I drove the MG4 XPower EV – it’s a rocket ship that blitzes Mercs and Audis but there’s feature that cheapens whole car

IF you want a hyper hatch that does 0-62mph in less than four seconds, you’re looking north of £57k.

I’m talking about mega motors like the five-cylinder Audi RS3 and the Mercedes-AMG A45 S which is blessed with the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine.

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But for £20k less you can smoke them, and a load of jet-heeled Porsches and Beemers, in an MG.

I never thought I’d write that.

There’s one catch, though — it’s electric.

So there’s no heroic exhaust note and it doesn’t go very far.

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But this “sleeper” MG4 XPower bangs out 435hp — I repeat, 435hp — putting it firmly on the radar of the next generation of fast-car fans.

Especially at £36k. Which is cheaper than a base VW ID 3.

As you’d expect, electric drive means instant fuss-free power.

But this lively little green rocket is all-wheel-drive with two high-performance e-motors, one each end.

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So there’s maximum grip and maximum grins.

When I tried the launch control system I nearly lost my iPhone through the back window. Seriously.

One second it was on the wireless charging tray, and the next, it’s flying past my shoulder.

I tried it again. And the same thing happened.

This car catapults from 0-30mph in just 1.7 seconds and on to 62mph in 3.8.

Keep your right foot pinned for much longer and your next trip will be sat in the back of a police car.

For a heavy vehicle, it corners tidily.

The steering is light.

It rides nicely, neither rolling too much on corners or floating when the road crests and dips.

Absolute rocket ship

Needless to say, MG has followed the usual hot hatch recipe here by stiffening the suspension and anti-roll bars, adding a locking e-differential and uprating the brakes.

But I do have a complaint.

Those orange brake calipers look pretty mean but on closer inspection they’re plastic clip-ons.

Which cheapens things a little.

You can adjust the braking regen (to trickle a few more electrons into the 64kWh battery) via the “star button” on the steering wheel.

Drive modes include Sport and Snow.

The pedals are metal.

The seats are Alcantara.

The touchscreen carries loads of technology.

It’s not VW-plush inside but it’s a nice place to be.

Passengers will be happy because they have plenty of room.

Now, electric range.

The official test figure is 239 miles.

Drive sensibly and you’ll get close to 200.

Pinball around everywhere as fast as you can and you’ll get much less.

The rear-wheel drive MG4 Trophy Extended Range is an interesting alternative.

It can do a marathon and a sprint, for exactly the same price.

It’s 245hp, like a VW Golf GTI, and the 77kWh battery has an official range of 323 miles.

But that XPower is an absolute rocket ship.

A clean, connected and socially-acceptable rocket ship.

Rocketing UK sales

MG is flying because it makes good family cars with brilliant warranties at excellent prices.

The Chinese-owned British brand will shift a record 70,000 motors by the end of this year – after doing four years of business (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) in seven months.

It also has the right mix of petrol, plug-in hybrid and electric cars to suit everyone everywhere.

Boss Guy Pigounakis said: “Quality, credibility and accessibility have been the cornerstones of our success.”

What’s next? The MG3 supermini is being completely overhauled next year and will be powered by a 1.5-litre self-charging hybrid.

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Keep it under £18k – as they surely will – and MG3 will eat the Ford Fiesta’s lunch.

The drop-dead MG Cyberster roadster will follow soon after.

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