Isn't it nice when car companies actually listen to feedback and respond.

Such is the case with the MG4 EV, the cute little four-door coupe that really made people sit and take notice of the Chinese car maker with the fondly remembered British name.

To wit, the second generation MG4 is a much better offering than the car it replaces, as appealing as the original might have been.

Launched in 2022 and updated in July last year, MG has obviously listened and made the appropriate changes, and it shows.

Importantly, they didn't fool with the look of the MG4 because it's the stubby, sporty, wedge shape that drew buyers to the car in the first place.

Slip inside the latest version and you'll find things have changed quite a lot.

We're big believers in the three Ps.

For a car to garner commercial success, it has to present well, be priced sensibly and perform satisfyingly.

The MG4 ticks all three boxes.

And before we proceed, the MG4 EV should not be confused with the similarly named sibling the MG4 EV Urban that was released recently.

STYLING

The range has been pruned and streamlined, reduced from five to just two versions: MG4 EV Essence 64 and the halo MG4 Xpower, priced from $39,990 and $47,990 respectively, both prices driveaway.

The number 64 denotes the size of the battery, which in both versions is the same 64 kWh, and delivers increased range, up from 435km to 452km from a single charge (WLTP),

That's still nowhere near the axed Essence 77, however.

Inside, the cabin has been redesigned, borrowing heavily from the new design language of the MGS5 and new MGS6 EVs.

It looks and feels more upmarket, with a more refined finish and the addition of buttons for various controls.

There's single-zone climate air conditioning, combo cloth and synthetic leather, heated seats and a heated steering wheel, with a six-way power adjustable driver seat.

The rear seats are genuinely roomy and the boot features 388 litres with the rear seats up, or 1164 litres when folded.

Standard kit includes heated front seats and leather steering wheel, and power adjust driver seat, with keyless entry and start and an electric parking brake.

It also comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, auto high beam, adjustable steering weight, LED head, tail and daytime running lights, auto lights, auto-dimming rear view mirror, rear parking sensors and rear privacy glass.

The MG4 EV is covered by a 10‑year/250,000km warranty if serviced by the company (otherwise it's seven years/unlimited kilometres).

The battery itself is covered for seven years or 150,000km.

Service has been reined in to 12 months or 25,000km (from 24 months/40,000km).

SAFETY

The version on test carries a five-star safety rating (Xpower does not).

Six airbags, a 360-degree camera and the MG Pilot safety suite of 14 systems deliver the goods.

Forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, traffic jam assist, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot detection, and door opening warning, to name a few.

An advanced speed assistance system is also standard.

ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS

The 64-kWh battery in Essence (61.7 of which is usable) is paired with a 140kW/350Nm electric motor that drives the rear wheels via a single-speed automatic transmission.

DRIVING

The MG4 fires up in anticipation of the driver entering the car.

Settling into the drive seat for the first time, a quick look around reveals a very different cabin to the previous model, with a new dashboard and centre console that have been completely redesigned.

The new console sees the addition of a wireless phone charging pad, while CarPlay and Android Auto now support wireless connectivity.

Though, there's still no air vents.

Legroom front and back is good, and the driver's seat is reasonably comfortable, but the steering wheel is offset to the left a little.

With the addition of a third headrest for the rear seat, visibility through the rear window is challenging.

The lights are automatic, including high beam, but there is no auto setting for the windscreen wipers.

The MG4 delivers a remarkably sporty drive, thanks in part to its electric motor, rear-wheel drive and low centre of gravity.

Performance is sharp, it handles okay and the ride quality is generally good.

Although the car has a tendency to become bouncy on poor, undulating roads.

Suspension is Mac strut at the front and a multi-link set up at the rear, and it rides on 18-inch alloy wheels with Bridgestone Turanza 235/45 profile tyres and low wind resistance wheel covers as is the norm with EVs.

They supposedly help reduce drag at highway speeds and extend range, compared to heavier alloys.

The dash from 0-100km/h takes 7.5 seconds.

If you hanker for more, this figure drops to just 3.8 seconds with the more powerful, all-wheel drive XPower.

There are five drive modes: Eco, Normal, Sport, Snow and Custom with adjustable steering weight, plus four levels of regenerative braking, including one-pedal driving.

Interestingly, although the Essence 64 and XPower have the same size battery, they're actually different.

The first is a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) unit, the second a lithium nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery.

NMC batteries have a higher energy density, which means more energy can be stored in a smaller, lighter package.

That makes it ideal for the more demanding XPower model.

Energy consumption is a claimed 17.6 kWh/100km, delivering a range of 452km.

The car can be charged using AC at a rate of 6.6kW and with a commercial DC fast charger at up to 164kW.

Charging from 0-100 per cent takes nine hours (AC) and from 10-80 per cent will take about 29 minutes (DC).

MG4 misses out on under-bonnet storage, but the boot has a false bottom providing access to a shallow storage area where charging cables can be stashed.

We find ourselves reaching for Eco mode more often these days, especially in an EV to maximise range.

While it has the desired effect, the setting does not tick between restarts.

But there's no shortage of warnings from the driver assist systems, often for no apparent reason.

At one point the loud take-a-break warning sounded after just a few minutes in the car and it took us a minute or two of searching to work out how to turn it off.

Wireless charging is a boon when using your phone for navigation, but our Pixel overheated quickly and failed to charge.

We were getting 14.2 kWh/100km after close to 470km of mixed driving.

Much better than the claimed 17.6 kWh.

A tyre repair kit is provided in the event of a puncture.

SUMMING UP

It's not perfect, but the MG4 is better than before and deserves a place on your short list if you're in the market for an EV.

It offers sharp performance, is fun to drive and offers a decent amount of range, and most importantly -- it doesn't cost a bomb.

Check it out.

RATINGS:

Looks: 7.5

Performance: 7.75

Safety: 7.5

Thirst: 7.5

Practicality: 8

Comfort: 7.25

Tech: 7.5

Value: 8.25

Overall: 7.7

AT A GLANCE

MODEL LINE-UP

MG4 EV Essence 64: $39,990

MG4 EV Xpower: $47,990

Note: These prices are driveaway and include government and dealer delivery charges.

SPECIFICATIONS:

MG4 EV Essence 64, single-speed automatic, RWD hatch)

STANDARD WARRANTY

Seven years / unlimited kilometres