First test drive in the electric MG 4

Den name MG thrown around, attention is already there: Really? MG is back? In any case, older semesters associate something with the two letters, racy British cars with certain reliability problems, something like that. Whether it is promising to start with a historically renowned brand in a modern age can be answered like Borgward. Or like MG. They have long belonged to the Chinese conglomerate SAIC, have been on the German market for two years and are achieving notable success with their everyday electric cars. It shouldn’t stay that way.

With the 4.30 meter long MG 4, they are now targeting the VW ID 3, Opel Astra or Peugeot 308, i.e. right into the electric Golf class. It is the first MG model on a new, variable platform. The battery in the flat base stores 51 or 64 kWh. According to the manufacturer, this enables a range of 350 to 450 kilometers in accordance with the WLTP standard.

We did a first test drive in a pre-production model, no excessive ecstasy is to be expected. But a solid performance so far with decent furnishings and pleasing use of space. In this class, design trees do not grow to the sky, despite the relatively high prices. For the time being, this is the fate of electromobility. After all, MG sets a few pleasant accents, and the body shows some dynamics on the outside.

The drive, mounted on the rear axle and delivering a whopping 204 hp (150 kW), is unspectacularly smooth, the steering is very light, the comfort is okay. Versions with 170 hp or maybe even up to 400 hp and all-wheel drive are among the mind games. Until the market launch around the turn of the year, the MG 4 will be fine-tuned, we assume the starting tariff around 30,000 euros. That’s tight for a Chinese car. Despite the MG logo. But maybe the new electric car world thinks differently.