MG 4

FIRST REPORT New EV joins our fleet with two awards to its name

- Richard Ingram

Running costs Official range/VED 281 miles/EO

Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 363/1,177 litres

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 7.9 seconds/100mph

WE called it late last year, and six months later the one of the very best electric cars on sale. Named Car of the Year by sister title DrivingElectric back in December, the bargain EV has now been awarded the title of Auto Express. Affordable Electric Car of the Year 2023.

My new long-term test car is off to a good start then; almost before I'd unlocked the doors, it was a double award winner. But this is no all-singing, all-dancing superluxury premium SUV - this is one of the cheapest electric cars money can buy.

The MG costs from £26,995, so only the Smart EQ ForTwo - soon to be discontinued, but still available on the maker's website - and brand-new BYD Dolphin cost less. Our car is the pricier Long Range model in top-spec Trophy trim, but at less than £33k all in, its value credentials are irrefutable.

So how about a quick rundown of the specs and some insight into why we rate the MG4 so highly? Base SE cars get LED lights front and rear, 17-inch wheels and rear parking sensors, while inside there's a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple and Android phone connectivity, plus a suite of driver-assistance systems. There are two battery options: 51kWh or 64kWh.