Last August, MG launched the MG4 EV in the European market. With an aim to take on the Volkswagen ID.3 among other entries, the made-in-China MG4 touted a base price of €28,590 (£26,995 in the UK) and some solid technology.
In the Long Range examples, they offer a 64kWh battery pack with 135kW DC fast charging and a 201-horsepower rear-mounted electric motor. That variant is rated for up to 280 miles on the WLTP scale and MG says it can accelerate to sixty in 7.9 seconds. For the performance technology, the MG4 features a 50:50 weight distribution, five-link independent suspension on the rear axle, and Bosch dual-pinion electric power steering.
But the MG4's performance doesn't stop at a 201 horsepower motor. An upcoming Extended Range version will feature an even more powerful 242 horsepower unit. However, MG isn't stopping at a two-wheel-drive system.
Set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the MG4 XPower will be the most powerful MG ever*. Currently standing as number one, the 2004 MG XPower SV-R was a limited-production sports car built by Qvale in Italy. It featured a 385 horsepower Ford engine and could accelerate to sixty in 4.9 seconds.
The MG4 XPower is on track to outpace the early 2000s' XPower SV-R. Packing dual electric motors, it produces a total of 423 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The MG4 XPower is more powerful than a Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo 4 (375 horsepower), BMW i4 xDrive40 (396 horsepower), and even a Polestar 2 Dual Motor (421 horsepower).
This substantial powertrain allows for a launch to 62 miles per hour in a mere 3.8 seconds, according to the leaked document obtained by Autocar. On the same document, it says the starting price is as low as £36,495. If that price point holds true, the MG4 will massively punch above its class, making for an ultra-competitive EV.
The only disadvantage of opting for the MG4 XPower is a reduced range of 239 miles on the WLTP scale. Still, those power figures for a vehicle of this ilk will be unprecedented. Time will only tell until its official debut.
* Note: there was a 540-horsepower supercharged version of the original MG XPower called the WR in 2008. However, it wasn't legally made by MG. Rather, a company purchased MG's assets and started making the vehicles using the MG insignia. MG's parent company sued the manufacturer and won.
