Author: Liang Zhihao
3.8-second acceleration, how much is it worth?
As you may have already noticed, in the era of electrification, the 0-100 km/h acceleration time that was once the most representative measure of a car’s power level has become relatively cheap. With electric driving penetrating more and more models, people have become numb to numbers. For instance, the acceleration time of 3.3 seconds used to be achievable only in million- or even ten-million-yuan hypercars, but now it can be done by a Tesla priced at just over 300,000 RMB.
What surprised me is that after all, it’s still the Chinese automakers that top the list in terms of acceleration performance.
How much is the 3.8-second 0-100 km/h acceleration time worth?
Last night, MG Mulan, the new pure electric vehicle under SAIC Motor’s MG brand, was launched with a price range of 129,800 yuan to 186,800 yuan. As a compact two-box crossover, the MG Mulan will also be MG’s first truly global car, sold in several European countries as the MG4 ELECTRIC. The top-of-the-line version, priced at “only” 186,800 yuan, boasts a powerful 3.8-second 0-100 km/h acceleration time, making it one of the biggest highlights of the new car.
For instance, in the German market, the MG Mulan will be priced at 31,990 to 37,990 euros, equivalent to 221,700-263,300 RMB, showing the company’s sincerity in the Chinese market.
In terms of design, the MG Mulan was co-created by design teams from both China and the UK to meet the preferences of the two major consumer groups in China and Europe. That’s why the appearance of this car is quite different from that of the existing MG models. Its compact size and aggressive lines make it more like a European small car.
On the MG MULAN, we can see exceptionally fierce designed headlights, and the lines on the hood form an eye-catching X-shape with those on the front bumper, making the entire front face look highly aggressive. It must be said that this design language is still more pleasing to the eye compared to the “squinting” design of the MG5 and MG6.
As a car aimed at the European market, the size of the MG MULAN is naturally quite European, with body dimensions of 4287x1836x1516mm, comparable to typical European two-door cars such as the Golf and Focus. However, the wheelbase is able to show its “Chinese” side – a 2705mm wheelbase means that the MG MULAN can have a more spacious rear seating area, which is still important for Chinese consumers.
As for the design of the rear of the MG MULAN, it is even more radical than the front. The two-piece spoiler on top, paired with the full-width taillights in the center, give the rear of the car a full sense of sportiness, and also match its positioning geared toward a younger audience.
If there is anything about the appearance of this car that we can still criticize, it would probably only be the size of the wheels. Compared to the slender and dynamic visual effect, even the 18-inch wheels equipped on the top-of-the-line model seem relatively stingy.
Refreshing Power and Value
Of course, while the design of the MG MULAN is indeed attractive, I believe the main reason that most people are paying attention to this car is for its power.
The MG MULAN currently available in China offers four versions, among which the fashion model and luxury model, priced at 129,800 yuan and 139,800 yuan, respectively, are equipped with an electric motor with a maximum power of 125 kW (170Ps) and a 51 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, with a range of 425 km according to the MIIT.“`
The flagship version with a price of 163,800 yuan is equipped with a 150 kW (204PS) motor and a 64 kWh ternary lithium battery, which not only enhances the power, but also increases the range to 520km. It is worth mentioning that the motor of all three single-motor models is arranged on the rear axle. Therefore, like the Volkswagen ID.3, MG MULAN is also a rare rear-wheel drive compact two-box car in this price range.
As for the most popular one, the 186,800 yuan four-wheel drive Victory Edition model adopts a dual-motor layout, where the front axle motor has 150 kW and the rear axle motor has 165 kW. The two work together to provide 315 kW (428Ps) of terrifying power and can push the vehicle to complete 0-100km/h acceleration in less than 3.8 seconds. However, due to the increase in power, its range is much shorter than that of the flagship version with the same battery, only 460km.
Buying a car with over 400 horsepower for 186,800 yuan, even if you are a loyal supporter of gasoline vehicles, it is indeed difficult not to waver when seeing such naked comparison.
Is this the “Turnaround” of MG?
At some point in the past, due to various “mind-boggling” operations in marketing (such as the recent “floating on water” of MG5, or the “chasing high-speed trains” of MG6 years ago), the MG brand has never left too much positive image in my mind.
But in the MG MULAN, I saw the sincerity of MG which had been missing for a long time. Although this “sincerity” is currently only reflected in the price and paper specifications before the actual test drive, the surprises it has brought us are already enough.
“`More importantly, compared to cheap models like “Huanke ROEWE ei5” or ZS EV previously introduced, the appearance of MG MULAN evidently enables those “inexperienced” foreigners to understand what level our electric cars have developed to on a worldwide scale. Displaying the results of surpassing in curves might be the greatest significance of this worldwide MG car.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.