2023 MG4 EV gets 1,598 bookings in Thailand on first 8 hours of sale, starts at under ₱1.4M

A warm reception would be an understatement for how guests at the 39th Thailand International Motor Expo received the battery-electric MG4 EV.

Our friends at sister publication WapCar reported that Chinese carmaker MG got 1,598 orders within eight hours of unveiling the car at the show, which runs from December 1 to 12, 2022.

There will be two variants of the Thai-market MG4 EV: the Model D and the Generation X. As of press time, the former is priced in Thailand at around ₱1,395,000, while the latter is around ₱1,560,000.

Our friends at AutoFun Indonesia said the MG4 EV would be introduced in Indonesia next.

Stylish electric crossover

The MG4 EV is a C-segment, battery-electric vehicle that is 4,287 mm in length, 1,836 mm in width, and 1,516 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,705 mm.

It was first released in China on June 2022 as the MG Mulan and is expected to go head-to-head with another Chinese EV showcased at the Thailand International Motor Expo: the Ora Good Cat.

While the Good Cat looks like a cuddly cartoon character on wheels, the MG4 EV sports large, pointed headlights, a large lower grill, and aggressive side intakes.

Down the side, it gets a high beltline, accentuated by black plastic trim that reaches up to the lower third of the doors.

Out back, the MG4 EV really stands out with a steeply raked rear windshield (similar to the Honda HR-V), a split tailgate spoiler, and wraparound taillights.

Subdued, modern cabin

Step inside the MG4 EV, and you get a fairly restrained design language for the cabin.

Touches like the quartic steering wheel and tablet-style, 7-inch digital cluster, and 10.25-inch infotainment screen are par for the course in this category.

However, the cool floating center console houses a wireless charging pad, the rotary gear selector, and the electric parking brake switch.

"An infotainment system complete with 360-degree cameras and Intelligent Car Connectivity technology with online maps, voice control, remote control apps, and online music makes drivers more comfortable,” said MG Motor Indonesia marketing and PR director Arief Syarifudin.

“Furthermore, complete safety features such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Jam Assist, to Intelligent Speed ​​Limit Assist with Traffic Sign Recognition is standard on the MG4 EV," he added.

Supercar performance

The MG4 EV also packs a mighty punch, depending on your chosen model.

It comes with either a 51-kWh or a 64-kWh battery pack and pumps out 204 PS for the rear-wheel drive version or 449 PS for the all-wheel-drive model.

The more powerful MG4 EV can do 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, with MG claiming a maximum range of 450 kilometers using the bigger battery.

The battery can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 35 minutes using a standard rapid charger with a capacity of 150 kW.

Checking battery status can also be accessed from anywhere using the MG iSMART smartphone app.

With import duties for Completely Built-Up Electric Vehicles set to be dropped to zero once President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. signs a NEDA-endorsed Executive Order to that effect, do you think a similarly  priced MG4 EV would sell well if brought into the Philippines?