Car buyers shopping for a reasonably-priced electric car will now have an additional vehicle to shortlist. But the MG 4 EV 99 kW is drastically different dynamically to most of its closest EV competitors, and appeals to a very different target demographic.

We aren’t strangers to the MG 4 EV – we actually reviewed the Category B version of the car last year. The two cars are identical mechanically, with MG achieving Category A compliance by capping the peak power output to 99 kW.

However, there are subtle changes to the MG 4 EV, a result not of the Category A compliance, but by the fact that it is of a newer model year. Which brings about numerous equipment and software updates.

What’s Different?

There are no changes to the bodywork of the car. But the new car comes with newly-designed alloy wheels and what looks like lower profile tyres, which fill the arches better than the sets fitted on the Category B MG 4 EV.

The cabin is far less dreary now. MG has trimmed various panels with white faux leather, with orange inserts on the seats. This treatment has brightened up the cabin significantly, though it could still really benefit from having a glass roof.

MG has also slightly revised the UI of the infotainment screen. There is a slight improvement in the overall user experience, and the logical hotkey shortcut system still means you don’t really miss having more physical buttons. 

Still Incredibly Agile

It may have lost ⅓ of the power of the Cat B car, but the 99 kW version of the MG 4 EV still feels like no slouch. The difference in power isn’t immediately obvious when driven within the confines of the city. Off-the-line acceleration is still fairly strong, though you do start to feel the effects of the power dip when trying to overtake others on the expressway.

WIth less overall power, the car feels more stable. You’ll need significant amounts of throttle and road speed to actually get any slip from the rear end. It still retains the agility and responsiveness as the normal car – it is now just slightly more enjoyable to drive as the car feels more approachable.

The steering, whilst direct and quick, could do with a little more feedback though. Otherwise, the car feels European in the way it conducts itself, and there’s little to really suggest that this is a sub-$150k car (accurate at the time of publishing).

The True Value Champion

And you need to keep that figure in mind. There are now many electric cars in its price bracket. We’ve had the luxury of driving most of them by this point. However, none of the cars feel as premium as the MG 4 EV.

In all honesty, the entire MG range is extremely competitive. You can buy the MG ZS EV and the MG 5 EV for basically the same money as an MG 4 EV 99 kW. But only the MG 4 EV has been built on an all-new, future-proof EV platform. So unless you are specifically shopping for either an SUV or a station wagon, the MG 4 really makes a lot of sense.

And even when compared to its closest Chinese EV rivals, the MG 4 still manages to outshine them. It is built better, feels more reassuring to drive and it’d happily do the range as advertised by MG. In our books, it truly is the all-round value champion!

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