CARDS ON THE TABLE, I'M NOT THE biggest fan of MGs. A Volvo 480 once tried to take my legs off when it decided it wanted to come through the passenger door of the MG Midget I was a, er, passenger in, and after two MGF long-term test cars and the now Mrs G's own hateful example, if I ever sit in an MGF again it will be too soon. The fact that people handed over their money for one instead of an MX-5 remains one of the world's biggest mysteries. That I turned down a free MX-5 and sold a 306 Rallye to fund the purchase of said Gallagher-household MGF is a decision I still can't explain nearly two decades on.
Enough of the therapy. The MG4 EV is neither a two-seater sports car nor a hot hatch with some red stickers and bold claims of out-accelerating a Ferrari Testarossa, but it is quite possibly the best electric-powered hatchback on sale today although admittedly that's a pretty shallow pool of excellence to go fishing in.
Obvious and natural rivals come from the usual suspects within the VW Group (VW's ID.3 and Cupra's Born), Renault's Mégane E-Tech and electric variants of other 'traditional' size hatchbacks. The MG's trick, however, is that despite its similar footprint it doesn't take on the look and presence of a crossover/SUV and is all the better for it. Its wedge design isn't to all tastes and it suits more sober exterior colours than the Volcano Orange pictured here, but while it could never be described as a clean, flowing design, neither is it a high-riding anonymous blob.
Esta historia es de la edición August 2023 de Evo UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 2023 de Evo UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
BMW M135 xDrive
The M135 has lost an and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?
Audi S5
S5 by name, S4 by nature, is Audi's new mid-size petrol-powered saloon a step in the right direction?
Lamborghini Urus SE
Lambo's super-SUV gets a major mid-life overhaul, going hybrid in the process. Has it become any easier to like?
HALL evo OF FAME
The evo Hall of Fame was established to recognise the great and the good of our corner of the universe. Prepare to welcome this year's inductees
CIRCUIT DAY
After three days of assessing their behaviour on the road, it's time to head to the Circuito de Navarra to find out how our nine contenders respond when their handling limits are explored
EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024
Nine brilliant cars, from flyweight roadsters to bombastic supercars to a be-stickered estate(!), do battle on some of Europe's finest and most spectacular roads. Which will emerge victorious? Place your bets now.
Porsche Panamera GTS
It lacks the raw power of its hybrid rivals, but does the new GTS’s more traditional approach give it its USP?
Alpine A290 GTS
The new electric Renault 5 has won plenty of plaudits. Is the hotter Alpine version a car to win petrolheads' hearts too?
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop
