MG4 EV review

Our opinion on the MG4 EV

It might not be as affordable as it once was, but there was always more to the MG4 than its price tag. The sharp-looking hatchback still boasts a generous amount of standard kit, a seven-year warranty, surprisingly engaging handling, competitive range figures and quick charging. Plus its brand-new interior looks and feels much better, which does help justify the now £30k starting price. 

All in all, the MG4 remains an appealing choice for those in the market for a small electric car, especially now the interior is a much closer match to its key rivals, such as the Volkswagen ID.3. While the price has remained competitive, its more practical, more affordable MG4 Urban sibling offers greater value for money, if not quite as much range or fast-charging capabilities.

About the MG4 EV

A lot has changed since the MG4 shook up the small electric car segment in late 2022, such as the introduction of the new Electric Car Grant (ECG) and the arrival of more excellent-value EVs. These include the Skoda Elroq, the Renault 5 and 4, Kia EV4 and even the all-new MG4 Urban, which has even greater focus on affordability than its older sibling, and more interior space, too. 

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So to keep the MG4 feeling fresh, for 2026 the brand has given its interior a serious makeover inspired by the more expensive MGS5 SUV, and eliminated the entry-level, smallest-range version to prevent overlap with the new Urban. The brand also tells us most customers weren’t buying that model anyway.

There are now three models to choose from, starting with the Premium Long Range that features a 64kWh battery pack for up to 280 miles of range, and a 188bhp e-motor. Standard equipment remains as generous as ever, with every MG4 getting big displays, heated front seats and steering wheel, a 360-degree camera, seven-year warranty and the MG Pilot suite of driver-assistance tech, including adaptive cruise control. 

Above that is the Premium Extended Range that adds a larger 77kWh battery pack – capable of up to 329 miles on a charge – and a 241bhp e-motor, which knocks the car’s 0-62mph time down from 7.5 seconds to 6.2 seconds. However, oddly, the maximum charging speed also drops from 154kW to 144kW, so a 10-to-80 per cent top-up will take about 40 minutes in this version, compared with just 25 minutes with the base model.

Finally, sitting at the top of the tree is the ballistic MG4 XPower that pairs the 64kWh battery with dual motors that produce 429bhp – that’s almost twice as much power as you get in the Alpine 290 hatchback EV. The XPower will do 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds, but only has a 251-mile range.

MG4 EV prices and latest deals

Due to the upgrades for 2026 and the loss of the smallest-battery version, the MG4 line-up now starts from a whisper under £30,000. Opting for the Premium Extended Range ups the price to nearly £33k, while the MG4 XPower is only £1,000 more, starting from just under £34k. 

Although right now MG is offering customers a £1,500 discount, and with that applied the MG4 still undercuts rivals such as the VW ID.3, Renault Megane and Kia EV4, but not by as much as it used to. 

There’s also the new MG4 Urban to consider. It gets the same £1,500 discount, so is available right now for less than £22,000 and offers almost the same interior, apart from in certain areas where you’ll find fewer soft-touch materials and more hard, scratchy plastics, which help to cut costs. 

While the latest MG4 range isn’t available to order through the Auto Express Buy A Car service just yet, there are hundreds of used examples in stock at dealerships across the country, starting from less than £15,000. And if you’re considering one, you can sell your old car with us, too. 

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Most people looking to buy an electric family hatchback want something that’s efficient, comfortable and delivers a good amount of range. The MG4 does all of those things, but we guarantee you’ll be surprised by just how much fun and engaging it can be to drive. 

There are five drive modes to suit different conditions: Normal, Eco, Sport, Snow and Custom. As you’d expect, Eco dulls the accelerator response and Sport sharpening things up, but regardless of your mode, the brake pedal feel is easy to modulate, meaning you can stop smoothly in busy town traffic and accurately judge how much speed to scrub off for roundabouts. 

There are also four modes for the MG4’s regenerative braking system, including a one-pedal setting just like in the Nissan Leaf. It’s strong enough to bring the car to a halt when you lift off the accelerator, and it has the benefit of generating electricity to replenish the battery while slowing down.

Rivals such as the Kia EV3 use paddles mounted on the steering wheel to very easily adjust the regen strength on the move. In the MG4 however, while you can programme one of the two customisable star buttons on the steering wheel to toggle between strength levels for the regen, or switch drive modes. The one-pedal mode can only be activated via the touchscreen, which is rather fiddly to do while driving. 

Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed

When it comes to acceleration, the regular MG4 feels suitably sprightly. During our extensive testing, we found the throttle response and lower kerbweight make it feel livelier off the mark than a VW ID.3, but its rival’s additional torque gives it some extra oomph at motorway speeds.

Understandably, regular versions of the MG4 don’t feel nearly as rapid as the ludicrously powerful XPower model. The 429bhp it has on tap is about 100bhp more than either the VW ID.3 GTX or the petrol-powered, all-wheel drive VW Golf R produce, and 141bhp more than the Kia EV4 GT delivers. Needless to say, it’s insanely quick, but power delivery isn’t as immediate as you might expect. There’s a slight pause when you put your foot to the floor, as if the car is double checking if you’re quite sure before launching itself into hyperspeed and forcing you back into the driver’s seat while the number on the speedo increases at a tremendous rate. 

In the more relevant real-world benchmark of accelerating from 0-30mph – something you may need to do when accelerating from a side street onto a busy main road – the regular versions of the MG4 only need about three seconds, meanwhile the XPower rockets up to speed in just 1.7 seconds. 

Town driving, visibility and parking

As buyers will probably use their MG4 predominantly for everyday tasks such as school runs and urban commutes, it’s essential that this car is comfortable and easy to drive. Fortunately, MG has done a fine job here, with the MG4 offering a relaxed ride that deals with speed bumps well, while light-yet-accurate steering helps make parking less of a hassle. Good forward visibility and short overhangs make navigating through busy streets a bit easier. Every model also comes with a 360-degree camera system, which is a big help to those who aren’t confident with parking manoeuvres.

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Country road driving and handling

But, the MG4 isn’t just suited to in-town duties; it’s more than accomplished on twisty B-roads and, dare we say it, even a little fun. It’s a tad nose-heavy, but its playful chassis, nicely weighted steering and rear-wheel drive set-up mean it can be a hoot to drive on a country road if you're not too concerned about eating up a lot of your range. Although you will need to turn off the intrusive lane-keeping assistance – especially on narrow country lanes – because we’ve found that the system can tug quite violently at the steering wheel as it attempts to keep you within the lines.

The MG4 XPower version loses a little bit of the standard car’s adjustability because its wider tyres offer more grip. Its firmer suspension leads to tighter body control, making it more stable in bends – although the standard car doesn’t lean too much in the corners anyway. Plus, the additional traction of four-wheel drive allows it to put its power down better onto the road from a standing start, especially in slippery conditions. However, it’s easy to only focus on the ballistic acceleration the XPower delivers when driving it, and it’s not as engaging as other high-performance EVs, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

Motorway driving and long-distance comfort

All versions are relatively settled on a motorway, but on the bumpy and undulating roads we encountered testing, the ride becomes choppy. Refinement at the national speed limit still isn’t quite on the same level as some rivals. If you want an EV that’s especially good for motorway driving, try the Kia EV4, Renault Megane E-Tech or VW ID.3 instead. 

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The MG4 used to be offered with a choice of three battery sizes, but the smallest 49kWh unit was axed as part of the car’s updates for 2026 because not many people were buying it. The most popular choice was the 64kWh ‘Long Range’, which is good for up to 280 miles on a charge. If that’s not enough for you, when equipped with the 77kWh ‘Extended Range’ unit, the MG4 can cover up to 338 miles in one go. 

Electric range, battery life and charge time

We pitted the MG4 head-to-head against its arch rival, the VW ID.3, in 2023. Both returned an average of 3.8mi/kWh, which equated to a real-world range of 243 miles from the MG4 Long Range. 

As with all electric cars we've tested, the MG4 is not impervious to cold weather, managing 3.1mi/kWh during our twin test against the Ora 03 (formally known as the Funky Cat) in the winter. Although the Ora 03 only mustered 2.8mi/kWh in the same conditions.

Longer journeys shouldn’t prove to be too much of a chore, because the MG4 has a maximum charging speed of 154kW. As a result, if you plug the car into any ultra-rapid charger at a motorway services, a 10 to 80 per cent top-up can take as little as 25 minutes in a Long Range model. Even the Extended Range with the largest battery size isn’t much slower, needing 40 minutes to be almost fully replenished.

If you’re transitioning to an all-electric car for the first time and have off-street parking, it would be sensible to invest in a wallbox home charger so that you can charge your car overnight. A standard 7.4kW home wallbox will take around 11 hours to fully recharge the 64kWh battery in the MG4 ‘Long Range’ or close to 13 hours for the MG4 ‘Extended Range’ with its 77kWh unit.

Insurance groups

Insurance ratings for the updated MG4 line-up haven’t been confirmed yet, but we won’t expect them to be much different to before. So the Premium Long Range is likely to sit in group 28 or 29 (out of 50), while the more powerful, more expensive Premium Extended Range could land in group 33. Finally, a group 40 rating seems likely once again for the high-performance XPower.

Needless to say, the MG4 is far from the cheapest EV to insure. If that's what you're looking for, the Fiat 500 Electric starts in just group 16, meanwhile the Renault 5 starts out in group 18, and goes up to group 22 at most for the top-of-the-range model.

Tax

As with all electric cars, the MG4 Urban attracts a £195 annual rate of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) or road tax. At the time of writing, the Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company-car tax rate for EVs is three per cent, but it will increase to four per cent in April for the 2026/27 financial year.

To get an accurate valuation for a specific model, check out our free car valuation tool... 

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The MG4 only received a few minor styling tweaks for 2026, including a new rear spoiler and wheel designs, plus an updated colour palette, with three new additions: Piccadilly Blue, Ealing Green and Cosmic Silver. Sadly, however, the eye-catching Volcano Orange paint we associated so much with the dramatic-looking hatchback is no longer offered.

Inside though, the MG4’s interior has been completely redesigned. The car’s original cabin wasn’t necessarily a bad place to be, but we accepted the flaws in material quality and onboard tech because it was so much cheaper than its rivals. Thankfully, we don’t have to make those excuses anymore, because the new interior is much closer in both areas to the likes of the VW ID.3. 

Interior and dashboard design

The most obvious upgrade in the MG4 is its new 12.8-inch touchscreen, but better than that – at least if you ask us – is the row of shortcut keys running along the bottom of the display. There are now physical dials and buttons for the climate control and other key functions, something the ID.3 still doesn’t have.

The three-spoke steering wheel is also new, but still features physical buttons, including two programmable buttons which can be used to switch drive modes or adjust the strength of the regenerative braking on the fly. 

MG has even redesigned the centre console, ditching the open expanse that had the drive selector and smartphone tray on sort of a podium jutting out from the dashboard. In its place is a much more conventional design, with cup-holders, a wireless charging pad and the drive selector, plus a good-sized storage space underneath and a large cubby under the armrest.

Materials and build quality

All of the piano-black plastic trim that used to adorn the MG4 is gone, replaced by more soft-touch materials and some carbon-fibre-effect elements on the dashboard that we’re not sure will be to everyone’s taste, but is an improvement nonetheless. Finally, the seats also get new grey cloth upholstery, while the XPower hot hatch benefits from bespoke, more body-hugging sports seats. 

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Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo

The seven-inch driver’s display and 10.25-inch central touchscreen have been replaced by a 10.25-inch driver’s screen and a 12.8-inch touchscreen running the brand’s latest infotainment system. It’s far easier to use than the old software, with a handy pull-down menu to help turn off some of the ADAS systems if you want. It also offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity.

That said, we often had to tap the touchscreen two or three times before it would respond to our commands and you still have to navigate through lots of menus. Meanwhile, the graphics on the driver's display don’t look all that different from before, and continue to use small, thin text or icons for everything other than speed, which makes it hard to read at a glance.

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The MG4 offers a good amount of space inside, and there are plenty of useful storage options dotted around, including a large tray underneath the centre console. However, if practicality is your top priority then the new MG4 Urban is the one for you. It delivers significantly more room for people in the back, plus close to 200 litres of extra boot space. 

Dimensions and size

At 4,287mm long, 1,836mm wide and standing 1,516mm tall, the MG4 is almost exactly the same size as the Volkswagen ID.3. But the Kia EV4 is 143mm longer and its wheelbase is 115mm longer, which allows it to provide more space for passenger and luggage alike. It’s the same story with the MG4 Urban which, despite what its name suggests, is about 110mm longer than the original MG4, and its wheelbase is 45mm longer.

Seats & passenger space

Interior packaging is good in the MG4, and passengers benefit from a decent amount of rear legroom and headroom, although there isn’t too much space underneath the front seats for passengers to stretch their feet into. At least there’s only a small hump in the floor, so it doesn’t eat up much foot room, which helps when accommodating three passengers across the rear seats. 

We found accessing the Isofix mounting points when fitting a child seat can be awkward, because of the large Velcro fabric panels covering them. We much prefer the plastic surrounds used by the likes of Volkswagen.

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Boot space 

The MG4’s 388-litre luggage capacity is adequate for a family hatchback, but far from the biggest in its class. The Renault Megane E-Tech tops the lot with its 440-litre boot, while the Kia EV4 is not far short, with 435 litres on offer. 

There's no load lip to contend with – unlike in the Renault and Kia – which is good, however there’s no additional storage below the boot floor or a 'frunk' storage area under the bonnet. Either would have been handy for keeping the charging cables out of sight and taking up valuable boot space. Should you need to carry more stuff, the MG4's rear seats fold flat in a 60:40 split, opening up 1,164 litres of cargo space.

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The MG4 went through Euro NCAP’s battery of crash safety tests in 2022 and emerged with the maximum five-star safety rating. The more affordable MG4 Urban earned the same overall rating, however it scored higher in all four of the categories measured, and did so under the more stringent testing standards than the original faced just a few years prior. 

Every MG4 comes with six airbags plus a lengthy list of safety and driver-assistance systems, including active emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot detection, lane-keep assist, driver-monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alert, which warns of vehicles approaching from either side as you’re reversing.

If you’re not a fan of all that ADAS tech, you can create a personalised profile for the safety systems that can be activated from a pull-down menu on the touchscreen, similar to the ‘My Perso’ button in all Renaults these days. Unfortunately, and rather infuriatingly, you can’t activate it while you’re driving in the MG4 – you have to be parked.

MG offers a reassuring seven-year/80,000-mile warranty for all of its models, which is almost on par with Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile policy. This extended coverage might be enough for buyers to consider choosing the MG4 over other brands, particularly when compared with Volkswagen’s three-year/60,000-mile warranty.

However, while electric cars typically don’t need as much maintenance as their combustion-engined counterparts, the MG4 apparently needs to be serviced every year or 15,000 miles, whichever comes first. Compare that with a VW ID.3, which only needs to be looked at every two years.  

MG is also still struggling to perform in our 2025 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, coming last out of 31 brands yet again in the best manufacturer rankings, with only one of its models making it onto our list of the best cars to own as well. That car was the Mk1 MG HS, which finished in 21st place. 

Best buy: MG4 Premium Extended Range

With the MG4 Urban now offering more space than the original and a similar amount of standard kit but for a much smaller price, one of the few reasons to opt for the pricier MG4 is its longer range. 

It handles better, looks sharper and charges quicker, too, but if you specifically want the MG4 because it can go further between charges than the up to 258 miles the Urban can muster, we suggest upgrading to the Extended Range version. This is good for up to 338 miles versus 280 miles in the standard Long Range model. 

Alternatives

The MG4’s closest competitors are fellow electric hatchbacks, such as the Volkswagen ID.3, Renault Megane E-Tech, Cupra Born, Kia EV4 and BYD Dolphin. But it also sits in the same price bracket as many very practical electric SUVs, including the Kia EV3, Nissan Leaf or the reigning Auto Express Car of the Year, the Skoda Elroq.

Anyone walking into an MG showroom should take a look at the MG4 Urban, plus the MGS5 EV which is an SUV rather than a hatchback but it’s available for similar money, offers nearly 300 miles of range and, naturally, is more practical than the MG4. 

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