Parkers’ new cars editor Alan Taylor-Jones is living with an MG4 after it was picked as our 2024 Car of the Year. Will four months with a top-spec Trophy Extended Range reassure him that it was the right call?

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Update 1: Welcome

Introducing my long term MG4 Trophy Extended Range

As new cars editor for Parkers, Car of the Year season is always a stressful time. It’s not just the planning, testing and hours of discussion, it’s also whether we’ve made the right decision. I was therefore keen to spend more than a week or two with 2024’s champion, the MG4 electric hatchback.

While my experienced colleagues and I can tell a lot about a car in a week, or even a few hours, you only really get to know it when you live with one. Without wishing to spoil anything, that quickly became apparent the first time I handed the keys to my wife. I’m afraid you’ll need to wait for update two when I discuss space and practicality to find out her discovery.

As this is my first report, let’s get to know my new long-termer. The Extended Range model – one that’ll confusingly do more miles on a charge than the Long Range – appealed thanks to its 323-mile range, a big chunk up from the 218 miles of the entry-level car and usefully more than the 281-mile Long Range. If I’m honest the Extended Range’s 245hp also appealed, giving quicker acceleration than the smaller batteried models.

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What you get as standard with an MG4 Trophy Extended Range

While the bottom two battery sizes get a choice of SE or Trophy trim, and the hot MG4 XPower is its own model, Extended Range is limited to top Trophy trim. Even so, the price before options is a reasonable £36,495, or less than many similarly sized rivals that’ll do 100 miles less on a charge.

Here are 10 features of note that are standard:

1. 360 degree parking camera with front and rear sensors
2. Blind spot monitoring
3. Adaptive cruise control with steering assist
4. Climate control
5. Auto dimming rear view mirror
6. Wireless smartphone charging
7. Keyless entry and start
8. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
9. LED headlights
10. Heated front seats and steering wheel

Optional extras

MG doesn’t do options, so it’s just the paint I had to choose. Volcano Orange is £695 and seemingly quite a popular option. It really brings out the wannabe Lamborghini Urus in my opinion. All in, that makes it £37,190, with very attractive leasing rates also available. At the time of writing, even the Extended Range is less than £300 a month.

I do already feel that I might have picked the wrong model, though. The Extended Range sits higher and feels stiffer than the Long Range car. That hurts the ride and the handling, two things that previously impressed. Will the extra pep of the more powerful motor make up for this? I’ll let you know once it’s we’ve got a few more miles under our belts.