MG4 wins 2023 New Zealand Car of the Year award

The MG4 electric hatchback has won the 2023 New Zealand Car of the Year award as judged by the New Zealand Motoring Writer’s Guild.

The award, now in its 36th year, was announced live on Seven Sharp on Friday, February 16th.

It is the fifth consecutive year that an electric vehicle has claimed the award from the professional body of motoring media from around the country.

At launch, the MG4 line-up comprised four two-wheel-drive variants, with a key differentiator being different-sized battery packs ranging from 51 to 77kWh, along with a progressively more powerful electric motor matched to the larger batteries. 

The MG4 line-up has since been augmented by a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive performance flagship, the 320kW/600Nm MG4 XPower.

“Even before the XPower flagship arrived, the MG4 was making waves here, not only amongst the buying public but also amongst the country’s professional motoring journalists,” NZ Motoring Writer’s Guild president Robert Barry says.

“We have all admired the design, technology, and practicality of the MG4, but how it drives has also impressed the motoring writers. Part of its dynamic charm comes from the mainstream variants being rear rather than front-drive; this combines with the low centre of gravity and excellent weight distribution achieved by the positioning of its battery to give a crisp handling balance,” he says 

MG New Zealand country manager, Arek Zywot says the brand is thrilled that Guild members have deemed the MG4 worthy of New Zealand Car of the Year success. 

“We’re deeply honoured to receive this award for the MG4, which I consider to be a great recognition of our hard work and dedication to creating the best product on the market,” Zywot says. 

“It is a ground-breaking new model for the MG marque and is indicative of the future direction of attainable, electrified motoring. It has proven itself on the world stage as an international multi-award-winning model and it is now receiving similar accolades here in New Zealand.

“I challenge anyone who thinks electric vehicles are boring to take a drive in the MG4, I know it can change opinions and certainly made a positive impression on Guild members across the country,” he says.

Candidates for this year’s award, in alphabetical order, were:

• BMW i7
• Cupra Born
• Ford Mustang Mach-E
• Hyundai Ioniq 6
• Lexus RZ
• Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan
• MG4
• Nissan X-Trail
• Peugeot 308
• Skoda Enyaq

The Guild’s voting members test the vehicles in their home environments across the country – important for providing a ‘real world’ result. 

They assessed the finalists on a specified range of criteria spanning how the vehicle performs its intended role; its styling, interior design and accommodation; fit, finish and quality; ride and refinement; performance; road-holding and handling; value for money; active and passive safety and environmental responsibility.