Hands up if you remember a band called Snap. They weren’t exactly one hit wonders, more like two hit wonders. Their first success was The Power (I’ve Got the Power), and the second was Rhythm is a Dancer. Both songs have been used in loads of films and adverts over the years.

Anyway, some of the lyrics in The Power came to mind recently when I was trying the latest MG, the MG4 EV XPower to be precise.

The lyric is, ’It’s gettin’ kinda hectic.’

You know this is a rather different MG when you discover in the blurb that the central infotainment screen has a program called ‘track mode display’ which features data that analyses the car’s performance, power distribution, speed/time, G-Force, steering angle, and throttle. All of that, and I was only going to the tip.

In other words, it’ll shift. 0-60mph comes up in 3.8 seconds courtesy of a 429bhp punch from the 64kWh battery and a 4-wheel drive system. You even get launch control and thankfully the brakes have been upgraded to keep everything in check, Its top speed is 124mph which makes overtaking a doddle.

Staying with figures, if you can find a 150kW charger, you can boost the battery from 10 to 80% in just over half an hour. Go easily and MG reckon you’ll manage 239 miles before running out of juice.

It will only cost you £36,495. Bear in mind, it’s worth noting that cars such as the Audi RS Sportback and Mercedes AMG A45 S, which have similar performance, cost considerably more - about £15k more for the Audi and £25k for the Merc. The MG even costs less than a Volkswagen ID.3 which can’t get close in terms of oomph.

In a nutshell, what we have here is a sensible family-sized hatchback that has the sort of performance you’d expect from a sports car. It’s fully loaded so, overall, it represents terrific for money and you get a lot of bang for your buck.  

But so does the entry-level MG4 EV which comes in at almost £10k cheaper than the XPower.

If you’ve ever driven an electric car, the first thing you notice is they tend to be quick. Floor the throttle and you have 100% pretty much instantly. There’s no need to build revs and no gears to change. It’s the vehicle equivalent of plug and play.

And in the case of something like the MG4 EV XPower, performance off the line is hugely impressive. There are two motors - one on each axle - so you get all-wheel drive which, of course, helps put the power onto the road. If you use launch control and the road is a tad damp, you can sometimes feel the front wheels fighting for grip although things never get messy.

The only snag is that, yes, it’s fun to show a clean pair of heels to a boy racer as you zoom away from the lights or impress your passengers with the sort of straight line acceleration they’ve probably never experienced, but for the other 99% of the time, you’ll drive the XPower like any other MG4 EV or indeed any electric car, trying to conserve power so that you can get home without needing a stop to charge the battery.

This makes another car in the MG4 EV range very tempting, the Trophy Extended Range model which, incidentally, costs exactly the same as the XPower. Your predicted range climbs from 239 miles in the XPower to 323 miles in the Extended Range thanks to a bigger battery. The latter will still hit 60mph in 6.1 seconds which is pretty good anyway.

The interior of the XPower is much the same as the other MG4s, which is no bad thing because it’s well sorted and both look and feel good. The central touchscreen can be a bit fiddly to operate, but the graphics are crisp and clear. The driver display is also a neat bit of kit, although its a pity the seats that you’re sitting on while you use it aren’t more supportive. This is supposed to be a performance car, but if you chuck the XPower into a corner, you tend to lean over with the car.

Out on the road, the ride is nicely controlled and even though the suspension is slightly firmer than other MG4 models, it’s never harsh. You wouldn’t call this car a fun-filled GT thriller but you can still make brisk progress and I thought it was good to drive. Okay, it might not keep up with other cars on the twisty stuff, but you’ll soon catch up on the straights.

As for what you get in terms of kit, you get everything you’d need including a sat nav, heated front seats, DAB radio, powered driver’s seat, rear parking sensors, 360 degree camera and climate control.

The bottom line is this. Think of the MG4 EV XPower as a well-equipped, quick hatchback that represents incredible value for money. You also get a 7-year / 80,000-mile warranty.

If you prefer to spend the same amount of money but get an estimated 100 additional miles from the battery, go for the Extended Range MG4 EV model. They look almost identical, have the same level of kit and have similar driving characteristics. Alternatively, save £10k and go for the entry level model.

You pays your money…you takes your choice.

You’ve got the power.

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: MG UK