Some good news for New Zealand buyers with an eye on the high-tech new MG4 hatchback. The entry Excite model's price is now confirmed at $51,990 (slightly less than first forecast by the brand) and there will be a second long-range battery option for the more upmarket Essence model, allowing it to travel an impressive 530km between charges.
MG NZ has eschewed the smallest battery available from the factory for the 4 (51kWh) for now, with the $52k Excite getting a 64kWh unit that gives a range of 450km (WLTP). The same power pack gives the heavier $54,990 MG4 Essence 435km, but that model is also available in 77kWh "long range" form for $63,990, achieving 530km.
Those figures line up favourably against MG's "other" BEV, the ZS EV compact-SUV, which is $2k cheaper in Excite form and $1k cheaper as an Essence, but carries a smaller 51kW battery (range 320km). The ZS EV also comes in a long-range model (440km), which is $1k more expensive than the equivalent MG4.
They will inevitably be compared (hey, we just did), but the MG4 and ZS EV are very different cars. The MG4 is a hatchback, the ZS EV an SUV-style model with high ride height. The ZS is also bigger than the new 4. You can see full details of these and every other BEV on the market in our Ultimate Guide here.
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But the most important difference is that while the ZS EV is essentially an electric conversion of an existing ICE model, the MG4 is a high-tech new car built on a bespoke BEV Modular Scalable Platform (MSP), which will provide the base for a whole new generation of electric cars from the brand. In this form it's rear-drive (the ZS is FWD) and boasts perfect 50/50 weight distribution.
The 64kWh models have a 150kW motor (0-100km/h 7.9 seconds), while the 77kWh gets a 180kW unit (0-100km/h in "under 7sec", says MG).
The 64kWh battery can be recharged at up to 138kW, which MG claims can result in a best-case scenario of 28 minutes from 10-80 per cent on a suitable 150kW DC station.
The MG Pilot suite of driver assistance technology is standard, with Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Door Opening Warning. A new iSmart connected-car system also integrates car, internet, and user communication, with voice activation and remote control features on Essence models.
Essence models gain satellite navigation (phone projection is standard across the range, though), 360deg parking cameras, height-adjustable loading floor, wireless phone charging and auto-dimming rearview mirror.
MG NZ says the cheaper 51kW battery is under consideration for launch later in 2023 - as is the X-Power dual-motor AWD model, which can hit 100km/h in 3.8 seconds: less than half the time of the standard 64kWh model.
