First of all, we test drove a truly global model.
This means that it will not blindly lengthen the wheelbase in the Chinese market for the sake of large rear space, and it also means that its torsional rigidity of 31568Nm DEG will not shrink in the domestic market at all.
Global quality also means that no matter what country you are in, the car you buy meets the European e-NCAP five-star safety rating – a stricter safety rating in the eyes of Chinese car owners.
What does it feel like to drive a model that has won the first place in European pure electric compact car sales?
Last month, a think tank was invited to test-drive the MG4 EV, a rear-wheel drive electric vehicle designed for drivers.
When it was still called Mulan, one of our former post-95s photography editors fell in love with it and called it his own "dreamcar", and we will experience this pure electric car on its behalf with a plain vision.
Before driving, the exterior design of the MG4 EV first attracted the attention of young people. The swooping front face adopts the popular closed design of today's electric vehicle models, forming an "X" design, the front envelope and headlight group are designed sharply, and the wide air ducts on both sides and the shark-style large mouth air intake make the overall temperament very "sporty".
The side visible lines are smooth, showing the same sense of swooping as the front face, and the blackened window line gives a sense of levitation.
The rear of the car is rich in layers, and it is also the place where the MG4 EV best highlights the dynamic atmosphere. Top The double-spoke tailwing and continuous taillights and the unique bifurcation design on both sides create a strong eye-catcher, while the blacked-out sports rear lip accentuates the fighting atmosphere.
Contrary to the complex exterior design, the interior of the MG4 EV is surprisingly simple, with a variety of large screens surrounding, and the MG4 EV's fully informative instrument screen gives people a "back to basics" feeling. For the "dazzling technology of all kinds of large screens" do not advocate me, I am eager to experience its strength on the road, after all, models that pay attention to the sense of driving often do not do too many fancy decorations on the "big screen".
As one of the first test drivers in Guangzhou, we experienced the driving performance of the MG4 EV in almost all aspects from Guangzhou South Railway Station, passing through city roads, highways and a short section of bumpy dirt roads in the countryside, as well as curved mountain roads to the resort.
Let's start with the overall driving experience.
The MG4 EV is a car that gives a strong sense of "control", starting with the four-way adjustable steering wheel you hold in your hands.
Although it is a small hatchback electric car, the MG4 EV does not feel like a small electric car at all when it accelerates, changes lanes, and starts and stops on urban expressways, but reminds people of the European "small steel cannon" of the past.
In the driving of the same level of car, there is no stiffness in the braking start when the road meets the signal light;Accelerating on the highway, the moment you step on the electric door, the driving pleasure brought by speed and passion will make you look at it with admiration, and it is rare to find this "driving pleasure" on a new car of 100,000 yuan. Even if you don't deliberately slow down, you can feel the support from the bottom up, and the steering wheel is precise enough.
The driver and front passengers experienced the "distinct road feedback" brought by a compact sports car in this wayfinding, while the rear passengers felt slightly bumpy, which also made the whole car easily reminiscent of the picture of European youths driving to participate in the "country party".
Why is this car able to bring people a kind of "driving pleasure"?The rear-wheel drive architecture is one of the inherent advantages of the MG4 EV over other competitors.
The principle of rear-wheel drive is to decouple the steering and drive, with the front wheels responsible for steering and the rear wheels responsible for driving, so that the vehicle steering is more agileWhen the center of gravity shifts back when the vehicle accelerates, and the rear wheels have more grip, the torque is fully applied to the rear wheels, and the acceleration efficiency is greatly improved.
When cornering, the front-wheel drive vehicle has to slow down or push its head due to the weak follow-up of the rear axle. You can test drive the rear-wheel-drive MG4 EV Overseas Champion Edition and the front-wheel-drive BYD Dolphin Fashion Edition to distinguish between them. In addition, the MG4 EV adopts an equal-length half-shaft + intermediate shaft design, which allows it to accelerate quickly without mistracking, and the five-link rear suspension further amplifies the rear-wheel drive advantage, which is why we dare to drive at a constant speed instead of slowing down when detouring on mountain roads.
As an electric vehicle, it seems contradictory to ensure the placement space of the battery and to achieve excellent driving control by lowering the center of gravity. The MG4 EV is made possible by the design of the LBS recumbent cell with an ultra-low center of mass height of 490mm.
Test drive a new electric car, as usual, pay attention to battery safety. The Rubik's Cube battery on the MG4 EV has undergone a double-needle puncture test (most cars in the same class have only undergone a single-needle puncture test), and the battery performance is stable, with no open flame or deflagration.
In terms of range, the MG4 EV Overseas Champion Edition offers two configurations in terms of power. The first is the single-motor rear-wheel drive version, equipped with a drive motor with a maximum power of 125 kW, a peak torque of 250 Nm, a battery capacity of 49 kWh, and an all-electric range of 415 km according to the CLTC comprehensive operating conditions.
The xpower dual-motor version is equipped with two electric motors with a total power of 315 kW and a peak torque of up to 600 Nm. This version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h with an impressive 38 seconds. The four-wheel drive version has a maximum range of 460 km.
At this point, the advantages and disadvantages of this 100,000-level pure electric car are clear at a glance.
Its greatest advantage is hidden in the invisible place of consumers, which is also in line with the consumption Xi of Europeans. For example, in terms of frame rigidity, the MG4 EV uses 84% high-strength steel, and the torsional rigidity of the body reaches 31,568 Nm DEG, which is almost unsurpassed by cars in its class. This determines the "overall feel" of a car in intense driving.
The MG4 EV Overseas Champion Edition is 4287mm long and 1836mm wide, and the rear space can only be said to be enough for young peopleHowever, in terms of space utilization, the MG4 EV two-row is flat after being reversed, making it easier to pick up large items. As a former colleague of the MG4 EV "fan brother", it happens that you often need to carry large items such as photographic equipment, and this car can be easily accommodated, and there are many scenarios where the flexible space layout can be applied.
Overall, it is a driver's car, just like many young people who chose the hatchback Golf before, the MG4 E in the era of electrification is a must for young people who prefer to drive.