POISED TO BE THE WRX FOR THE EV GENERATION?

HERE'S THE snapshot: the MG4 X-Power is a dual-motor battery performance car touted as the world's first dedicated, all-electric hot hatch - and it's coming to Australia in late 2023.

- DYLAN CAMPBELL

The MG4 X-Power comes with a 64kWh battery offering 385km of claimed range (WLTP), while dual motors serve up 320kW/600Nm and a claimed 0-100km/h figure of 3.8 seconds. Top speed is 200km/h.

The MG4 is around Corolla sized at just 4.3 metres long, although its 2.7-metre wheelbase maximises interior space, especially in the back. The X-Power is eye-catching, especially in the retina-burning Volcano Orange of our test car.

Inside, it feels well built and there's even something satisfying about the way the doors close. The materials are a bit economy, giving it an almost Skoda-like ambience. A 7.0-inch digital instrument screen and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay give it a modern, high-tech feel. The X-Power jazzes things up further with a leather steering wheel and Alcantara-trimmed sports seats. The variant we drove was on 18-inch wheels shod with Bridgestone T005 235/45 rubber.

In a sense, the MG4 X-Power's only rival - for now - is the Tesla Model 3 Performance which costs $83,400 before on-roads. You might be able to count the 430kW Kia EV6 GT, but it's $99,950 which is considerably more than the likely price of the X-Power.

As for the driving, it's very good. And fast. The MG4 X-Power makes us think about acceleration in the same way the Subaru Impreza WRX did when it first arrived in 1994.

Back then, the WRX introduced Porsche-frightening, turbocharged all-wheel-drive acceleration for a bit of a bargain price. It certainly scared the chest hairs off many of the local V8 sedans.