WINNER CAR OF THE YEAR

The MG4 XPOWER is the best-dressed and comfortably the most powerful model in the five-strong MG4 line-up. Dual motors endow it with an eye-popping 320kW of thrust, putting supercar acceleration at a driver’s disposal, and all for $70k with a seven-year, unlimited mileage warranty for peace of mind. You even get a healthy potential range of over 400km.

The 170kW rear motor delivers more power and torque than the motor applied to the front axle but you don’t get any sense of imbalance, just terrific performance potential from the get-go. XPOWER is backed up by stronger brakes, tuned dampers and stiffer roll bars, and the electronics are tweaked to help keep things tied down and on an even keel. There’s an uprated wheel and tyre package, more supportive seats, and the interior benefits from the higher specification grade seen in the MG4 Essence.

But while the XPOWER is impressively (and amusingly) fast and a fairly satisfying performance tool, we came away feeling that less can be more in MG4 terms. For the sweet-spot in the range, look no further than the rear-driven models such as the excellent MG4 Essence 64 previously driven, or the entry Excite 51 that is attractively priced at $46,990. It is these core models that won over the Car of the Year judges.