Living with the MG4 Excite 64: Long-term review

JUMP AHEAD

• Part 1: Introduction
• Part 2: Chief urban
• Part 3: Intercity hauling
• Part 4: Softly tweaked
• Part 5: Eastern feastin'
• Past 6: Parting thinking

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 MG4 EV line-up (a base Excite with 64kWh battery) – and a stand-out in MG’s entire range. Pricing was already good before MG introduced a national drive-away approach, which popped the entry Excite 51 below $40,000 and reduced this Excite 64 from about $48K drive-away to $44,990 drive-away.

Indeed, the chasm between the dynamics of the rear-drive MG4 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 are spending several months in the all-new MG4, to investigate what this booming brand is truly capable of.

What makes the MG4 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 MG4.

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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 MG4’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 MG4 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.

It occasionally lost 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 MG4 has copped so far.

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Part 2, Feb 2024: Chief urban

A month in the city keeps MG4 mostly sitting pretty

• Price as tested: $48,786
• February 2024: 378km @ 18.4kWh/100km
• Overall: 813km @ 18.2kWh/100km

If familiarity breeds contempt, then maybe I haven’t spent enough time indulging in the MG4 Excite 64 yet. Every time I walk towards it, my broad affection for what it brings to affordable EVs seems to expand infinitesimally.

Bit by bit, its handy size (just 4287mm long) and handsome colour combo (metallic silver with gloss-black mirrors, window frames and tailgate garnish, black-accented 17-inch wheels and matte-black lower sections) adds a touch of egalitarian flair to Sydney’s enviro-conscious Inner West.

The refined silkiness of its drivetrain constantly impresses – particularly the satisfying surge in urgency when a burst of acceleration is required – and now that I’ve switched to MG’s version of one-pedal motoring (which isn’t as extreme as the ‘i-pedal’ operation in a Hyundai-Kia EV), there’s a seamless rhythm to the way the MG4 drives that makes punting it briskly around town effortlessly rewarding.

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It clearly favours handling precision over comfort, though, so as long as you’re attuned to its excellent chassis balance, crisp steering and keenness to alter direction, you can (mostly) forgive its somewhat jiggly ride and tendency to fall into road depressions.

I’ve also noticed that its 205/50R17 Continental Premium Contact C tyres prioritise reduced rolling resistance, so eagerly exploring its dynamic envelope often results in turned heads. Even running recommended pressures, they squeal. Yet as a testament to its 50:50 weight distribution, they do so as a quartet.

Speaking of four-ways, having only four stereo speakers for the front passengers (door speakers, plus tweeters) isn’t that much of an issue – I often miss the simplicity of the ’80s – but for anyone sitting in the back, it’s tough luck if you want to catch the crispness of every hi-hat.

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Same goes for lighting. The roof-mounted cabin light sits above the front console, so retrieving anything from the rear seat or floor in darkness often requires a double-check with a smartphone torch. It’s pitch-black back there, like the rest of the interior colouring.

Perhaps the $3K-dearer MG4 Essence does have a point after all, seeing it offers rear-seat speakers as well as electrically folding mirrors
(I have to nudge ours in manually) and four one-touch windows (the Excite’s front passenger window only gets one-touch for opening), though the Essence doesn’t appear to offer rear-seat ‘courtesy lighting’, either, and its part-vinyl seats are a retrograde step.

I can forgive the plastic upholstery in my 1969 Peugeot 404 because it’s beautifully supple and aromatic – if equally sweaty – but in a modern, enviro-conscious car, vinyl isn't ideal. In which case, perhaps the cloth-upholstered Excite is the go-to MG4 spec after all.

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Having delayed my Christmas holidays until February, our running around this month had been a cost-conscious ‘staycation’ – meaning a lot of driving but not a whole lot of mileage.

The first charge I fed into the MG4 was at a new charging station at Tempe BP, and while it didn’t cost much ($12.58 for 22.9kWh), it took 40 minutes to go from 18 to 54 percent. Don’t think I’ll be using its 36kW of inadequate energy ‘boost’ again.

Next attempt was at an ultra-fast NRMA/ChargeFox charger in the East Village carpark in Zetland – the only one in our immediate vicinity – which added 33.1kWh in 21 minutes (for $21.49), meaning we could duck upstairs for a coffee and return with 80 percent battery showing.

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But we had to wait for a Tesla to finish charging first, and when we returned another Model Y was already poised to take our place.

So, for now, adopting EV ownership in a population-dense, garage-poor urban location requires a degree of patience and/or planning.

As for the MG4’s loss of charge overnight, it hasn’t happened again (any more than maybe one percent) so we can only put that down to the extreme temperature one January evening. And as for the rest of the ‘ownership’ experience, there’s still a few niggling faults that grate slightly.

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Two normal-sized ‘large’ Aussie coffees cannot comfortably coexist in the front cupholders, the Apple CarPlay regularly doesn’t connect properly (which hasn’t been an issue in other MG4 test cars we've had), and sometimes you need to depress the brake several times for the MG4 to display ‘ready’ in its instrument pack.

The doors won’t take larger-sized water bottles (though my preferred coconut water fits comfortably!) and the driver-centric switchgear – both on the steering wheel and the column stalks – needs a rethink. The wheel switches are mostly unmarked and it’s too easy to accidentally flick the LED headlights to ‘off’ or ‘parkers’, rather than ‘auto’.

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Part 3, March 2024: Intercity hauling

Plenty of mileage and improved efficiency

• Price as tested: $48,786
• March 2024: 1433km @ 16.6kWh/100km
• Overall: 2246km @ 17.2kWh/100km

Making plans is a mug’s game – best to decide on the spur of the moment and keep some spontaneity in your life.

That’s what I’ve been telling myself as plans to take a delayed Christmas holiday in February evaporated faster than a rain shower in Oodnadatta. So I gifted the MG4 to John Law for a return trip to Canberra. And then followed up Johnny’s ACT adventure with several visits to Newcastle.

With the MG4’s overall energy consumption sitting at 18.2kWh/100km last month (after travelling 813km), it gave a stellar performance in month three, ripping that number down to 17.2kWh/100km, despite much of that mileage being accrued on NSW freeways.

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Johnny’s Sydney-to-Canberra leg, purely on the Hume, netted 17.3kWh/100km, while his return journey via some entertaining back roads and a final (post-charge) sprint from Goulburn to Sydney back on the Hume delivered 16.0kWh/100km. For a relatively cheap EV, that’s impressive.

Mr Law had similar grievances to us when it came to the MG 4’s unlabelled steering-wheel controls, and he found the sometimes-recalcitrant gearshift dial and start-up procedure “awkward and annoying”.

But the rest of his notes were filled with nothing but praise for the MG4’s seat comfort, steering and handling, and chilly climate control.

“It was really good at scything through traffic on the busy M5 Motorway, if with a noticeable increase in consumption at speeds beyond 110km/h.

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I found 25 degrees the perfect temperature for me on the climate control [we never go higher than 21, so maybe that’s due to Johnny’s lithe frame…], which is very rare for an EV – meaning the AC is ice-cold, unlike in a BYD Atto 3.

The four-speaker stereo is decent enough, the seats are comfy, and the driving is sporty.

“I like the MG4’s low centre-of-gravity and keen steering, and I found the ride quality really quite good – though it can be loud on coarse-chip surfaces, and the [multi-link] rear suspension is a little noisy and boomy. But what I liked most is the handling. We had to make an emergency right turn and the MG4 was bloody awesome!

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"Trailing the brake in allowed it to develop a good amount of attitude and it scrubbed off speed with a little four-wheel drift – effortlessly making the corner.

It achieves properly good small-car dynamics without trying to be sporty. The Excite 64 is definitely the sweet spot compared to overdone X-Power,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, back at home base, the MG4 has been serving its time well. Driving more than a dozen of the EVs in Wheels' various comparison tests has simply confirmed how much of a rip-roaring bargain the MG4 Excite 64 is when you take into account its strong driver appeal, really comfortable seating, and fantastic size and vision.

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As a small ICE hatchback alternative, it’s borderline brilliant … providing you can accept that some of its electronic quirks (and patchy Apple CarPlay) will probably require a software update to be smoothed over.

As an all-round driving experience, it’s better than any of the four contenders featured in our 2024 Wheels Best Small Electric SUVs (e-2008, Atto 3, Kona EV and Megane E-Tech), and the Excite 64’s narrower footprint compared to the next-up Essence 64 (wearing grippier 235/45R18s instead of 215/50R17s) allows it to find its balance better in a corner, nudging its tail out slightly on corner exits for a more fluid, more rewarding handling – plus a more absorbent ride.

If the MG4 is any guide, the next generation of SAIC-funded products could well earn the popularity the MG brand is already enjoying (albeit based on their fire-sale pricing, because Aussies have always loved a bargain).

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Part 4: Softly tweaked

Electronic updates, plus a substantial price drop

• Price as tested: $45,690 drive-away
• This month: 711km @ 17.2kWh/100km
• Overall: 2957km @ 17.2kWh/100km

Just like the hand-held devices that have become the bane of our existence when there’s a pedestrian glued to them, the electric MG 4 requires software updates. Perhaps ‘requires’ is being a bit dramatic because if everything was perfect, it wouldn’t need them.

But having that capability allows the factory to upgrade and finesse this EV’s multitude of electronic systems for “a more optimal driving experience for all owners” (the company’s words).

The MG 4’s software update covered its forward collision warning and AEB performance – particularly for when the car is turning across traffic from the centre of the road while another car is doing the same in the opposite direction. Apparently, customers found the AEB overly eager to activate in situations where it wasn’t warranted, so the sensitivity of the system has been finessed. I’ve personally barely experienced this, though I did cop a major AEB moment on the motorway as I was pulling out to overtake a truck. Perhaps my margin-of-error tolerance is more nuanced than simply ‘computer says no’.

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After driving an MG 4 Essence 64 hard for our recent EV testing, I’ve been playing with the Excite’s various driving modes. There’s plenty of stuff in there – easily accessed by pressing the touchscreen’s car icon, then selecting various tabs. I’ve simply left the long-termer in Normal mode, because every time you ‘start’ the car, that’s what it reverts to. So any experimentation with Custom mode, which can blend altered steering weighting and throttle response with proper ‘one-pedal’ regenerative braking, all gets thrown in the bin next time the MG 4 boots up. You need to configure it from scratch every time.

Thing is, none of it is necessary – certainly not the drive-mode stuff. I just leave the MG the way it is and select ‘one-pedal’, because its regenerative braking works well and will bring the car to a full stop.

Based on EYM-06Q’s patchy Apple CarPlay connectivity, I asked MG’s software engineer whether a future update might address the multimedia system, and he replied “it’s coming.” Whether that will happen before this car goes back is unlikely, however my partner and I did get brand new Apple phones … which only connect via USB-C. Once I’ve sourced a piggyback USB-A plug, we’ll know for certain whether the MG’s frustrating wired smartphone mirroring is all its fault, or due to our ageing phones.

Thanks to a pricing sweetener at the end of March, the MG 4 could now be considered a genuinely cheap EV. The Excite 64’s previous manufacturer list price ($44,990) is now its national drive-away price, saving well over three grand in NSW. Ditto the base car at $39,990 driveaway. Moving up the range, the new drive-away price for the Essence 64 and Essence 77 is actually cheaper than their previous list prices (by $3K for the 77), though that doesn’t change my opinion that the smaller wheeled Excite 64 is clearly the MG 4 sweet spot.

Unlike Andy and his now-departed Mach-E, no one has confronted me about the MG. It so easily blends into the landscape, it may as well be invisible. Sure, I’ve had pedestrians walking down the middle of our road, oblivious to the fact there’s an EV almost wedged up their date, who’ve then thrown me a startled ‘WTF?’ after I’ve given them a friendly toot, but that’s about it.

No blues at EV chargers yet either, though I suspect some degree of commotion is imminent. After many, many decades of service-station queueing etiquette – a process so effective in its lane-filtering ease that it’s been deployed across the globe – having nowhere to properly queue for an EV charger appears to be an argument waiting to happen. So far, the honesty system has been upheld. But its effectiveness seems tenuous.

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There’s also the aspect of plugging into the same charging tower as someone else – thereby halving their charging speed. It happened to me recently at IKEA in Tempe, where there were two charging plugs free on one unit (for the full 150kW boost), but old mate decided he’d feel more comfortable sidled up next to the MG (which can handle up to 140kW DC charge), instantly plunging our charge speed to 75kW.

Perhaps the silence and refinement of a decent EV acts as a subliminal counterbalance to the potential anxiety and impatience in having to charge it. I keep a sharp eye on the apps, seeing when the chargers are free … but even if you’re only a few minutes’ drive away, that means nothing. Patience is a virtue when it comes to navigating Australia’s inconsistent charging infrastructure, as is strategy. But if you’re lucky enough to have a garage at home, with a decently powerful wallbox just for you, then great. I want your life.

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Part 5: Eastern Feastin'

Two massive trips, many hours waiting to charge

• Price as tested: $45,690 drive-away
• This month: 4613km @ 17.5kWh/100km
• Overall: 7570km @ 17.4kWh/100km

For its farewell month, we threw the MG 4 into the deep end – sending it on two huge interstate journeys (Sydney to Brisbane, then Melbourne), just as you would a regular small hatch, to truly put EV ownership into perspective.

The MG 4, as a car, performed well – comfortably accommodating us in its cloth-upholstered buckets, despite their rudimentary manual adjustment (including no height-adjust for the front passenger). Its deep cowl and vast windscreen framed the pink sunsets on the picturesque Pacific Highway beautifully, and even its 350km real-world range at 110km/h didn’t seem too horrendous given that this is essentially a city car (with a WLTP claim of 450km).

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The first insect in this EV’s ointment turned out to be its solitary USB-C charging port – it doesn’t work. So balancing the available phone charge on our new iPhone 15s with music duties, navigation to the next EV station, and having enough phone power left to access the apps to charge the MG 4 became quite a challenge heading north. Thankfully, a wall outlet inside the servo at Taree South became our saviour.

Like the Evie chargers at Taree and Macksville, the pair at Shell in Tyndale, just south of Maclean in northern NSW, also provide 350kW ultra-fast charging speeds, but two of the four outlets were broken … and now several weeks later, remain ‘unavailable’. It’s this aspect of EV motoring, even more than their relatively short distance potential, that constantly frustrates.

Speaking of which, spending so much time in the MG 4 has crystallised what we like and don’t like about MG’s brand-enhancing EV. At its core, this is an excellent car. Handsome, roomy, keen, sweetly balanced, reasonably quiet, brisk (and cheap) to charge (when the chargers are working!), and great value for money, its fun-to-drive and easy-to park vibe makes it a terrific antidote to the stress of city living.

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But its supplementary electronic systems such as its multimedia system and its active-safety aids require a considerable amount of redevelopment. Its Apple CarPlay hasn’t worked properly in months, its USB-C port appears to be completely dead, and its central touchscreen is so tardy to boot up that you’re often almost rear-ending whatever is behind you before there’s any camera vision. The start-up procedure is also hit and miss – depressing the brake once you’re seated prompts a green ‘READY’ light in the instrument pack – seeing it sometimes requires several stabs of the brake pedal, mostly after the car has already been running and has then switched itself off, to get it operational again.

The main glitches with its safety electronics concern its lane-keep assistance (which automatically engages every time cruise control is activated, including when you hit ‘resume’) and its auto high-beam. The MG 4’s lane-keep performance is the definition of snatch-and-grab – lacking any form of subtlety or awareness of the road ahead – while its auto high-beam also seems unaware of what it should be looking out for, including the tail-lights of vehicles less than 200m in front. It’s both laughably amateur in its dimwittedness and anxiety-inducing.

Finally, to its in-cabin storage. The front doors will house a narrow one litre bottle but nothing more, while locating the cramped centre-console cup holders below the console’s transmission ‘awning’ means you’re restricted for height as well. Why not put them where the large tray is between the front seats? The angled pad for where the wireless phone charging is in higher-spec models is also annoyingly slippery – your phone slides off at the first hint of lateral g-force – and having no rear-seat courtesy lighting smacks of 1970s penny-pinching.

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As a motoring journalist, I can see past the flaws of this kind of ‘tinsel’ to truly appreciate what the MG 4 is good at. Apart from its slightly jiggly ride – especially around town – and the lack of true steering feel at higher speeds, the MG 4 is a genuinely likeable driver’s car. I love its seat comfort, its crisp accelerative urge, and its steering sharpness via a terrific two-spoke wheel. I even like its styling and could easily live with the audio quality from just four front seat speakers. But my partner has struggled to acclimatise to its niggling quirks, and while he enjoys driving it, the MG’s storage issues, electronic foibles and invisible Apple CarPlay have become deal-breakers.

At some point during its lifecycle, the MG 4 will surely hit its peak. With more range, plenty of software updating and some intelligent reworking of its interior packaging, it’ll be an absolute cracker for the money. For the time being, though, it remains a really impressive small electric hatch, best left in the city.

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Part 6: Parting thinking

Back to base for some post-test analysis

• Price as tested: $45,690 drive-away
• Overall: 7570km @ 17.4kWh/100km

When we’ve had any faults with long-termers in the past, they’ve always been sent back to their maker (or the dealer frontage acting on behalf of their maker) for rectification. Or at least an explanation for what we may have thought was an issue. So after five months and 7570km in the MG 4 Excite 64, we were interested to get some feedback.

Firstly, EYM-06Q’s labour-averse USB-C port in the dashboard’s centre stack. Yep, it was dead. Bereft of life. Pushing up the daisies in an alternate UX universe somewhere, with ‘EX-USB-C’ marking its criminal record. MG assures us it’s a relatively painless fix and would’ve required a day at a dealership, but when you’re on a road-trip holiday, hanging out in a service department waiting area for eight hours equals an extra day’s accom in said locale, and that unscheduled inconvenience may lead one to drink.

MG flagged the possibility of providing a loaner vehicle to “mirror the customer experience we strive for” had we returned our MG 4 for rectification, but when you’re already balls-deep on a trip north, faffing about for non-essential car repairs would’ve been utterly pointless.

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Then there’s the Apple CarPlay. MG’s technical wizard said it worked perfectly for him on two separate road tests using two different phones. We hadn’t used it properly for months, and when it did work, sometimes it required plugging in and unplugging more than a dozen times to get it to connect … which happened in no other test car using the same cords and phones. Anyhoo, MG said it “carried out a factory reset, reprogrammed and recalibrated the FICM anyway” and we’ve already reported there’s a factory software update coming for the MG 4’s smartphone mirroring.

Having now sampled the newer, quicker, clearer multimedia setup (with the same-size screen and general architecture as MG 4’s) in the new-generation MG 3, better things are coming in this department. Yet, to be honest, of the multitude of Chinese brands now wielding tech-heavy control screens in their products in Australia, the most user-friendly (ie. the least infuriating) is this set-up in the MG 3 and 4.

The final thing we noticed (after last month’s report) was the left-rear tail-light had taken in water during some serious rain. But after being parked in north-facing sun for five days, it all evaporated. MG says it’s a simple fix and will replace the taillight (covered under the seven-year warranty for a regular punter) before the car is sold. As with the other issues, it’ll be logged on a database that gets sent directly to Shanghai.

Having had time to reflect on the MG 4 Excite 64 for several weeks now, what do I miss and what would I change? Firstly, its general driving ease – thanks to light, quick steering, compact sizing, a tight turning circle, great handling and brilliant forward vision – makes it an excellent city car. And even when it needs charging, being able to swallow up to 140kW DC makes it happen reasonably quickly. I loved its seats, its five-door ease, its useful 363-litre boot, and its swift acceleration (7.2sec 0-100km/h). And I even liked the fonts in its dinky instrument pack.

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There’s plenty I’d change though. A less reactive ride (without hampering the steering and handling) and much more reactive general electronics would make a huge difference. The inconsistent tardiness of its drivetrain and multimedia start-up procedures can test your patience, and they seem to work the least well just when you need them most! Non-folding electric mirrors and no rear-seat lighting both seem odd in 2024. And if the new MG 3 is any guide, it’s only a matter of time before the MG 4 gets better control markings on its steering wheel and all-new, simpler column stalks.

There’s always gonna be haters who wouldn’t buy Chinese, full stop. Admittedly, there’s a whole heap I wouldn’t go near but that’s car-dependent, not anything to do with the brand or country of origin. Given how fast the Chinese are learning and their keenness to overcome any faults, perhaps we’ll one day laugh about the ropey original Haval H6 or the MG GS. We’re already most of the way there, and the MG 4 is even closer again. But it’ll need a bit more finesse, focus and real-world electric range to truly realise its undoubted all-round potential.

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