Cheaper MG4 and 330kW hero locked in

MG Motor Australia previously said it was considering the release of both more affordable and higher performance versions of its upcoming MG4 electric hatch, and now official data for both new variants has appeared on the federal government’s local homologation database.

Listed as the base model of the range is the ‘51kWh EV RWD’, which will pair a 51kWh battery with the previously detailed 125kW motor of the 64kWh Excite, although an ADR-certified driving range hasn’t been nominated.

An MG Motor Australia spokesperson confirmed at least one 51kWh variant will enter local showrooms by the end of the year, but wouldn’t be drawn on anything around pricing or specification levels.

Given the $44,990 plus on-roads starting figure of the 64kWh MG4 Excite, there’s a real chance the 51kWh MG4 will finally nab the crown of Australia’s cheapest EV for MG after its see-sawing battle with GWM and BYD.

The spokesperson was less upfront about the ‘64kWh EV 4WD’ variant, which curiously has a listed power output of 170kW – 10kW less than the current Essence Long Range flagship – but carsales has it on good authority this figure is referring to the rear motor and is not the total combined figure.

A quick skim though our previous coverage reveals the actual ‘X-Power’ outputs to be 330kW/600Nm, meaning the rear motor is supported by a 160kW front power unit.

This powertrain was originally shown in flagship ‘Triumph Edition’ form in China last year and is said to be capable of 0-100km/h acceleration in 3.8 seconds.

The local spokesperson reiterated to carsales the dual-motor MG4 X-Power was still very much on the wish list and had a strong business case for the Australian market, but insisted there was nothing else to confirm at this stage.

However, we understand that not only has the performance flagship been given the green light here, but it will also be on sale by the end of the year in full-fat Triumph Edition guise, albeit not in the same quantities as the rest of the MG4 range.

As per overseas versions, the Australian MG4 X-Power Triumph Edition will draw current from a 64kWh battery pack and will probably start somewhere in the vicinity of $65,000-$70,000, given the $55,990 starting figure of the 77kWh Essence Long Range.

That sort of pricing would deal a massive blow to Kia, Hyundai, Polestar and even Tesla, given comparable performance from the EVs offered by all those brands costs at least $89,000.