MG Motor is apparently in the process of adding more variants to its MG4 electric model. According to media reports, a new performance version called MG4 XPower with a 320 kW all-wheel drive and a new variant with a larger battery for the single-engine standard model.
The current MG4 range is available in three model variants. The entry-level model is the MG4 Electric Standard with a battery capacity of 51 kWh, a maximum range of 350 kilometres in the WLTP cycle and a 125 kW electric motor in the rear. The MG4 Electric Comfort and MG4 Electric Luxury each have a 64 kWh battery and a 150 kW electric motor. The Comfort model can travel up to 450 kilometres.
According to British media reports, two more variants are now in the starting blocks. The new performance version called MG4 XPower will probably have the same 64 kWh battery, but coupled with a 320 kW all-wheel drive. This should allow the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds, reach speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph) and cover 239 miles (about 385 kilometres) of range. The price in the UK is estimated to launch at 36,495 pounds, or about 42,600 euros.
The second innovation mentioned by Autocar is a new ‘long-range’ version of the MG4. With 77 kWh, this would have a larger battery than all previous versions of the compact car and a “new engine” with 184 kW. With these drive components, the vehicle should be able to travel 323 miles (about 520 kilometres) and sprint to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds. Price estimates for this variant are not available.
The MG4 is 4.29 metres long, with a wheelbase of 2.71 metres. The basis for the compact electric vehicle is the BEV platform ‘Modular Scalable Platform’, or MSP for short. As is customary for BEVs, the MG4 Electric has a relatively long wheelbase, short overhangs and only a very short front bonnet. The battery cells are arranged horizontally in the pack, making the entire unit only eleven centimetres high. For the small battery (51 kWh), MG specifies a DC charging power of up to 88 kW, the charging process from ten to 80 per cent should be completed in up to 37 minutes. For the large 64 kWh battery, MG specifies a maximum charging power of up to 140 kW and a charging time of around 26 minutes.
autocar.co.uk, carmagazine.co.uk
Keyword: MG Motor to expand the MG4 lineup