2024 MG4 Excite 64 long term review

There’s something quite grounding about doing a long-term deep dive on an electric car that the average Aussie might be able to afford.

In this case, it’s arguably the sweet spot in the MG 4 EV line-up (a base Excite with 64kWh battery) – and a stand-out in MG’s entire range – for an attainable $46,287 (ACT) to $49,281 (WA) list price, depending on which state you live in.

Indeed, the chasm between the dynamics of the rear-drive MG 4 and its similarly priced MG ZS EV sibling is so vast that you could lose an ocean liner in it … which seems appropriate given that driving a ZS EV on a bumpy road conjures sensations relating to being deep at sea.

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The ZS represents the (recent) past for MG, though, rather than its future – which is why we’ll be spending four months in the all-new MG 4, to investigate what this booming brand is truly capable of.

What makes the MG 4 such a game-changer for MG Motor Australia is that it debuts the brand’s first dedicated EV platform, as opposed to simply stuffing electric bits into an existing vehicle.

Developed by parent company SAIC, this Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) features sophisticated fully independent suspension – engineered and tuned by SAIC in conjunction with Spanish firm IDIADA – as well as 50:50 weight distribution and rear-wheel drive (on all variants bar the X-Power performance flagship that has all-wheel drive) to achieve handling and steering precision that feels distinctly British in its flavour, rather than depressingly lacking in, well, everything.

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Building on the base Excite 51 (which brings a $5K cost saving with its reduced 51kWh battery size and 350km WLTP range), the Excite 64 is all about its additional mileage (450km WLTP), extra power (25kW), and slightly faster 0-100km/h time (7.2sec versus 7.7). Almost everything else is identical.

Maximum charging rate also increases from 88kW to 140kW, meaning it can go from 10-80 per cent (using a 150kW CCS public charger) in a claimed 28 minutes (rather than 37).

And given the $3K-dearer Essence 64 doesn’t introduce anything that’s a must-have – plus slightly less range (435km) and a marginally firmer ride on 18-inch wheels – the Excite 64 seems to be the definitive MG 4.

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The driving position is really good, with a terrific (and stylish) two-spoke steering wheel

First impressions are, for the most part, positive. Power delivery is crisp and urgent, the steering delightfully brisk and accurate, its turning circle is brilliant (10.6m), forward vision over a very low cowl is tremendous, and its climate control (in Sydney’s oppressive recent weather) is instant and excellent … until it annoyingly starts to fog up every window and requires winter-style demisting to clear it.

Despite basic manual adjustment, the driving position is really good, with a terrific (and stylish) two-spoke steering wheel and supple black cloth upholstery (which absorbs a surprising amount of heat when parked in the sun).

MG’s welcome advance in screen technology means the MG 4 offers improved processing speed, respectable functionality, and clear, classy graphics.

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Even the basic four-speaker stereo sounds okay, though some of the switchgear (such as the mostly unmarked cruise control set-up on the left-hand steering wheel spoke) requires trial and error to get your head around how to operate it.

Then there are the few faults that have already jarred with the MG 4’s generally sound design. If you stop and put the hazard lights on – for example, when swapping drivers so I can perform the challenging reverse park in my narrow one-way street – the rotary-dial gear selector will only select Neutral, not Drive or Reverse, until you switch the hazards off and depress the brake for several seconds.

Sometimes, the wired Apple CarPlay requires multiple attempts to connect, the cup holders buried beneath the beaky transmission shelf are better suited to regular coffees rather than tall drinks with a straw, and the USB ports situated above are impossible to access without bending over.

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The MG 4 also doesn’t have a start/stop button – it senses when a driver is seated and turns itself on when you depress the brake, then switches off when you lock the car – which is a bit odd.

And it occasionally loses charge when parked overnight – sometimes up to five per cent – which I wasn’t expecting. We’ll scrutinise this further in the coming weeks.

As for efficiency, it has so far averaged 17.9kWh/100km (including a Sydney-Newcastle return journey) and took a suggested six hours and 48 minutes to go from 28 per cent to fully charged when using a friend’s Tesla charger in their garage.

Given the Excite 64’s useable battery capacity of 62.1kWh, that translates to 347km per full charge, which seems decent given the hideous temperatures, serious air-conditioning demands, and mostly freeway running the MG 4 has copped so far.