I have observed recently the number of small very affordable EVs to come to the market, the bulk of which seem to be arriving from the Chinese manufacturers; of course there are Europeans such as Citroen aiming to make ownership of an all-electric vehicle much cheaper. The criticism that comes my way is that up to now purchasing an EV is simply out of the budget of many.
One Chinese carmaker, MG, is certainly aiming to make EV motoring appeal to a wider audience with their new MG4 Urban. It comes with lots of technology, an enhanced cabin quality, performance and driving range. I must add that on the performance the front dual motor XPOWER does satisfy with 320 kW. The first MG4 EV put MG back on the motoring map and with the latest offering all of the key elements have been retained with a comprehensive range of new technologies for an even more impressive experience. Not only is this newcomer stylish but it is highly practical when it comes to passenger space and luggage, out performing many of its rivals.
Clearly the design team has majored on comfort there is generous headroom for front and rear and for rear seat passenger’s adequate leg and knee room. This comfortable space is complimented by an abundance of storage spaces, in fact there are no less than thirty throughout the cabin. Boot space is good for a car of this size, with 479 litres and there is a further 98 litres in an easy to access recessed area below the boot floor. Fold the rear seats and 1364 litres are on offer, more than adequate for most needs. The cabin is certainly well appointed with a dual screen layout there is a 12.8 inch HD touchscreen and a seven inch driver display; also standard is the company’s smart connectivity MG iSMART. For music, wireless connectivity for Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The improved MG Pilot Custom feature enables you to customise and then store preferred features, easily by the touchscreen. There are new battery choices including the standard 43kW range and a long range 54kW. The latter with a thermal management system and the lightweight body structure can give up to 415km (258 miles) of range. Re charging; using rapid public charging the smaller battery can achieve 10-80 per cent charge in under thirty minutes and the larger battery in thirty minutes.
Another feature useful in wintry conditions is an advanced heat pump. There are five drive modes, Snow, ECO, Standard, Sport and Custom, the latter lets you tailor power, steering and pedal response for a much more personalised drive experience. This newcomer has already achieved Euro NCAP’S five star safety rating, the battery pack features ultra-safe cells and active warning and cooling systems and thermal isolation technology are all part of the package and seven airbags complete the safety package. The new MG4 Urban is certainly a welcome addition to the ranks of the more affordable EVs.
Finally, MG is a name well known I suspect, to most. The original company founded back in the 1920s; however the major change came with the arrival of the state owned Chinese SAIC Motor, bringing a famous name back to our roads.
Ian Lynas