of less expensive 50kW charging stations that only have Type 2 connectors without CCS.
I'm also bummed that it is impossible to have Type 2 hybrid 1-phase AC+DC low charging with a solar panel setup feeding DC to the car directly as well as pulling AC from the grid. I'm sure few cars if any support mode that but I like the idea of a domestic solar supercharger without the losses from having to convert solar DC to AC back to DC for the battery.
11 KW charging is 3 phase. Not at all useful unless you charge at a workplace with 3 phase.
I think the efficiency is good as you did the combined cycle in real world conditions. Driver profiles can't be that hard to put in a future OTA update, assume it does OTA updates.
Checking with MG. I'll re-reply back here when known or put it in an update video.
Chris, is it possible to turn off all the driver assistance stuff?
Pretty much... but will it remember what you prefer, this I'm not too sure about.
@@chrisvanderstock Thanks
Now they give rear wipers or not?
Yes the rear wiper is there.
How does it compare to a 40kwh Nissan Leaf? the torque seem a bit on the down size 250 compared to Leaf 350.
I very like the design and tech of the MG 4. But it is too low for me and missing some features. So I ordered the BYD Dolphin Extended which offers in Thailand more for a little less money.
The Dolphin is fwd.. There is no comparison between the driving dynamics (fun) of a rwd MG4 to a fwd Dolphin.
Fwd in an ev is a crime.
@@nordic5490 It is not a «crime»; RW is nice-to-have. I have driven FWD cars since decades and I have survived. The Dolphin will be my daily driver. I don't need (dangerous) «fun» while driving.
@ oh yes, fwd in an ev is a crime.
The fwd cars were made for;
1 - packaging - cramming the engine and gearbox and diff right upfront leaves a lit more room in the rest of the car - space is a premium in a small car. However, evs motors are tiny and can easily fit under the rear floor.
2 - cost, ie ease and speed of installation in an ice - 4 bolts and the entire engine + trans + diff and dront suspension, drivehsrts, cvs etc, are installed in one hit in a few seconds on the production line. Higher speed of assembly = lower cost.
Fwd was never made because it is better to drive, because it certainly isnt. I have owned 3 fwd, and 8 rwd cars, and there is no comparison in the fun to drive factor between fwd and rwd.
Why a crime ? Clean slate ev designs have absolutely no benefit to the manufacturer by being fwd, but there is a detriment to the owner in having fwd - primarily understeer - you are asking those front tyres to both apply driving torque to the road, and steer, all at the same time. This is all a bit much for fwd tyres. All pain, and no gain, and, that is a crime.
14:02 I love profiles
Same, right! The product Director grinned when I asked if they could be added... so maybe!?
I do like the look of the MG4. Is it capable of over-the-air updates?
Checking with MG. I'll re-reply back here when known or put it in an update video.
Absolutely needs to remember profiles. Also interested in whether you can purchase a spare wheel...even if it's a low profile one.
I'll ask MG, but I doubt it as there isn't a sub floor to store it in, so it will take up valuable boot space.
Excellent review Chris 😊 So I want to spend around $50,000, should I buy the MG Essence 4 or the BYD atto3?
those prices are seriously impressive! under $40K starting.
I know, right!?
Just slight correction the 77kwh has 350nm not 250
Yikes! Correct - 350 Nm
Looks great 👍 yes driver profile is a must
Agreed!
Thanks Chris
I saw it at the Fully Charged Show and the shape and finish looked good. With the new platform probably the next level on from your ZS, although smaller?
Ioniq 5 has profiles but does not save the regen level. Maybe it could be for safety reasons i.e. the driver needs to knowingly engage it on each trip.
Maybe, but its a bit of a "nanny" move. I mean what if I prefer eco mode and no hold when stationary (my wife's preferred settings), every time she has to play around with KERs and drive mode when she gets in our MG. I'll do some more testing when I get some more time with it.
@@chrisvanderstock Ioniq 5 does retain the drive mode at next restart. Again probably not a profile based save - we both use Eco mode so have not tested that.
Forgot to say that MG4 not having a start button is definitely a plus!
Apparently, the Essence Grade get's an EV trip planner with charger locations, did you get a chance to play with that? Tesla's have it as std, would be great to see cheaper EV's come with good trip planning with EV chargers, for longer journeys.
I'll look into it when I get one in for review.
Driver profiles would be very important to add to more expensive models.
Great report thanks Chris. Only thing we need to agree to disagree on is that orange duco, yuck to me. Other colours, nice. Are paint colours dearer?
P.S. I drive and own an Atto3 and firmly believe MG has a winner here in base spec over the lethargic Dolphin with its 70kW motor but would buy the Dolphin Premium over the MG4 64 Essence because IMO finish and equipment plus the LFP blade battery are superior to NMC.
Agree with you there about the Premium Dolphin being a better buy than the 64kwh battery Excite for a similar price.
I am elderly and would appreciate the higher ride height, more power and the extensive bells and whistles that model Dolphin offers over the MG4.
I will certainly be checking out the base MG4 when it arrives though, mainly to see if the wife and I can enter and exit it easily.
Rica etsem altyazı seçeneklerine Türkçe dil seçeneği ekleyebilir misiniz ? Sizi anlamak ve takip etmek istiyorum !!!
Sorry not sure how to do that. I'll look it up.
Ouch $907 service 😮
Yeah that's BS for an EV!
Yep - complete BS. Works out to be $299 per year... even though you don't need to service "every year".
Agreed!
I was going to buy a Subaru. $850 pa servicing to keep the warranty. BMW might be $1500pa.
A total rip off and exploitation of customers.
Regardless of the cost any cars in-car entertainment system should be butter smooth, zero chance I’ll buy any car regardless of price (even a BMW or Mercs) if the in car system is laggy, zero excuse for this in 2023. Car manufacturers need to stop thinking of in-car systems as being a last thought, they are central in modern cars.
We are use to phones and tablets that are smooth and lag free, cars should be no different. If it’s laggy when you buy it imagine after a few updates, no thanks.
Fair comment.
Laggy ? As long as the speedo isnt laggy, that is all what matters when you are driving. Keep your eyes ahead please.
Meh - JBL boom box will sort that🤘🤘
STILL HAS STUPID SERVICE FEE
Agreed. Essentially $299 per year, despite not really needing it.
The lack of memory is one of the biggest moans in the U.K.
The main moan is the agressive Lane Keeping Assist 'feature' which is downright dangerous and cannot be permanently disabled so you have to remember to turn it off at each restart.
Umm no on that corolla comment. Go in a zr Corolla hybrid and the quality is way above the MG. Why did you compare it to a N/A Corolla for ownership running cost? that's just stupid.
I think you need to look up the service cost for the MG. What an absolute biased look at the MG4.
nope efficienty is spot on. its bad but good for its price.
on moterway its hits up to above 23kWh/100km
ofcourse when you go for the 77 then you need to ask im i paying the right price or can i buy a much better/efficient car for only 3-5k more
Thanks for the insight. I'll have to try two distinct runs, one involving freeway only, and the other urban. From your numbers, I'm guessing they need a bit more power to push this car.
Look at the MG4 UK reviews. The Australian ones are naff. They don't talk about anything that's important like the battery chemistry on each model. And they forget it's a cheap EV. Review it on that. Comparison to a Tesla just shows ignorance. Well they don't make cars in Australia perhaps that's something to consider. Anyway I couldn't watch or listen to it anymore.
onepedal driving sucks.. no feeling with the car. it proberly invented by TESLA tablet book
I guess each to their own. And FYI, Nissan invented one pedal driving.
Rrrrrrrrrrrright. Intelligent comment right there Tommy✊