MG 4 XPOWER Review & Prices

This is the MG 4 XPower, and it’s a bit like a supermarket's own-brand vindaloo – packing plenty of heat at a value price.

It’s a car you’d consider if you’ve been waiting for the dawn of the electric hot hatch, but the higher-power variants of the Cupra Born or Volkswagen ID3 just don’t offer enough punch for you.

Not that the looks of the XPower would suggest it’s the exciting version – not a great deal of change has been made over the base MG 4 (which, if you hadn’t heard, is carwow’s 2023 Car of the Year).

Orange brake callipers and new 18-inch wheels give the game away if you know what you’re looking for, as do a few polished trim pieces, but the bodywork is otherwise untouched. The stealthy vibe may appeal, but there’s a case to be made that MG could and should have done more to shout about the car’s performance.

Similarly, there’s very little difference inside compared with the standard MG 4. Aside from some Alcantara seat and door inserts, as well as a touch of red stitching, there’s nothing to scream XPower here. Material quality continues to impress for the price, but a dull selection of colours and a basic design does nothing to add to the excitement the car’s power promises.

Drag race: Lamborghini Gallardo v MG4 XPower v Nissan GT-R

Also retained for the XPower is the 10.25-inch infotainment system, packed with sat nav along with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A few welcome quality-of-life improvements have been made to the software, as well as a basic ‘Track Mode’ app that gives you real-time access to G-force and acceleration data.

As with the base MG 4, rear passenger space is impressive, with a decent amount of head and legroom even for taller adults. Boot space is also untouched at 363 litres, which is marginally behind the Volkswagen ID3’s 385 litres.

The big changes for the MG 4 XPower lie under the skin. As well as more power for the rear motor, a second motor has been added to the front axle too, combining to produce 435hp and 600Nm of torque.

The result is 0-60mph in a mind-boggling 3.8 seconds (for context, that’s quicker than a Porsche 911 Carrera 4) and an increased top speed of 124mph. It’s not just the off-the-line performance that’s so impressive either, with a real gut-punching kick from 30-70mph too.

To help cope with that extra power, MG has made some mechanical tweaks as well. An electronic locking differential has been added alongside a torque vectoring system, which combine to manage how power is distributed to the wheels through corners.

The suspension is the same as the base MG 4, though with new tuning for the springs and dampers.

Though the result is a car that’s certainly capable when you throw it through the bends, it’s not particularly involving. Dull steering makes it difficult to feel how much grip the front wheels have, and even the mechanical upgrades can’t hide the fact this is quite a heavy car. You may outrun a Honda Civic Type R or Hyundai i30 N, but you won’t have as much fun in the twisty stuff.

On top of that, because of the suspension tweaks, the MG 4 XPower crashes over bumps in the road more so than the regular car, though otherwise remains pretty comfortable around town. At motorway speeds though, you do really notice the wind noise as well as a slight whine from the new front motor.

Official range figures from the 64kWh battery dip from 270 miles in the Long Range car to 239 miles for this sporty XPower model. A mixed driving route with the car for this test returned 2.9 miles/kWh, equating to around 185 miles of real-world range.

For stomach-churning, sports-car troubling performance at a value price, the MG 4 XPower delivers big. That said, traditional hot hatch buyers may struggle to be won over by quite a muted driving experience beyond the numbers.

Looking to make this electric hot hatch your next car? Check out the latest MG 4 XPower deals available through carwow, or browse used MG 4 models from our network of trusted dealers. If you’re selling your current car, you can do that through carwow too, along with browsing a wide range of used MGs available now.