What's the difference?
Citroen is a brand in a state of flux as it, once again, finds itself fighting to find a distinct identity from its Peugeot sister brand under its new Stellantis parent company.
It’s also had a shocker of a year in Australia, racking up just over 100 sales in 2021, but the brand is promising new beginnings, and a new crossover-y identity as it heads into 2022.
Leading the charge is the new-generation C4, which has morphed from a funky hatchback to a funkier SUV-like shape that it hopes will set it apart from related cars like the Peugeot 2008.
Other Citroens are set to follow in its footsteps in the immediate future, so is the Gallic marque onto something? We took the new C4 for a week to find out.
MG has been one of the fastest growing brands in the Australian market in the past five years, carving a spot for itself amongst the best-selling names.
But now it’s about to take on arguably its toughest challenge yet - selling a performance car.
MG’s success until now has been built largely on value, with its affordable MG3 and ZS SUV leading the way. The arrival of the all-new, all-electric MG4 XPower means the brand will try its luck at selling cars based on performance, dynamics and an emotional connection.
It’s not the first electric hot hatch in Australia, that distinction arguably belongs to the Cupra Born. But, MG has achieved much higher sales locally than Cupra, making it the first electric hot hatch from a mainstream brand, and that’s why it has the potential to be a game changer for the market.
If the XPower succeeds it will likely reshape the hot hatch market, which until now has been dominated by long-time players and big-name brands, including the Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai i30 N, Toyota GR Corolla and Volkswagen Golf R.
It’s weird, wonderful and fun, in more ways that one. I think every segment could use an oddball alternative like the C4. Citroen has successfully transformed it from a hatch to a small SUV with a difference. It’s not going to be for everyone – few Citroens are – but those who are willing to take a chance will be rewarded with a surprisingly competitive little package that stands apart from the crowd.
The MG4 was a game changing electric car, resetting the price benchmark while also being a very good small car in its own right. But as we discovered when we tested the rest of the range, the MG4 is a car that gets more compelling the cheaper it is. The $38,990 MG4 Excite 51 is arguably the pick of the range given its value equation.
But that’s not to say the MG4 XPower isn’t a good car. It’s a very quick car that will play the role of daily driver and weekend fun machine well. Just not quite as well as its petrol-powered rivals.