In the era of fuel vehicles, MG's market performance in the domestic auto market always fell a bit short. Even in the new energy era, the new energy vehicles launched in previous years could be considered good-looking, with decent overall product performance, but sales still could not match those of strong brands.

However, in the past six months, MG4's sales performance has been quite impressive. It seems that taking the "affordable route" is the correct path for a brand like MG to continue developing and growing. Of course, life moves upward, and automakers must also consider long-term development, so "moving upmarket" is also the "life goal" that every automaker strives for with all its might. The launch of the MG 07 is both reasonable and likely a move to ride the momentum of MG4's hot sales.

【Friendly Forces' Advantages Review】

In terms of its nature as a means of transportation, the author believes that the "liftback" is one of the MG 07's main advantages, because loading convenience approaches that of an SUV, while driving dynamics have an inherent advantage over SUVs. The liftback resolves the dilemma for target customers who value driving dynamics but for whom "loading convenience" is also a rigid need when choosing a car.

Also, although being equipped with frameless doors does not necessarily guarantee hot sales, having frameless doors can indeed satisfy the individual needs of some target customers, so for the MG 07, this is also a plus.

Although charging network construction across the country is now basically convenient, some car consumers still feel that "being able to refuel counts as an advantage," so the MG 07 offers 2 plug-in hybrid versions to satisfy this target group's psychological need for "unlimited range," while also pushing pure electric range up to 845 km and pulling the price down within 150,000 yuan. In this dimension, the MG 07 can also be considered one of the pioneers.

Regarding the power battery, both plug-in hybrid versions are equipped with a 30 kWh CATL lithium iron phosphate battery, supporting 3C fast charging, with a CLTC pure electric range of 245 km and a WLTC pure electric range of 185 km. Even in a first-tier city like Beijing, daily long-distance commuting to and from work using pure electric driving would not create range anxiety.

The 3 lower trim pure electric versions are equipped with a 67 kWh lithium manganese iron phosphate semi-solid-state battery from SAIC Qingtao, with a pure electric range of 610-650 km, and a price of 116,900-136,900 yuan is also reasonable;

The 2 higher trim pure electric versions are equipped with a 91 kWh CATL ternary lithium battery, which at least establishes a good foundation in terms of public recognition of the power battery brand.

【Basic Information】

The MG 07 has a length of 4886 mm, width of 1900 mm, height of 1478/1485 mm, and wheelbase of 2825 mm. Being able to pull the price into the 108,900-159,900 yuan range, if judged by wheelbase dimensions, the MG 07 also counts as a B-segment car, not much shorter than a Passat, but considerably longer than a Lamando/Lavida. So looking only at price and segment, compared with similar joint venture cars at similar prices, the MG 07 also has a high cost-performance advantage.

Regarding spaciousness and comfort, actually a wheelbase above 2700 mm should already be able to meet the car usage needs of most medium-build consumers in China. If you pay attention, when walking on the road and looking at the traffic passing by, a large proportion of drivers' heads do not even rise above the headrests. The larger the vehicle, in principle, the more driving dynamics decline accordingly, so the author suggests that when choosing a car and looking at space, "just enough plus" is sufficient.

For new energy vehicles with the power battery placed under the passenger compartment, we also need to pay attention to one indicator: the MG 07's minimum ground clearance is 120/127/128 mm. In daily driving we still need to pay attention to choosing good road conditions, but on this point the MG 07 deserves praise. Some new energy models may be unwilling to list the "minimum ground clearance" figure. The author believes that avoiding disclosure of certain data means the automaker is not sufficiently forthright. What do you think?

There is also a minimum turning radius of 5.36 m. You know that even a Corolla with a 2700 mm wheelbase has a minimum turning radius of 5.2 m, so the MG 07's flexibility in daily driving is also acceptable.

【Powertrain, Transmission, Battery, Charging】

The MG 07 PHEV has two configurations, the Comfort Edition and the LiDAR Edition, both equipped with a 1.5L naturally aspirated engine, with a maximum power of 82 kW and maximum torque of 135 N·m/4500 rpm.

It is particularly worth pointing out that the 1.5L naturally aspirated engine in the MG 07 has a compression ratio as high as 16:1, yet can use 92-octane gasoline, and adopts multi-point electronic fuel injection technology. Compared with direct injection, the injector nozzles work in a better environment and fuel pressure is relatively lower, which is to say the entire system is relatively more durable.

The drive motor has a total power of 152 kW and total torque of 302 N·m. As is well known, thanks to the 1-speed DHT transmission, electric drive output is more direct, with a 0-100 km/h acceleration of 7.5 seconds. The PHEV version's WLTC fuel consumption with depleted battery is 3.98L/100km, which is also very economical compared with fuel sedans of the same class. If charging is inconvenient in daily use, you can set a higher SOC and just drive it as a fuel car.

The PHEV versions' power batteries are both CATL 3C lithium iron phosphate batteries, 400V platform, with the 30%-80% high-efficiency charging interval taking 15 minutes. Both versions also support 6.6 kW external discharge.

The MG 07 EV version has 5 configurations. The 650 Comfort Edition, 610 LiDAR Edition, and 610 Flagship Edition all have a drive motor total power of 176 kW, total torque of 300 N·m, and 0-100 km/h acceleration of 6.9 seconds;

These 3 lower trim versions are all equipped with a 67 kWh lithium manganese iron phosphate semi-solid-state battery, with cells from SAIC Qingtao, a charging rate of 3C, also a 400V platform, and a 30%-80% high-efficiency charging interval taking 20 minutes.

I wonder if everyone noticed that the PHEV version spent about 15 minutes charging about 15 kWh, while the EV version spent 20 minutes charging about 33.5 kWh.

So for consumers, if you choose the PHEV version and also need to charge frequently to drive in pure electric mode, it is obvious that choosing the pure electric version gives higher charging efficiency, meaning relatively fewer charging sessions in daily use. So do you want to drag around an engine and transmission in "80% of daily car usage scenarios" just to worry about "long-distance trips under 20% of use cases," while also consuming more refueling/charging time every day? Is it worth it?

Therefore, based on the charging network around the author, the pure electric version is more recommended. Even for long-distance highway travel, charging network construction in service areas is getting better and better.

It is only during those major holidays that there really are situations of queuing and fighting over charging piles. Leaving one day later and returning one day earlier could help avoid such situations.

The 845 LiDAR Edition and 845 Flagship Edition both have a drive motor maximum power of 235 kW, maximum torque of 350 N·m, and 0-100 km/h acceleration of 5.9 seconds.

CATL 91 kWh ternary lithium battery, charging rate of 5C, 800V platform, 30%-80% high-efficiency charging interval taking 12 minutes. All 5 EV versions also support 6.6 kWh external discharge.

In addition, the MG 07 is equipped with a HeatMatrix active heat dissipation motor, 18-in-1, with volume reduced by 30%, and a gear shaft overlap design exceeding 15%. During normal use, the drive system should not overheat and can continuously output stably for a long time. This point is also very important for users. After all, loss of power at high speed may have been a nightmare for some car owners before, so technological advancement is about solving known problems one by one and making car use more and more reassuring.

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One interesting point in this section is that the 3 lower trim versions have the same power battery capacity and the same drive motor output, but different range figures. The 650 Comfort Edition has a curb weight of 1810 kg and tire specification 225/50R18;

The 610 LiDAR Edition and 610 Flagship Edition both have a curb weight of 1852 kg and tire specification 235/45R19. That is to say, the difference in curb weight plus the difference in tire specification leads to a 40 km range difference. Moreover, in terms of car use it is not just this one point. By convention, replacing 225/50R18 tires is also relatively cheaper than 235/45R19, so car enthusiasts who want to option higher-spec tires should think carefully before deciding whether to switch.

In addition, whether PHEV or EV, the MG 07 is front-mounted single-motor front-wheel drive. If often driving on slippery roads, a front-drive car is a bit easier to control than a rear-drive car. On this point, fellow car enthusiasts can also choose according to their own driving environment.

The MG 07 also adopts a front MacPherson + rear multi-link suspension setup, four-wheel disc brakes, and across the range standard soft-hard adjustable suspension. Driving and ride performance are also quite commendable for the price. Interested car enthusiasts might as well try it in person.

【Smart Cockpit】

The MG 07 comes standard across the range with an 8.88-inch full LCD instrument cluster + 15.6-inch 2.5K central control screen, supporting HUAWEI HiCar, Carlink, CarPlay and other in-car connectivity methods, basically meeting the car usage needs of most car consumers.

The Comfort Editions of the PHEV and EV versions only support 4G networks, while the other higher trims all support 5G networks. This really should not be the case.

In terms of voice control, the MG 07 comes standard across the range with a 4-zone recognition control system, and the functions controllable by voice are largely similar. In this regard, the author believes that being sufficient is enough.

The MG 07's front row comes standard across the range with 50W wireless phone charging. For wired interfaces, the whole range comes standard with 3 charging ports in the front row and 1 in the rear row, with front-row charging power at 66W and rear row at 15W, basically meeting passengers' charging needs.

In terms of in-car audio, the PHEV and EV Comfort Editions both have 8 speakers, while the other higher trims all have 21 speakers, supporting 7.1.4-channel in-car audio.

For the cockpit chip, the PHEV and EV Comfort Editions both use the 8155, while the other higher trims all use the 8295. This also should not be the case.

Regarding mobile app control functions, the functions available across different automakers and models are basically similar, so I will not elaborate further here.

【Intelligent Assisted Driving】

Regarding assisted driving, one must not rely on it excessively or abuse it.

Nowadays, the intelligent assisted driving levels of various automakers are getting higher and higher and more and more usable, but the author still suggests that when using assisted driving, attention must be kept on road conditions, and if any situation arises, one must be able to take over in time to avoid danger.

For assisted driving chips, the PHEV and EV Comfort Editions both use Horizon Journey J6B, while the other higher trim versions all use Xinxin Hangtu X7, with Momenta as the assisted driving system supplier.

Regarding specific assisted driving functions, the MG 07 comes standard across the range with full-speed adaptive cruise control, while the PHEV and EV Comfort Editions have relatively fewer assisted driving functions.

The whole range comes standard with front and rear corner parking radar, 360° panoramic imaging, automatic parking, hill start assist, active braking, blind spot assist, lane keeping, lane centering and other functions.

Except for the Comfort Edition, the other higher trims all support highway/city navigation assist. If car enthusiasts indeed have needs in this area, they can choose specific configurations as appropriate.

From the perspective of the author's own car usage needs, for the pure electric version I might prioritize the 650 Comfort Edition, or the 845 LiDAR Edition. The lower trim's functional configuration is already quite rich!

【Passive Safety】

In terms of passive safety protection, the MG 07 comes standard across the range with 6 airbags, tire pressure monitoring, seatbelt unfastened reminders, ISOFIX child seat interfaces and other content, and supports sentry mode, which can also be considered worthy of the price.

Regarding the safety body, the MG 07 official website states: high-strength steel accounts for 85% of the whole vehicle, body torsional rigidity is as high as 43,972 N·m/deg, and the body architecture is a 5-longitudinal 11-cage body.

From the perspective of new energy vehicles, because power battery safety must be ensured, safety body protection is indeed much better than that of previous fuel vehicles. At the same time, because the power battery is placed under the passenger compartment, the vehicle's center of gravity is lowered, so the vehicle's driving and ride performance is also relatively better.

【Water Army's Shortcomings Review】

Although in terms of hardware the MG 07 has main advantages such as CATL batteries and SAIC Qingtao semi-solid-state batteries, there are also many strong competing models in the 100,000-150,000 yuan price range, such as BYD Dynasty/Ocean family, Geely/Galaxy family, XPeng MONA M03, and the MG 07 even has to compete for customers with many fuel sedans at similar prices.

The author believes that in terms of sales and service network construction, consumer purchasing convenience, and convenience of car use and maintenance, MG still needs to ramp up efforts quickly. This is also the basic condition supporting hot sales of multiple models.

As for brand power building, for MG this is a long-term issue. For single-product promotion, letting more consumers know about this car is the top priority.

Summary:

From a price perspective, in terms of hardware strength, the MG 07 is worth being listed by target customers as a high-intent model, and is also a new energy model worth buying.

If the charging network around your life and work is fairly convenient, it is recommended to prioritize the pure electric version rather than the plug-in hybrid version, because many car enthusiasts who chose plug-in hybrid models may already have felt "the trouble of charging, and the distress of being unwilling to use fuel when not charging because it costs money."

From the consumer's perspective, if you plan to consider the MG 07, the author suggests still comparing with strong brands such as BYD and Geely in terms of the convenience of sales and service networks, as well as the level of in-store sales service. This is very important for future car use satisfaction.

Note 1: Creating content is not easy, and it is always difficult to gain comprehensive recognition. Therefore, the saying "friendly forces to the left, water army to the right" is proposed, laying out a product's advantages and shortcomings. Those who like this car can look at the advantages, hence the saying of friendly forces; those who do not like this car can look at the review of shortcomings, hence the saying of water army. The purpose of writing is to provide comprehensive reference value for more car enthusiasts when choosing a car, and not necessarily to do paid promotion. That is all!

Note 2: Images in the text are from the internet and will be deleted if infringing! This was written impromptu without time for review. Please forgive any errors or omissions!