MG4 XPOWER v Volkswagen Golf GTI 2023 Comparison

On the face of it, the 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI holds a price advantage no matter which way you cut the deck.

Currently, MY23 models are on offer for $55,490 drive-away while stocks last, a decent deal given that for 2024 the price will hike to $56,090 plus on-road costs.

The MG4 XPOWER is the more expensive at $59,990 plus on-road costs, but this doesn’t take into account any rebates or incentives (that differ state by state) or the leasing advantages thanks to fringe benefits tax exemption.

Either way, the XPOWER is probably the closest an electric vehicle has come to true price parity in a segment thus far, especially when you consider the performance on offer, which we’ll get to.

As you’d expect for two variants sitting at or towards the top of their respective line-up, both the 2023 MG4 XPOWER and Volkswagen Golf GTI come well equipped.

There is just one option for the XPOWER, the matte green paint of our test car ($1000), with all other colours being no-cost. VW likewise has just one cost-colour for the GTI, $300 for Kings Red, but you can increase the list price significantly by adding the $4000 Luxury Package and $2600 Sound and Style Package.

The former adds heated and ventilated front seats, leather upholstery, electric adjustment for the driver’s seat including lumbar and three-position memory, memory mirrors and a panoramic sunroof, while the latter includes a 480W, eight-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, 19-inch wheels and a head-up display.

Our test car was completely unadorned but little worse off for it, with the classic tartan cloth upholstery, triple-zone climate control, 30-colour ambient lighting, keyless entry/start, LED lights front and rear and plenty of tech we’ll get to in a moment.

In the MG you’ll find part-leather upholstery with contrast orange stitching, heated front seats/steering wheel, electric driver’s seat, dual-zone climate and LED lights at both ends so it’s tit-for-tat in terms of toys.

The MG scores an upper hand when it comes to the aftersales offering, with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty (for both car and battery) to the Volkswagen’s five, and 24-month/40,000km service intervals to 12-month/15,000km.

What’s more, whereas 10 years or 200,000km of servicing will cost $3145 according to MG’s capped-price program, VW requires $3842 for five years/75,000km, though a prepaid plan offers a decent saving at $2950.

There’s no doubting the safety credentials of the 2023 Volkswagen Golf, with a five-star ANCAP rating (based on 2022 testing) and exceptional results of 88 per cent for adult occupant protection and 87 per cent for children, though its pedestrian (74%) and safety assist (76%) scores are good rather than great.

The XPOWER does not share the standard MG4’s five-star ANCAP rating, though presumably that’s a quirk of the testing procedure as, slight weight increase aside, it has all the same equipment.

In which case it’s also very sound based on the regular MG4’s test results – 83 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for children, 75 per cent for pedestrians and 81 per cent for safety assist.

Both cars feature dual frontal, side chest and side head airbags, though the Golf goes one further with a centre airbag to prevent front occupants colliding.

Comprehensive active safety systems are also present in both cars via adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep and lane departure assist, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and more.

Both lane assist systems proved to be a tad overzealous on test, the VW’s a fraction more so, but the MG’s AEB could also be spooked and its traffic sign recognition frequently got the posted speed limit wrong, often suggesting it was 120km/h, which probably isn’t a good enough excuse for the constabulary.

Both cars rely on digital screens for both infotainment and instruments, the 2023 MG4 XPOWER using a 10.25-inch unit for the former and 7.0-inch for the latter, whereas the Volkswagen Golf GTI uses 10.0-inch and 10.25-inch screens respectively.

Each has everything you’d expect including smartphone mirroring (the Golf wireless), wireless charging, digital radio, sat-nav and multi-speaker stereos (six for the MG, seven for the VW).

Both suffer from having jammed every feature into the central touch-screen to varying extents. VW kind of started this whole trend, but with the combination of the iPhone-style home button and four shortcut keys for climate, safety, driving and parking, it isn’t too bad.

Some vehicle functions are buried way in sub-menus (selecting ESP Sport, for instance, is a right process) but, overall, even extra keys for fan speed adjustment would be very helpful.

Adjusting the driver display takes a little practice as the one haptic pad controls both ‘dials’, so there can be a lot of swiping but it can show all sorts of information and you can select from a variety of different themes and views.

The MG’s driver display is a lot simpler but shows the basics, though be aware of one quirk that the right-hand steering toggle operates both the volume and, once you press the pages button next to it, the driver display.

Its infotainment system goes even further with the minimalism and to its detriment. One positive is that the climate screen comes up automatically at the start of every drive so you can set it initially, but if you’re in smartphone mirroring there’s no way to directly access it other than turning climate off and on.

Equally, the icons are too small and not responsive enough so you can be left jabbing away ineffectually at the screen only to choose the wrong thing as you go over a bump. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not terrible but it just makes life harder than it needs to be, especially as it’s something you interact with so regularly.

Under the bonnet of the 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI you’ll find the venerable EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder which sends 180kW/370Nm to the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and limited-slip differential.

In contrast, the MG4 is lineball with a 170kW/350Nm electric motor that feeds the rear wheels, but then it lays down a royal flush by adding another 150kW/250Nm motor in the front for totals of 320kW/600Nm.

As such, whereas the Golf GTI takes a claimed 6.4sec from 0-100km/h (though this figure is beatable by a few tenths), the XPOWER scorches through the same increment in just 3.8sec.

Still, should you find yourself on an autobahn, the VW gets the upper hand with a 250km/h top speed to the MG’s 200km/h.

This being a hot hatch comparison, it’s a tale of two halves. Officially, the 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI sips 7.0L/100km on the combined cycle (requiring premium fuel), but you can easily double that under heavy use on your favourite twisty road.

In the MG4 XPOWER, it’s even more dramatic. Officially, it uses 15.2kWh/100km for a maximum range of 400km and that is an achievable figure in the right circumstances. Around 350km is probably more typical, but in similar heavy use you can expect that figure to drop to 125-150km.

Charging the MG4 takes up to nine hours on a 6.6kWh AC charger (0-100%) or as little as 28min (10-80%) at its 140kW maximum. Refuelling the Golf takes around five minutes, a little more if you need buy to snacks.

If you want a more detailed dissertation on the 2023 MG4 XPOWER driving experience you should check out our single-car review, but, in summary, it’s good.

The power is instantaneous and outrageous, especially from a standing start, all four wheels scrabbling in an effort to contain the electrical fury.

Despite the chest-compressing performance, it drives in a virtually identical manner to the standard MG4 during daily duties. The steering is well weighted, the ride perfectly comfortable in most circumstances. It’s a pleasant and undemanding machine in an urban environment.

Up the ante and to a certain point all is well. Again, like the standard car, the steering is accurate, there’s commendable balance, powerful brakes and the rocket-like thrust on corner exits never fails to amuse.

Push a little harder, however, and cracks appear. The front and rear motors aren’t particularly well integrated, power often being unhelpfully spun away by the front wheels, promoting understeer in the process, rather than being fed to the appropriate wheel for total traction.

The steering could also offer more communication, with grip levels too often the subject of guesswork which isn’t ideal in a car this fast and heavy. And speaking of weight, while the mass is ideally located, down low and 50:50 front-to-rear, at 1800kg there is a lot of it and too much for the Bridgestone Turanza tyres to really handle.

It’s also worth noting that Australian deliveries are currently being held up by a few weeks as a steering damper upgrade is applied, which follows customer feedback from overseas calling for more steering stability at higher speeds.

Possibly the most unhelpful thing, however, is the constant variation in power delivery. After some experimentation it appears that if the ESP cuts power it then leaves you with that power until, well, it decides otherwise, even if the car is now straight and under perfect control.

As such, sometimes you exit a corner and feel to have 300kW, other times 250kW, other times 200kW rather than most cars that will cut power as required and then give you back everything as soon as it can.

But while the XPOWER is good, the Golf GTI is fantastic. The Mk8 GTI is truly a wonderful driving machine. Some rivals may be more capable on track but it’s a superbly judged road car.

It corrects every MG shortcoming. There’s more communication from the steering and the chassis, there’s more grip without being tied down and prescriptive, great brakes, traction is even more limited being purely front-wheel drive but power is easy to meter out and the traction control does a good job of mopping up the excesses.

While the GTI certainly can’t match the MG’s outright firepower, there’s less in it than you might imagine as the Golf driver can get on the power earlier and stay on it longer with more confidence. And even in direct comparison the GTI feels in no way sluggish.

Under more relaxed conditions it’s equally easy to drive, the ride being perhaps a fraction firmer but with a greater sense of control. Perhaps its greatest shortcoming is the hesitation of the dual-clutch gearbox, especially when compared to the instant smoothness of the XPOWER’s EV drivetrain.

It’s a similar story inside. The 2023 MG4 XPOWER is fine, but the Volkswagen Golf GTI is better.

Comfier, more supportive seats, better materials and build quality, a bit more design flair and superior ergonomics make for a nicer environment in the VW.

As mentioned, the MG isn’t at all bad, with a decent driving position, heaps of storage (large centre area with sliding lid, clever net for keys or similar, 1.5-litre door bottle holders) and it’s thankfully not a sea of hard, grey scratchy plastic. But it’s what it needs to be and little more.

This is even more the case in the back seat. Once again, plenty of room no matter whether you’re carting adults, kids or baby seats (my son is still rear-facing and fit easily), but there’s only one USB-A port, no air vents or fold-down centre arm rest.

Two smaller pockets on the back of the front seats for odds ’n’ ends in addition to the main map pocket is a useful feature, though.

And it’s one shared by the Golf but the back seat, if anything, further illustrates the difference between the two. The GTI’s bench is sculpted and supportive, there’s not only a pair of USB-C ports but separate temperature controls (very much a rarity in this segment) and a fold-down centre arm rest with cup holders and ski-port access to the boot.

Overall boot capacity is similar at 363L for the MG and 374L for the VW, the XPOWER offering an underfloor storage area thanks to the lack of any spare tyre (repair kit only) whereas the GTI has a space-saver.

If you’re after a winner then – as you’ve probably surmised – the 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI is it. It’s every bit as amenable as the MG every day with a nicer interior and more enjoyable, engaging driving experience.

There’s a reason the GTI has been the quintessential hot hatch for almost 50 years.

But this shouldn’t be seen as a slight on the MG, which occupies its own niche.

The XPOWER might struggle to offer the ultimate dynamic thrills traditional hot hatch buyers are accustomed to, but it’s likely to find its own fans thanks to its undemanding and easy-going everyday nature combined with blistering acceleration.

2023 MG4 XPOWER at a glance:
Price: $59,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Two three-phase asynchronous electric motors
Output: 320kW/600Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 64kWh lithium-ion
Range: 400km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 15.2kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Unrated

2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI at a glance:
Price: $55,490 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 180kW/370Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 159g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)