MG’s most powerful production model yet

Until you press the accelerator on the MG4 XPOWER, there’s not much about its appearance or general demeanour to hint at the blistering acceleration.

With the exception of some bright orange brake calliper covers, the XPOWER version looks much the same as the Trophy-spec MG4.

But things get very interesting once you give the accelerator a hearty press on what is billed as MG’s most powerful production model yet.

The powerful MG XPOWER shining in the sun (Image: T&A)

The sprint from 0-62mph is performed in just 3.8 seconds – enough to push the driver back in their seat.

That performance comes courtesy of a dual motor powertrain delivering 429bhp and up to 600Nm of torque.

Despite its understated looks, those stats position the latest MG4 model alongside the most potent high-performance hatchbacks on the market.

The straight-line speed isn’t quite matched by nimble performance on the more twisty roads, although the MG engineers have made some significant adjustments to manage the 429bhp effectively.

The MG offers 429bhp (Image: T&A)

The electronic diff and torque vectoring system work well when cornering swiftly, but the suspension can feel unsettled on undulating B-roads.

The car feels heavy when braking hard, but it’s reassuring to know that MG have added uprated, ventilated 345mm discs on all four corners, reducing 62-0mph stopping distance to 33.9metres.

In general, the MG4 has a smart and distinctive look, starting with the very purposeful headlight signature.

The sharp-looking casing for the headlights is nicely interwoven with the heavily-sculpted bonnet to create a really dynamic-looking face.

The orange brake callipers (Image: T&A) At the rear, the designers have again used the lighting as an opportunity for a design flourish, with part of it jutting out to create an angular and interesting look.

That theme continues along the side of the vehicle, where some black cladding containing a pattern sweeps upwards from the bottom of the doors to add some extra intrigue when viewing the car side on.

Aside from the orange brake callipers, the XPOWER version features a two-tone black roof, new 18-inch ‘Cyclone’ alloy wheels, polished trim accents and a new Racing Green colour option. The interior is clean and uncluttered, with everything sensibly positioned and serving a purpose.

There’s enough detailing across the dash and the door inlays to give the cabin some character, without feeling too fussy.

The interior of the vehicle (Image: T&A)

Soft touch materials and some nicely textured surfaces are interspersed with some scratchy plastics.

The central armrest, which also contains a storage well, is located at a nice height for the driver to comfortable rest an elbow.

The 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen has an inbuilt sat nav, DAB radio, and allows for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you connect your phone via USB.

The air-conditioning can be controlled through the screen or through one of the neat row of physical buttons running across the bottom of the screen.

If your focus is on energy consumption, you can turn the whole screen over to display your current energy flow in order to monitor driving power and regeneration benefit.

Just beneath the touchscreen and air vents, a central platform juts out. On it, you’ll find a wireless phone charging platform.

The side profile of the vehicle (Image: T&A)

The rotary dial to select reverse, neutral and drive, along with the parking brake. It’s floating nature means it reclaims some space that would otherwise have been taken up by fresh air, thereby creating more space below for some conventional phone charging sockets and a couple of cup holders.

That still leaves room for another large flat central storage area for items like wallets, phones, keys etc, making this well-thought-out cabin is among the best I’ve driver for stowage space in the cabin.

Legroom and headroom is decent up front, with space in the rear for two adults to sit comfortably and three at a squeeze.

MG4 XPOWER

POWER: 429bhp (320 kW)

PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds and max speed of 124mph

BATTERY TYPE: LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) with useable capacity of 61.8 kWh

WARRANTY: 7-year/80,000-mile fully-transferable

PRICE: From £36,495