Price: ₪164,000
Competitors: Ora 03, BYD Dolphin
What We Liked: Power, Equipment, Safety, Range
What We Didn't Like: Ergonomics, Comfort, Suspension Tuning
Rating: 8.5/10
Two settlements at the far ends of our country frequently make headlines during the who-knows-how-many-months of the war; Metula, which has become a target range for Hezbollah, and Eilat, which is under a severe maritime blockade, like a Houthi chili. According to Waze, the distance between these two points is 510 km, and even according to the official distance calculator of the National Insurance Institute (this internet thing, it's something), there are 514 km between these points. Theoretically, I tell myself, according to MG's statements, this MG4 can carry me that distance and perhaps leave us with extra to look for a working and available charging station in Eilat. Because this car, at least on paper, claims a range of 520 km between charges. Now, it's not a number we haven't seen before; there are quite a few cars today that reach this range. Still, the moment you look at a car that, at least in terms of the claim, can cross Israel from one end to the other in one go (stagdush!) - that's very impressive. Equally impressive is its price - all this for ₪164,000. Is it worth it?
So, I didn’t make it to Metula; after all, I’m not paid enough, and I didn’t travel to Eilat because I already have a grain of rice with my name on it. But I still covered quite a few kilometers with the X MG4 Range, which provided some insights.
Design: At first and second glance, it doesn't look very different from the MG4 we already know since it arrived exactly a year ago in May 2023. The hatchback is full of angles and cuts; this design makes it convey the manufacturer's message with the model - a focus on the driving experience. Sharp-eyed individuals will notice that the new models now come with a rear wiper, but less sharp-eyed folks might not notice it from now on.
Interior: The MG4's cabin is mainly a slightly confusing mix. It’s clean with a driver’s dashboard and a multimedia screen, but the screen itself is a bit far from the driver for easy operation. There are plenty of storage spaces, but the surface on the gear selector’s "shelf" struggled to hold items in place while driving. And that shelf, another example, along with a very good driving position, is located exactly at knee height. Forward visibility is excellent, but rear visibility is almost non-existent due to the tiny rear window and the rear seats blocking it. A mix of materials and finishes ranges from softness on the upper dashboard to hard and simple plastic throughout most of the cabin.
The ergonomics here could and should be better; first of all, the steering wheel - please, a round steering wheel. We don't ask for much. When turning the steering wheel, we expect to encounter the same curve every time we place our hand on it, not to fumble and search. It looks cool, though.
There are also issues with the energy consumption display on the dashboard, which can either show from the charge, be included, or reset at the start of each drive. Accessing the increased braking function (added in this version) is done through the screen and must be done anew each time, even if you only switched driving modes for a quick overtaking. In the phone mirroring mode, you cannot control the air conditioning, even though its icon appears. And there’s also the lane departure correction, one of the most aggressive we’ve encountered, even at its lowest sensitivity setting. In short, the basics are good, but polishing is needed.
The rear seat space is good for two adults; they won’t have air conditioning vents and are limited to one USB port, but there are many storage pockets on the back of the front seats.
Cargo Space: With 363 liters. On paper, it has a completely reasonable volume; in reality, its design is very limiting due to the shelf that makes it very low. Removing the shelf doesn’t improve it much due to the rear design that "closes" on it. Like many modern cars, it lacks a spare wheel, and like many electric cars, it lacks a 12V socket. But here, that’s actually okay; you’ll understand why in the next section.
Equipment: Why are we okay with the lack of a 12V socket in the trunk? Because what it does have is V2L capability, using an adapter to its charging socket, which allows the car to power external electrical devices, much stronger and more efficient than a 12V socket. The equipment list is impressive with Hebrew support on the 10.25-inch screen, including built-in navigation, Apple and Android connectivity, 360-degree cameras, wireless charging pad, climate control, steering wheel and seat heating, an electric driver’s seat, and more.
Performance: With the changes brought by this version, there is also an improvement in engine performance. Its output is now 245 hp, much higher than the 204 hp of the regular MG4 and about what most mainstream electric cars offer. It also has more torque - 35.6 kgm compared to 25.4 in the regular model. And so, despite the added kilowatts to the battery, thanks to using a thinner and lighter type of battery than previous ones, the weight increase is negligible - 76 kg. The result is a very agile car, perhaps one of the most agile in its price range. Officially 6.5 seconds to 100 km/h, and in practice, it feels exactly as agile as it somewhat reminded us of the warm family cars of the past, like the Leon FR. In the X Range, in addition to the driving modes and three levels of regeneration, there is also a one-pedal driving mode. It requires getting used to due to its sharp braking, and while it’s a one-pedal driving experience, it doesn’t reach the level of the best in electric vehicles.
Electric Consumption and Range: As mentioned, MG talks about a declared range of 520 km. We know that these ranges are not very realistic and very, very optimistic, and it’s very rare for electric cars to come close to them (though Geely, Hyundai, Tesla, and Porsche definitely come quite close). We measured the electric consumption in three driving scenarios, from the mildest and gentlest, to everyday driving, and one that combined dynamic and fast driving. The ranges were between 470 km for gentle driving, 455 km for everyday driving, and 427 km for the combined route.
Fairness requires mentioning - we received a brand-new car with just over 300 km on the odometer. It’s likely that it was charged once in its lifetime, and electric cars tend to improve their efficiency after a certain number of charge and discharge cycles at the beginning of the battery’s life. So, put away the pitchforks and torches; we will definitely revisit the range issue with cars that have more kilometers. The indicated ranges are with the air conditioning on - turning it off buys you 20 km of range.
Comfort and Handling: The MG4 was never a particularly comfortable car, and it isn’t in this case either. Its basic stiff tuning is even stiffer here in the X Range, with lower profile tires on larger wheels (18 inches) that add a lot of noise to the cabin if the road isn’t well paved. It’s stiff in the city, pounding over bumps, not pleasant. By the way, the rear steering advantages, allowing a more generous steering angle, make it a car that maneuvers wonderfully with a very useful turning radius in tight spots.
What about handling? The basic MG4 impressed us in terms of its dynamic capabilities. After all, a compact hatchback with rear-wheel drive, what’s not to like? This time it also comes with more power, well, that’s a celebration. Well, not really. The fact that it has more power and rear-wheel drive doesn’t make it a more enjoyable car to drive. In fact, this power makes it perform less well as a package when driving just above 7 out of 10, for example. The overly stiff suspension in the city? It’s not stiff enough for high-speed driving, where the car develops uncomfortable body movements during weight transfers in corners, leaning forward and backward. And the steering occasionally changes weight three times during a single turn.
The Bottom Line The X MG4 Range can be summarized in two ways, on its own and relative to its big promise. On its own, it’s a compact Chinese electric hatchback - and if we break that down into implications - as a hatchback, the seating position isn’t high; as a compact car, the space is reasonable; as an electric car, it offers quick and performance-oriented propulsion; and as a Chinese car, it suffers from a number of peculiar design quirks that are simply part of the nature of these manufacturers. With its performance, comfort and safety equipment, and a remarkable 7-year or 150,000 km warranty for ₪164,000, it’s an excellent deal.
Now, regarding the big promise, the range - so first of all, even if we disregard the issue of the car being too new, and even if we go for the conservative and talk about the lower figure of 427 km that we measured - it’s still a significant improvement compared to its regular version and one of the better real-world figures in its price range. So yes, it’s not without drawbacks, but for those looking to buy range at the still-reasonable (for now) market price - the X MG4 Range is a good answer to the range question.
Technical Specifications: X MG4 Range
Engine, Drive: Electric, Rear-wheel drive
Battery: 77 kWh
Power (hp): 245
Torque (kgm): 35.6
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Dimensions:
Length (m): 4.29
Width (m): 1.84
Height (m): 1.52
Wheelbase (cm): 271
Cargo Space (liters): 363
Performance:
0-100 Acceleration (seconds): 6.5
Top Speed (km/h): 180
Range (Tested): 427-470 km
Range (Manufacturer): 520 km
Safety:
European Crash Test Rating: 5 stars
Active Safety: Cross-traffic alert, door opening alert for passing vehicles, blind spot alert with steering correction, lane departure correction, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, sign recognition integrated with cruise control
Air Pollution:
Group: 1 out of 15
Warranty:
7 years or 150,000 km