Tang and company from Thailand's CSL AutoTime recently pitted two Chinese battery-electric vehicles against each other. Pictured in green, the MG4 EV XPOWER is a C-segment hatchback that features two iconic nameplates. MG used to mean small British roadster, whereas XPower SV was used by MG Rover to designate a limited-run sports coupe.
MG started to decline after it was absorbed by the folks at British Leyland. The revered marque was acquired by Nanjing Automobile Group in July 2005, and two years later, SAIC Motor purchased Nanjing outright. Given that Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation produces MG vehicles in China, the EV XPOWER is anything but a direct successor to the Ford-powered XPower SV.
Taking its name from MG Rover's motorsport subsidiary, XPower SV was a Peter Stevens-penned thriller with Italian roots. Closely related to the Qvale Mangusta, the SV originally launched with Ford's 4.6-liter Modular V8. The SV-R leveled up to a Roush-cammed unit with 5.0 liters to its name and 385 horsepower, which sounds a bit lethargic by current standards. However, do remember that a Ford Mustang GT from that era made only 260 horsepower from 4.6 liters.
Having covered the basics, let us turn our attention to the MG4 EV XPOWER. Available in the United Kingdom and a few other European markets, the zero-emission hatchback weighs approximately 1,850 kilograms (4,079 pounds) and belts out 429 ponies and 443 pound-feet (600 Nm) of torque.
Although on the heavy side of compacts, it shoots to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in a respectable 3.8 seconds. The dual-motor electric vehicle promises 239 miles (385 kilometers) in the WLTP combined test cycle from a 64-kWh battery with a usable capacity of 61.8 kilowatt hours.
Photo: CSL AutoTime on YouTube
The ORA 07 Performance may seem familiar to autoevolution readers from Europe, for it looks pretty similar to the 03 series. Originally dubbed Lightning Cat as opposed to Funky Cat for the lesser model, the 07 Performance is listed on Ora's European website as "coming summer 2024."
Produced by Chinese giant Great Wall Motor, the 07 Performance also resembles two Porkers, namely the 911 from up front and the Panamera from the rear. Considering that Great Wall Motor was sued for copyright infringement by a number of European automakers, including Honda and Fiat, are you surprised about said appropriation?
Heavier than the MG at 2,115 kilograms or pounds, the 07 Performance is rated at 402 horsepower and 502 pound-feet (680 Nm). Ora says that it needs 4.3 seconds to reach triple-digit speeds, but CSL AutoTime begs to differ. Not only did the MG accelerate better from a dig, but also annihilated the Ora in the quarter mile. MG4 EV XPOWER clocked a best of 12.16 seconds at 183 kph (114 mph), while its challenger needed 13.37 seconds to cover the standing quarter mile at 160 kph (99 mph).
Annihilation ensued from a low-speed rolling start as well, and – predictably – Ora's electric sedan doesn't brake as well as the MG either. On the other hand, kudos to Great Wall Motor for not following in the footsteps of MG, which fits the MG4 EV XPOWER with look-at-me brake caliper covers.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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