29/03/2024
China’s biggest A-list car company, SAIC, this week launched its MG4 in Malaysia. The electric hatchback follows hot on the heels of the MG ZS EV launched last month.
SAIC, the giant of China’s automotive industry which as well as a top 100 of Fortune magazines
Global 500, will also offer combustion cars because, “it’s the customers’ choice. We think it will be about a 50:50 mix between EV and ICE,” said an SAIC Motor Malaysia Sdn Bhd manager at the launching of the MG4.
Promising investments in local manufacturing, SAIC Motor Malaysia’s managing director, Steven Du said, “I’ve been in Malaysia since 2014, studying the market for 10 years, and one of the conclusions is that we must be in CKD production to be a main player. So yes, we’ll start local production in due time,” he said in reply to a question.
Pending an extension by the government, the tax exempt status for EVs are due to end on 1 January 2025 and with that, the aggressive pricing of China’s EV cars too will likely be dampened.
Taking a lead from Chery’s stand-out marketing gimmick of 1 million km warranty for the first thousand units of its Omoda 5, SAIC pushes the warranty envelop even further. All its MG4 are offered for sale with a 7 years or 150,000km (whichever comes first) guarantee on the vehicle and 8 years or 180,000km (whichever comes first) on the battery. SAIC Motor Malaysia also offers 1-to-1 battery exchange if its state of health goes under 70% during the warranty period.
For EV owners anxious about range, the MG Insurance Programme (MIP) in partnership with Berjaya Sompo, Allianz and Generali offers unlimited towing cost to nearest charging point if your EV runs out of charge. If your wallbox charger is stolen or damaged by external factors, the MIP will reimburse up to RM10,000
The price of the MG4 starts at RM103,999. And if you’re buying an EV because you want to enjoy the power, then check out the MG4 XPower.
This top-of-the-line model (RM159,000) has two electric motors providing all-wheel drive. The hatchback spins out 320kW (429hp) and 600Nm of torque.
The XPower can go from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds together with a top speed of 200km/h. Fitted with the same 64kWh battery pack as the more civilised models, the XPower model has a WLTP-range of just 385km.
Article by Yamin Vong