Mazda CX-5 vs MG MG4

What's the difference?

The Mazda CX-5 Akera G35 offers small families a great host of premium features, as well as solid power and handling – all in an attractive package. But the emphasis here is on ‘small’ families because it’s on the compact side for a mid-sized SUV and its rivals offer more back seat space.

Its ongoing costs are reasonable and I enjoy driving it, so it gets a 7.6/10 from me.

My son calls out the back seat as a bit squishy but he otherwise likes it. He gives it a 7.0/10

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.

The Mazda CX-5 hasn’t seen much change to the exterior other than a more horizontally-styled grille. It’s a medium SUV with a handsome kerb-side presence thanks to its full-suite of LED lights and 19-inch alloy wheels. It’s an inoffensive design that should appeal to a wide audience.

The interior looks premium with the brown Nappa leather upholstery and black leather trims. The plethora of soft-touchpoints throughout reinforces that the Akera is the top model.

There's one thing I really like about Mazda and that's how it manages to balance the traditional with the new. The cabin is a seamless blend of the two elements.

The instrument panel features a 7.0-inch digital display but still has analogue dials. There's a 10.25-inch multimedia system on the dash but still a bunch of control buttons and dials to press. The gear shifter is coupled with an electric brake, the sunroof is coupled with a manual blind. You get it.

This duology between high-end tech and traditional elements makes the interior feel up to date but very accessible.

What really stands out about the design is… that not much stands out about the design. At least in differentiating the XPower from the rest of the MG4 line-up.

There are no pumped out wheel arches or a bigger, sportier spoiler that makes it look different in the same way a GR Corolla won’t be mistaken for a regular Corolla hatch.

Instead, the XPower has the same 'Energetic Agile' silhouette and includes the same ‘Active Intake spoiler’ at the front and the ‘Twin-Aero’ rear spoiler that’s the same as the Essence models.

There are some differences though, including more pronounced styling on the sides of the doors. It doesn’t add any performance benefit but creates a slight visual difference between the models in the range.

Surprisingly, there is very little to signify that this is the sportiest XPower model, with a distinct lack of badging - inside and out. In fact, the only visual clue that this is the XPower is on the bright orange brake calipers. Or, to be more accurate, brake caliper covers.

These are just lightweight metal covers that make the MG4 braking hardware look bigger than it really is, so it’s a bit of visual trickery from the MG designers.

Despite sitting in the medium-SUV segment, the CX-5 is on the compact side for cabin space and front passengers benefit the most in terms of leg- and headroom.

Back rowers get a decent amount of headroom but legroom is squishy and my legs press into the back of the drivers seat when its in my driving position, and I'm only 168cm tall!

My seven-year old complained about his space and asked Dad to slide forward for more room, which is something to consider if you have gangly teenagers.

The seat comfort sits on the firmer side for both rows and the electric front seats are narrower and shorter than I like for long journeys but for the A to B trips, they’re comfy enough.

Only the driver’s seat gets powered lumbar support but they both have heat and ventilation functions.

Individual storage is average for this class with a smallish glove box and middle console that has a removable shelf. A deep utility tray, which houses the wireless charging pad and a 12-volt port, sits in front of the gearshift and there are two cupholders in the centre console.

Each door has a shallow storage bin and the front doors also get a skinny drink bottle holder.

For individual storage in the rear, you get map pockets on the rear of the front seats and two cupholders in a fold-down armrest.

The armrest also houses two USB-A ports and the heat function buttons for the outboard seats and it's because of this positioning and the narrower width of the seat, that the back row feels more suited to two, rather than three passengers.

The technology on the whole is easy enough to use but the rotary dial operation of the multimedia system is a bit annoying to access while on the go.

The wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a great feature and means one less cable to worry about but the built-in satellite navigation with 10-year map updates is a highlight. The head-up display pulls through the nav directions, too, which is always handy.

You also get two USB-C ports and another 12-volt outlet up front, so everyone should be sorted for charging.

The boot features a powered tailgate which is a handy family feature and a temporary spare tyre is located underneath the level floor.

You get 438L of storage capacity with the second row seat upright, which is plenty for my errands and grocery shop. That jumps up to 1340L (VDA) when the rear seats are folded. 

The cargo cover attaches to the lid, meaning it stays out of the way when you're loading stuff into the boot.

As with the exterior, there’s not a lot to differentiate the XPower from the rest of the line-up. No bright red Civic Type R style interior treatment here. MG has opted to carry over the minimalist design that no doubt contributes to the sharp pricing.

Probably the only notable difference is the seat trim, with the XPower model getting a combination of synthetic leather and suede for a sportier look and feel. But the rest is largely the same, which detracts slightly from its hot hatch credentials.

On the plus side, the MG4 cabin is generally a well-designed interior space, which is a positive for the XPower’s hot hatch argument, as the idea behind the ‘hot hatch’ is that it can be a practical car during the week and fun on the weekends. 

There’s good room for passengers and luggage, in large part thanks to the relatively slim battery design that frees up more cabin space. Front seat occupants will enjoy the space and good visibility on offer.

Small item storage is very good in the MG4, with a pair of cupholders, a large, flat lidded tray (with one USB-C and one USB-A outlet just above) and the centre console box all fitting between the front seats.

There’s also a wireless smartphone charging pad that sits halfway up the centre fascia, next to the rotary gear selector, but it’s a shallow space so your phone will almost certainly fly out as soon as you begin cornering vigorously.

However, once again highlighting the ways MG has saved money to keep costs down, the back seat accommodation isn’t anywhere near as well appointed.

While the space is adequate for a small hatch, there are no cupholders, no air-conditioning vents and no fold down armrest for those in the back. All they have access to are some pockets on the back of the front seats, including a pair of small ones high on the seat, seemingly designed to accommodate your smartphone.

In another positive for its hot hatch practicality, there are ISOFIX points on the outer rear seats, neatly covered by leather pieces for a cleaner look when you don’t have kids.

As for the boot, the XPower measures the same 363 litres with the seats up which is unchanged from the rest of the MG4 line-up.

Disappointingly, there’s no obvious place to stow the charging cable, even though it comes in a small, neat bag. This is a worryingly common trend with these early generation EVs that shows a lack of practical thinking from the designers.

The MG4 has no under-bonnet storage either, so it feels like a few wasted opportunities for what is a bespoke EV design.

While we’ll dive into performance and the headline figures of the XPower soon, there’s another number that’s arguably more impressive - the price.

The MG4 XPower is priced from $59,990 (plus on-road costs), making it only $4000 more expensive than the range-topping MG4 Essence 77.

More importantly, when compared to the likes of the $72,600 Honda Civic Type R, $68,990 Volkswagen Golf R, $64,190 Toyota GR Corolla and $57,990 Subaru WRX tS Sport the XPower is arguably one of the first EVs to achieve true price parity with its internal combustion engine rivals (although the Cupra Born starts at $59,990 so it can argue the same).

Beyond the performance upgrades we’ll detail below, that price brings a well-equipped car.

The XPower comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail-lights as well as vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality.

It also comes with a six-speaker sound system, Bluetooth, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless smartphone charging pad and synthetic leather and Alcantara trim. 

There’s the 'MG Pilot' safety package included as standard as well, but we’ll detail that below.

The 'Hunter Green' hero paint colour is exclusive to the XPower in the MG4 range, and is reportedly inspired by an MG land speed record car the legendary Sir Stirling Moss drove in the 1950s.

The Akera is an all-wheel drive with a six-speed auto transmission and our test model has the 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that produces a maximum power output of 170kW and 420Nm of torque. The turbo ensures it never feels sluggish, even when you’re hitting hills.

This is arguably the biggest single difference between the XPower and the rest of the MG4 line-up. Unlike the others that have a single, rear-mounted electric motor, the XPower adds a second motor on the front axle.

This has an obvious impact on the performance, boosting it from the previous best of 180kW to an impressive 320kW/600Nm.

Having motors on each axle also means the XPower is all-wheel drive, so it has little trouble transferring all that grunt to the road.

So much so that the MG4 XPower is the equal quickest hot hatch on the market (at the time of publication), taking just 3.8 seconds to run 0-100km/h; matching the Audi RS3, with its turbocharged five-cylinder engine.

The compromise for getting extra power from the turbo is fuel efficiency takes a hit.

The official combined fuel cycle figure is 8.2L/100km but my real-world usage came out at 10L/100km. That’s after mostly open-road driving this week, too, so it’s a bit thirstier than I was expecting.

Based on the combined cycle number and the 58L fuel tank, expect a driving range of around 784km – which is still great for the odd road trip.

Interestingly, the XPower is not fitted with the biggest battery in the MG4 range, forgoing the 77kWh version in favour of the 64kWh option.

In the ‘standard’ rear-wheel drive MG4 Excite 64 model this battery can provide up to 450km of range (on the WLTP cycle) but in the XPower that figure is reduced to 400km.

While that’s well short of the 530km offered by the long-range Essence 77 model, it’s still a respectable amount of driving range and should suit your typical hot hatch buyer, who knows performance typically comes at the expense of efficiency.

Our test drive was limited to just two days, so we didn't have the chance to live with the XPower for an extended period, but it managed to make it this reviewer’s preferred hot hatch playground on the edge of the city and back again to home with more than 50 per cent of the battery charge remaining.

This was a trip that included a lot of urban driving, some highway and then some ‘spirited’ running on the twisty road, so there’s enough range from the XPower to meet most buyers' needs.

Across almost seven hours of driving, the MG’s trip computer was claiming an average energy use of 18.6kWh/100km. To replenish the batteries, a 140kW DC charger will take just 30 minutes to take them from 10 to 80 per cent.

The V2L is another nice addition, which allows you to draw power from the battery, if needed, to run small electrical appliances.

The XPower is hardly a car for camping but, for example, if you decided to take it to a track day and want to plug in a kettle to make a hot drink, you can literally plug it into the car. Handy!

The Akera turbo-petrol delivers a decent well of power to dip into and it feels peppy in most situations. Even when you’re overtaking or getting up to speed you don’t feel like you’re nearing the bottom of the power barrel.  

Steering is responsive and the car is agile when you tackle narrow car parks or streets. However, you still get some roll in corners which my passengers felt more than I did.

The cabin is quiet, even at higher speeds and the suspension is firm enough that you feel the bumps but you’re not jostled about. The ride comfort is still good.

I’ve said it before but I love parking medium SUVs because their size is so forgiving in a car park! The Akera is no different and it’s especially easy thanks to the ultra-clear 360-degree view camera system. You also get front and rear parking sensors to help out when needed. 

The real question about the XPower is not if it’s quick, because all EVs and especially those with dual motors tend to be very rapid in a straight line, but how it handles itself on a twisty road.

That’s what separates a good hot hatch from a great one, but it’s also an area EVs have struggled in, because the combination of silence, weight and just the fact they’re new and different tends to mean they lack the driving engagement of more established competition.

Hot hatches also need to play a dual role, as daily transport and weekend fun machine, so that’s another factor to consider.

So, how does the MG4 XPower stack up? Well, the unsurprising news is it’s very, very quick. The acceleration is ferocious and really shoves you back in your seat, leaving you in no doubt that it will leave most of its hot hatch rivals (with the exception of the Audi RS3) in its dust.

When the going gets twisty though the XPower feels like it lets its rivals catch back up. There are different driving modes and switching to ‘Sport’ and reducing the regenerative braking makes a notable difference to the way the XPower handles.

The steering gets heavier and it will roll and coast into corners more like a petrol-powered hatch. It makes for a very competent car, with direct steering and good road holding… but not a great hot hatch.

It lacks the engagement and excitement that the best hot hatches offer. For example, the steering gets heavier in Sport mode, but doesn’t provide any more feedback to the driver. The Bridgestone Turanza tyres do a fine job but they lack the grip of a Michelin Pilot Sport. 

The lasting impression on the driver is a car that feels quick but doesn’t leave you wanting more. The best hot hatches make you want to keep on driving and driving, that’s not the case in the XPower.

As a daily driver it’s arguably better than its rivals, though, with quiet, effortless commuting potential thanks to its electric powertrain.

There’s the usual passive safety features, including six airbags as well as the required stability controls, anti-lock brakes and the like, however the XPower also comes equipped with the MG Pilot suite of active safety features as standard.

MG Pilot includes autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.

Thanks to all of this safety gear, the MG4 range was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP assessment, when it was tested in 2022.

The CX-5 comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty, which is average cover for the class but some of its rivals offer longer terms.

There is a five-year, or up to 75,000km capped-price servicing program and services average $423 per workshop visit, which is competitive.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

Like every MG sold in Australia, the MG4 XPower is covered by the brand’s seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, which is industry standard for high-volume brands these days.

As for servicing, the intervals are also the same as the rest of the MG4 range, which means a lengthy two years or 40,000km, whichever comes first, between visits to the dealership.

That’s much longer than your typical petrol-powered hot hatch, which has more moving parts that need servicing. 

In terms of costs, the XPower is ever-so-slightly more expensive compared to the rest of the MG4 line-up.

A minor service is the same $296 but a major service (which comes every second service) will cost you $962.

But even so, for the first six years you’ll only be up for $1554 in servicing costs, which is comparatively cheap amongst its hot hatch rivals, and only $76 more than you’ll pay for any other MG4.