One of the least expensive electric cars currently available in Australia has now officially gone on sale, the MG4 Excite 51kWh. It’s not just the price that is exciting, this one starts from $38,990 plus on road costs, but the level of tech and finish of the MG4 is also surprisingly good considering what you are paying for it.
Here are the numbers you need to know. This MG4 Excite has the smallest battery in the MG4 range at 51kWh (Lithium Iron Phosphate battery) and its claimed WLTP range is up to 350km. I drove the MG4 for a couple of days in Normal drive mode with energy recovery on High and I used 17.6kWh/100km giving me a range of up to 289km.
MG claim that the estimated 6.6kW charge time for a full charge is 7.5 hours @ 25°C, when charging at home using a MG Charge Hub. Using a 150kW CCS public charger the estimated charge time from 10% to 80% is 37 minutes (at 88kW max). The charge port is located at the rear of the MG4 on the passenger side. It even has a reminder to tell you that the charge door is open should you forget to close it before heading off, something I am prone to do.
The three Phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor in the MG4 Excite produces 125kW of power and 250Nm of torque, giving the Excite a 0-100km time of a not so exciting 7.7 seconds. The motor powers the rear wheels through a one-speed automatic transmission. In addition to the Normal drive mode, you also get Snow, Eco, Sport, and Custom. Under the Custom mode you can adjust your level of Horse Power, Steering, Pedal Force, and Energy Recovery.
I found the MG4 surprisingly comfortable to drive and I really liked the steering feel and it’s a quiet EV on the road and when it is sitting at a standstill. I liked the 7-inch digital cluster for the driver, but the non-descript buttons on the steering wheel did take a bit of getting used to and to know what each button controlled.
The cabin is pleasant enough, but as you would expect at this price point there is a lot of hard plastic used on the door trims and the seats are cloth. However, you don’t go without things like keyless entry and touchless keyless go meaning as soon as you sit in the driver’s seat the car is on and ready to go.
The driver’s seat has 6-way manual adjustable and the passenger seat only has 4-way adjustment. The centre console design in the MG4 has some cool features like the net in front of the arm rest and the sliding cover over the lower storage space. At the front of the centre console there are two cup holders and there is storage in the door cubbies for slim drink bottles only.
Near the cup holders there is one USB-A and USB-C port and a 12V outlet and above these is a shallow ledge for your phone that may not stop your phone from sliding off if you go around a corner too fast.
Wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay can be projected on the 10.25-inch touch screen, but you do not get satellite navigation or AM radio. The media sources available are FM radio, Bluetooth, USB music and DAB+, which has patchy reception away from urban areas. All vehicle controls are located under the infotainment screen, which can be annoying if you just want to adjust the climate settings.
The rear seats have adequate head and leg room for me and there are two ISOFIX/three rear tether child seat restraint points, but only enough room for two cars seats due to the width. The only features present in the rear seat area are one USB-A port and mats on the floor. The MG4 Excite does not have rear air vents, there is no central arm rest and no drink bottle storage in the door cubbies.
The tailgate on this MG4 has power assisted opening with a button to open it under the boot lid and on the key fob and it has a manual close. The boot space is adequate for a weekly shop or a pram and a small shop. There is one hook and a light in the boot space and a tyre repair kit is located under the boot floor. If extra space it required the rear seats have 60:40 split fold mechanism.
The MG 4 Electric has a 5-star ANCAP (2023) safety rating that applies to 2WD variants only. The Adult Occupant protection score is 83% (31.64 points out of 38) and the Child Occupant protection score is 86% (42.35 points out of 49). Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard. A centre airbag to prevent occupant-to-occupant interaction is not available.
Even this base model MG4 comes with MG Pilot driver safety technology including Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning System, and Auto lights LED headlights and cool LED taillights. You also get a standard rear-view camera with rear parking sensors only.
ANCAP tests of the autonomous emergency braking AEB (Car-to-Car) system showed GOOD overall performance with collisions avoided or mitigated in many test scenarios, although performance was slightly lower in tests approaching a slower moving or braking vehicle. The MG 4 Electric performed well in tests of AEB Junction Assist, where the test vehicle can autonomously brake to avoid crashes when turning across the path of an oncoming vehicle. ANCAP tests of lane support system functionality showed GOOD performance in the lane keep assist scenarios, and ADEQUATE performance in the more critical emergency lane keeping scenarios. Overall, the MG4 ANCAP Safety Assist score is 81%.
The MG4 is equipped with MG’s all-inclusive manufacturer warranty, covering 7 years and an unlimited number of kilometres for both the vehicle and battery. Roadside assistance is also automatically activated after each annual service has been carried out at an authorised MG Dealer for the duration of the warranty period. With MG Precise Price Servicing, all items requiring maintenance as indicated in the MG service schedule, are included in the quoted cost. The service schedule for the MG4 Excite is 40,000kms or two years, whichever occurs first and the service cost currently alternates between $296 and $886 depending on the service undertaken according to MG Australia.
The MG4 Excite marks a new era of affordable electric vehicle driving for Australians looking to make the switch. Four specifications are now offered for sale – this MG4 51kWh Excite, MG4 64kWh Excite, the MG4 64kWh Essence and the MG4 77kWh Essence (Long Range). Book a Test Drive online or visit your preferred MG Dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| One of the cheapest EVs currently in Australia | No AM radio and patchy DAB reception |
| It’s actually nice to drive | No rear air vents or cup holders |
| Adequate range from 51kWh battery | Hard plastic on door trims |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.