By John Smith

What you need to know about MG4 X Power. You see, this car? It makes no sense. This is the new MG4 X Power, and it’s the most expensive version of one of the very cheapest electric cars.

You can think of it like a Wagyu steak that you found in the middle AIS of Aldi.

The reason it’s the most expensive version is that it’s really, really fast. Because this small, sensible, practical hatchback also happens to be the most powerful MG ever made. We’re talking Supercar acceleration.

And that’s very silly. But is it silly in a charming, endearing, lovable way, like Robert Llewellyn? Or silly in a pointless, annoying, just irritating way, like cameraman Louie? Hang on, like Fully Charged. You’ll love our fun-packed ‘Everything Electric’ exposé around the world.

Next up, Australia and London. Remember, energy and transport professionals go free on the first day.

Now, before we talk about the X Power, we need to take a moment to remind ourselves what a total game-changer the standard MG4 was and still is because it’s been around for a little while now, and I think we’re starting to take it for granted.

But never forget, when the MG4 first arrived in, I think, late 2022, there were no sub-$30,000 electric cars with room for four adults and good range. That wasn’t a thing that existed in the world. There were ones with decent range and not much room in the back, and there were ones with a little more room and not much range. And there were ones with neither.

And then this car came along, in, I think, late 2022, and it was so much better, so much more complete a package than any other EV anywhere near that price point that overnight it reshaped our ideas of what we can reasonably expect from a sub-$30,000 electric car. To put it simply, I think the MG4 will go down in history as the first good, affordable EV.

And the good news with this fancy X Power version is that pretty much everything that made that car great is present in this one because it’s 95% the same car. That means it’s built on top of proper EV architecture, which means this reasonably small car has proper space in the front and back, even for freakishly proportioned gutes like me.

The X Power also comes with lots of lovely standard equipment, like heated stuff, wireless charging stuff, and phone connectivity stuff. I think it’s quite a nice-looking cabin, actually—clean and simple. I really like the steering wheel design they put on the MG4 with those two little joysticks and lots of easy-to-press buttons.

It’s amazing how a steering wheel can make a whole interior look so much better. Compare that to the awful drab one they had on the old MG5. That looked like something out of a Daywoo. Do you remember Daywoo? Did anyone else think that the Daywoo badge looked like a bottom in pants?

Anyway, however, the one thing the normal MG4 has that this one doesn’t is incredible value. This is a £36,000 car, so still not insane cash, but it’s certainly not entry-level anymore.

And there are things on the base MG4 that you forgive because it’s entry-level that are just a bit harder to forgive at this price point. Like the less-than-premium various touchy bits in here, the sluggish and slightly cumbersome infotainment system.

Truth be told, I actually have a very long list of really pedantic gripes about this car that I need to get off my chest. But I don’t just want to whinge into the camera for ages. Maybe we could just flash them up on screen like I’m selling a four-disk Cafe Jazz compilation CD on TV.

And then there’s the slightly frumpy appearance. It’s okay-looking, the MG4. I’ve always found it a bit boxy with some slightly weird juty bits. The back end, I do find a little bit troubling.

Looks to me like two designers with very different ideas designed it at the same time without really talking to one another. It’s okay for the base, cheap-as-chips MG4, but again, for this performance one, it’s just a bit underwhelming. They’ve not really pushed the boat out to make the hot one look hot, have they?

They’ve just put some orange covers over the calipers, but well, that’s about it. Actually, if it wasn’t for the matte green paint that is exclusive to the X Power, you’d have no idea that this was the hot one.

So, what is the point of this car? Well, there is but one, and the point is this. Outside of motorbikes, there is nothing that goes faster from a standing start for less money. Let me just hit you with a pair of figures. Let these swirl around in your brain for a moment. This is a sub-£40,000 car with a sub-4-second 0 to 60 time.

Do you understand how crazy that is? As recently as the late 2000s, if you wanted to go from 0 to 60 in less than 4 seconds, you had to spend £200,000 on a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Now, I mean, that’s just madness.

But, and we’ve said this many times before, acceleration, straight-line speed without any kind of tactility or handling to match, is just a party trick.

And does the MG4 X Power have handling and tactility? No, it’s a proper point-and-squirt situation. It’s grippy thanks to the four-wheel-drive system and the weight, I suppose.

I trust it through corners, but I’m not getting excited about how quickly I’m going. It’s just effortless, unremarkable. There’s no sensation to the steering. It’s not super well-balanced. It just goes in a straight line very fast.

Now, do I see the appeal in a little understated hatchback that can toast just about anything from a standing stop? Sure, I do. Of course. Picture the scene: you’re sitting at a traffic light, some muscle-bound bloke pulls up next to you in his straight-piped, chrome-wrapped V8, crying for attention.

He looks at you in your little EV and smirks. Next thing he knows, he’s a glint in your rearview mirror, questioning the very meaning of his existence.

Maybe the next day he goes to therapy for the first time, learns to be kinder to himself and others, realizes toxic masculinity has been ruling his life and shaping his personality. He takes up yoga, learns to forgive his dad. You just saved that man’s life.

That went on for longer than was necessary. But do you know what’s infinitely more interesting to me than making going fast effortless? Making going slow fun.

Think about the Kice TC2 that I drove on the channel not long ago. That represents everything that I want to see more of. It’s tactile, lights everything you touch and press feels good. It’s all designed around making all speeds feel exciting and entertaining. This is the polar opposite. This makes going very quickly quite dull.

Now, granted, the Kice TC2 was a fairly extreme expression of those values. It’s about 2 meters long and has no roof. I’m not saying all cars should be like that; that would be silly.

But I want more of those values in these performance variants and less horsepower for horsepower’s sake. I hope I’m not coming across as harsh. I’m just so over the whole straight-line speed and nothing else malarky.

I really feel like because it’s so easy to make EVs quick in a straight line, car brands are just leaning on that to avoid the troublesome effort of actually making their performance versions really enjoyable to drive, which is harder, frankly.

I just really hope that the handling of this car is not a reflection of what I can expect from the MG Cyberster when it finally arrives in the UK. I’ll be really disappointed if so.

And thankfully, based on Elliot’s recent rave review, I get the impression they put a bit more effort into that one.

Am I glad that this car exists in the world? Sure, it’s completely bonkers, and it’s a pretty impressive achievement to get this much acceleration into a car at this price point. You could argue that the X Power represents a different sort of value for money to the standard MG4.

Would I recommend that you buy one?

No, absolutely not. You should be sectioned if you get one of these. If you’re looking for a small, practical electric car with good range and you also love driving, get the standard MG4. Take the £8,000 you’ve saved and use it to go karting on the weekends.