MG MG4 XPower review: is it any good on track?

Electric cars tend to be more comfortable than their petrol and diesel counterparts because there’s no engine burbling away in the background and the seats are designed for the future, and this stands true with the MG4. 

Inside, the MG4 XPower is not much different to the standard car but does have Alcantara seats and a smattering of sporty red stitching.

While the MG ZS EV has a great cabin, the MG4 takes it to the next level with a new design and revised 10.25-inch infotainment screen complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.  

A new feature that can be found in the infotainment system is an XPower-only ‘Track Mode’ app that gives you real-time G-force and acceleration data, which is particularly interesting when on track.

Outside of chasing lap times, it’s no more than a gimmick to show off to your mates. 

Overall cabin space is decent in the MG4, especially for a car of this size. It offers good space in the front and impressive levels of head and legroom in the rear, even if you’re on the taller side.

It's clear how well thought-out the design is, from the cubbyholes to the rotating gear selector that’s placed conveniently in the centre of the dash. 

• Read our in-depth MG4 review 

When it comes to performance, that’s where the MG4 XPower really shines, leaving the standard MG4 in the dust.

With an extra electric motor bolted onto the front axle and more power at the rear, it produces 435hp and 600Nm of torque.  

This allows it to complete the 0-62mph sprint in an eye-watering 3.8 seconds, putting it above the likes of the Alpine A110 and Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo.

And if that’s not enough for you, it has a top speed of 124mph – not that you can experience that on UK roads anyway. 

Despite this quite frankly insane performance from a small electric hatchback, the MG4 XPower still offers a claimed 239 miles of range on a single charge.

This is achievable, unless – like us – you take it on track, which will significantly drain the battery and even cut power if it sees fit.

We still found it averaged two miles per kWh, however, which isn’t awful considering how hard we pushed it. 

The range will be affected by the different drive modes, which change the throttle response and steering sensitivity. These include Snow, Eco, Normal, Sport and Custom.

Most of the time we’d recommend sticking it in Eco to eke as much range as possible, but whacking it in Sport mode from time to time can be a blast – as we discovered on track at Rockingham. 

The XPower feels genuinely rapid on track, even through the corners, which is impressive for something weighing 1.8 tonnes.

It does lean a bit around corners, and you can’t stiffen up the suspension like you can in its Golf R rival, which has adaptive suspension. 

But you still get good balance under braking, and the car rotates nicely on turn-in with the occasional lift-off oversteer, giving it that proper hot hatch feel.

When it comes to stopping, you won’t have any issues thanks to its grippy brakes. Despite having fake orange covers over the silver brake callipers, they do a good job of stopping the car, even under heavy track use. 

While we don't often talk about track performance when it comes to family EVs, if heading out for a track day is something you’d do – and the car is certainly capable of it – then beware that, like all other electric cars, you need to manage the battery temperatures on track to avoid any loss in power.

If you’re doing short stints on a flowing B-road, then this is going to knock it out of the park.

In terms of practicality, the XPower is no different to the bog-standard MG4. It still gets the same 363-litre boot and plenty of cubbyholes throughout. 

Sitting on the MSP platform that it shares with the ZS EV means it has a long wheelbase that offers that bit more space for all five passengers, though we’d recommend sticking to four for longer journeys. 

There’s nothing bad to say about the level of space you get inside, with it stacking up well against competitors such as the Cupra Born and VW ID.3, which both get a 385-litre boot. 

MG has done a great job of making affordable electric cars more accessible to the masses.

Prices for the standard MG4 start at £26,995, undercutting competitors by a significant margin.  

Despite its significant power upgrades, the MG4 XPower starts at £36,495, which is very good value for money – especially when you put it up against smaller, less exciting models such as the Vauxhall Corsa Electric. 

Your best bet will be charging at home because it’s cheaper but slower. However, if you need extra juice on the go then using a public fast or rapid charger up to 140kW is the way to go, giving you 10-80% in around 30 minutes. 

As a rule of thumb, charging an MG4 at home will cost 27p per kWh and using a public fast charger will cost between 55p and 79p per kWh. 

Another cost associated with car ownership is insurance, which can be higher with electric vehicles, especially high-performance ones.

The XPower sits in insurance group 40, which is on the higher end, but costs will vary depending on factors including where the driver lives, their driving record and their occupation. 

As far as maintenance costs are concerned, because it’s a newer car you shouldn’t need to worry about anything going wrong.

But, like with all cars, issues can arise but (depending on when you bought it) you’ll be covered by MG’s seven-year/80,000-mile warranty. 

Written by Ben Welham