The MG 4 Trophy Extended Range is the cheapest electric car with more than 500 kilometers. A matter of patience.
Now that MG from China has proven that it has longevity as a brand, it is apparently time to make the cars themselves real contenders. The MG 4 Trophy Extended Range is the cheapest electric car with more than 500 kilometers of range and therefore seems an ideal choice for those who want to charge as little as possible.
I see that MG4 driving quite often. What exactly is new about it?
The MG 4 appeared on the market at the very beginning of this year. It is the most compact and most affordable model in the MG line-up, which is already known as a supplier of relatively affordable electric cars. The simplest MG 4 costs more than 32 grand before subsidy, although you then have ‘only’ a range of 350 kilometers. Above that, there are two versions with 204 hp and roughly 450 kilometers of range, the Comfort and the Luxury. There was already a lot to choose from, but now two more have been added: the lightning-fast Xpower and the Trophy Extended Range. At the same time there is a model year update, with some minor news for all MG4s. For example, the wheels of the standard version grow from 17-inch to 18-inch and the car gets a rear window wiper. The black roof, which was previously on the Luxury, is now reserved for the Trophy and the Xpower. All versions have a driving mode for ‘one-pedal driving’, which allows them to actually come to a standstill without using the brake.
The MG 4 now has a rear window wiper and a third headrest on the rear seat.
‘Trophy’ sounds sporty. Is he too?
No. The Xpower is sporty, more about that later. The Trophy is actually mainly about the ‘Extended Range’ that is also in the name. Instead of 64 kWh, as with the Comfort and the Luxury, the Trophy has a battery pack of 77 kWh. In theory, this will take him 520 kilometers away. It is good to know that MG uses the gross battery capacity, while many other brands now opt for net values. For example, the Volkswagen ID.3 is also available with 77 kWh, but the battery has a gross size of 82 kWh. That partly explains why an ID.3 can drive 559 kilometers with this battery, but not completely. This is partly due to the higher consumption of the MG, which with a theoretical 16.5 kWh per 100 kilometers is even clearly less economical than a much larger ID.4.
And how economical is the MG4 Trophy Extended Range in practice?
Fortunately, during a short highway ride, the MG’s consumption quickly drops to the promised value, so that 520 kilometers will undoubtedly be feasible. The rest of the specifications are also perfectly fine. A heat pump is present, as is a three-phase charger and on the fast charger this version reaches an impressive 144 kW. Less fast than an ID.3 Pro S, but clearly faster than a Niro or Kona.
At 363 liters, the luggage space is not excessively large. There is no ‘frunk’.
Do you notice the larger battery pack of this MG while driving?
Even as a Trophy, the MG 4 is a pleasant to drive car. The seating position is good, the steering sufficiently direct and finely balanced. The chassis offers a lot of comfort, but the road holding is basically excellent. It is also noticeable that the car in this form is about 75 kg heavier than normal. Sometimes the damping has some difficulty, but with normal use you will not easily encounter this. This also applies to the tendency to break out, which this rear-wheel drive car certainly has. In the rain that is something to keep an eye on. The extra weight is more than compensated in a straight line, because with 245 hp and 350 Nm the Trophy is 41 hp and 100 Nm more powerful than a Comfort or Luxury. You will notice that, because this ‘long runner’ is nice and smooth.
It’s all good in terms of quality, but you can see the ‘budgetary’ aspects in the design and use of materials. The seating position is good!
‘The cheapest EV with more than 500 km range’ is quite a claim. How cheap exactly is the MG 4 Trophy Extended Range?
In terms of equipment, the Extended Range is only available in one flavor and it is the same as the Luxury. So it’s well packed, but it also has the same, somewhat plain-looking interior. Although this interior appears solid, it is certainly not opulent. That’s not a problem, but it does start to play a role with a price tag of €41,285. After all, for a little extra you can get into a Hyundai Kona with the large battery or the basic version of the Tesla Model 3, cars that both offer clear advantages over the MG. On the other hand: the ‘4’ is still cheaper at this price, and MG regularly gives out bigger discounts. Anyone who simply wants to get as far as possible on one battery for as little money as possible has an interesting option.