The MG 4 is built by Chinese automotive group SAIC Motor under the British-founded MG marque, and is the first vehicle to be based on SAIC’s Modular Scalable Platform specifically for battery electric vehicles (BEVs or EVs).
It was launched in Australia during 2023 with three trim grades, three different battery capacities and rear-wheel drive – followed several months later by the range-topping MG 4 XPower boasting dual motor all-wheel drive.
Apart from its rear-wheel drive setup, the MG 4 claims to have a 50:50 weight distribution and a low centre of gravity for better balanced handling, which is one of its key attributes over other similarly priced EV rivals.
Effective driving range varies with the different battery capacities but is rated from 350km with the entry-level variant, and stretches to 530km for the Long Range version.
MG in March announced new drive-away pricing across its entire MG 4 range in Australia, making the entry-level variant one of the most affordable EVs in Australia priced from $39,990 (drive-away).
MG 4 Pricing
- MG 4 51kWh Excite MY23: $39,990
- MG 4 64kWh Excite MY23: $44,990
- MG 4 64kWh Essence MY23: $46,990
- MG 4 77kWh Essence MY23: $52,990
- MG 4 XPower MY23: $59,990
All prices are drive-away
MG 4 availability and wait times
The MG 4 is in relatively strong supply, although specific colour and grade availability will differ from dealer to dealer given the demand.
If stock isn’t immediately available, delivery could vary anywhere from three weeks to two months depending on the specific model, specification, and colour of the vehicle selected.
MG 4 lifecycle
Although the MG 4 launched in China and Europe prior to Australia in 2022, we wouldn’t expect to see any major updates outside of factory software revisions until at least 2025, given the model is still fresh and electric take-up is steadily growing as new makes and models enter to market.
MG has offered a number of software updates for owners already, however, improving the active safety system calibration in particular.
MG 4 electric powertrain
The MG 4 range is rear-wheel drive, or all-wheel drive in the case of the range-topping XPower.
The entry-level MG 4 Excite 51 has a 51kWh battery pack, which is good for a claimed 350km of driving range (WLTP).
It has a single, rear-mounted electric motor that produces 125kW of power and 250Nm of torque, with a claimed 0-100km/h time of 7.7 seconds.
Step up to the Excite 64 or Essence 64 and you have a bit more poke from the motor, with 150kW and 250Nm.
These models run a larger 64kWh battery with claimed 450km WLTP (Excite) or 435km WLTP (Essence) driving range. However, the 0-100km/h time is 7.9 seconds as the larger battery pack adds more weight.
Choose the Long Range 77 and you get a larger 77kWh battery with a claimed WLTP range of 530km, while power is bumped to 180kW/350Nm. The claimed 0-100km/h time is 6.5 seconds.
The MG 4 XPower has a 64kWh battery pack in concert with two electric motors generating 150kW up front and 170kW down back.
Combined outputs of 320kW of power and 600Nm of torque allow it to launch from zero to 100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds, equalling Audi’s RS3 Sportback and pipping the mega-quick Mercedes-AMG A45 S in a straight line.
The 51kWh battery can be charged using AC home, or DC public charging. DC fast charging is capped at 88kW, while a 6.6kW AC charging speed is also available.
The 64kWh and 77kWh batteries can be charged at up to 140kW using a DC charger. It will take a claimed 26 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent at its maximum DC charging rate (64kWh).
MG 4 energy consumption:
- Excite 51: 14.5kWh/100km
- Excite 64: 13.7kWh/100km
- Essence 64: 14.2kWh/100km
- Long Range 77: 14.0kWh/100km
Estimated charge time using single-phase power with 6.6kW is 9.0 hours, while going from 10 – 80 per cent using a 50kW fast charger takes 60 minutes.
The entire MG 4 range also features V2L capability, allowing owners to power things like laptops, or appliances like a fridge, using a three-pin socket.
MG 4 safety
The MG 4 received a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating on the back of 2022 testing in Europe where; that same score has resulted in a five-star ANCAP safety rating for Australia.
It scored 83 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 75 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 81 per cent for safety assist.
Standard safety equipment includes:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian, Cyclist detection
- Junction assist
- Lane departure warning
- Lane keep assist
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Front, rear parking sensors
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Front, rear seat belt reminders
- ISOFIX child restraint anchorage points (outer rear seats)
- Front, front side, full-length curtain airbags (6 in total)
MG 4 Colours
- Dover White
- Brixton Blue
- Black Pearl metallic
- Camden Grey metallic
- Dynamic Red tri-coat
- Volcano Orange tri-coat
- Sterling Silver
- Hunter Green ($1000 XPower)
MG 4 standard equipment
MG 4 Excite highlights:
- One pedal functionality
- V2L (Vehicle-to-Load)
- Full LED lighting
- Four-mode regenerative braking
- Five-link independent rear suspension
- 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Keyless entry and start
- Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (wired)
- Four-speaker sound system
- Black fabric upholstery
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Automatic high-beam
- Electric side mirrors with heating functionality
- 6-way manual adjustable driver seat
- MG Pilot
- iSmart Lite connectivity
MG 4 Essence adds:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Black roof
- Twin-aero rear spoiler
- Rear light bar
- iSmart connectivity
- 6-speaker sound system
- Satellite navigation
- Wireless phone charger
- Synthetic leather/cloth upholstery
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Height-adjustable load floor
- EV trip planner
- Heated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- 360 degree view camera
- Two-tone roof
- Active grille shutters
- Electric folding mirrors
- Dual-level boot floor
- Rear privacy glass
MG 4 XPower adds:
- Launch Control
- Track Mode Display
- Alcantara black interior
- Alcantara seats
- Sports pedals
- Performance sports caliper
- Unique 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels
MG 4 Dimensions
The MG 4 hatchback measures 4287mm long, 2060mm wide (including mirrors), and 1504mm in tall for the Excite variants (1516mm for the Essence), with a wheelbase of 2705mm.
The MG 4 has a turning circle of 10.6m, which makes general manoeuvrability very good.
MG 4 boot space and luggage capacity
Boot space behind the rear seats is 363 litres for the Excite and 350 litres for the Essence. When the seats are folded, load space expands to 1177 litres and 1165 litres, respectively.
Charging cables will need to live in the relatively shallow compartment beneath the boot floor as there’s no front boot (or frunk).
MG 4 interior
One of the nicer features of electric car cockpits is the minimalistic nature of the space, and the MG 4 is no exception.
Some electric cars still have a stop/start button, but the more progressive models like the MG 4 and Tesla Model 3 have ditched them.
As long as the key fob is on your person the car is ready to go the moment you press the brake pedal and spin the tactile rotary dial around to ‘D’ for Drive.
While there’s plenty of functionality on the flat-bottom steering wheel, there are no dials for volume control or air-conditioning operation on the dashboard.
You’ll find the latter in the climate-control menu on the 10.25-inch touchscreen, while volume control can be found in a row of shortcut buttons directly below… or via a toggle on the steering wheel.
Further across, there’s a configurable 7.0-inch driver display offering the same level of crispness as the infotainment screen, along with a stack of relevant information including a large digital speed readout and energy consumption.
We also like the floating console which houses the drive selector, electric handbrake switch, and wireless smartphone charge pad. It’s a clever design and well positioned for easy access.
In the second row there’s room for three adults with decent leg- and headroom, but there are no rear air vents or central armrest, which might make it less comfortable on longer drives.
MG 4 warranty
The MG 4 range is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty encompassing the car and battery.
There’s also seven years of roadside assistance included. Ride share or commercial drivers also get a seven-year warranty, but it’s capped at 160,000km.
Maintenance is required every two years or 20,000 kilometres with the following pricing:
- 40,000km/24 months: $296.00
- 80,000km/48 months: $886.00
- 120,000km/72 months: $296.00
- 160,000km/96 months: $886.00
- 200,000km/120 months: $296.00
MG 4 competitors
The entire MG 4 range is rear-wheel drive, which could easily be billed as one of its unique selling points compared with key rivals in the hatchback space including the front-wheel drive GWM Ora ($38,163 drive away until 31 March 2024) and BYD Dolphin ($38,890 excluding on-road costs).
MG 4 sales data
Before MG 4’s latest March pricing adjustment (which sees the entry model dip below $40,000 drive-away) it led the sales charts for small cars over $40K, with year-to-date sales to the end of February showing 983 units sold and a 28.7 per cent market share in the segment.
MG 4 reviews
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