China's MG4 with advanced solid-state batteries could be heading here

Euro NCAP has tested the Chinese-specification MG4, hinting at the possibility of the electric hatchback making its way to the UK market.  

As with the existing MG4 we already get here, the Chinese MG4 received a full five-star crash-test rating from Euro NCAP – which MG will be relieved to hear following the recent abysmal showing of the MG3 supermini during testing. 

The MG4 sold in the UK wasn’t as popular in China, so MG replaced it with a similarly sized electric hatchback this year. It’s already on sale there, priced from 73,800 yuan (roughly £7,700). 

Competition in the electric hatchback market is hotting up in the UK market, with the excellent Kia EV3 and Skoda Elroq as well as the Cupra Born inline for a mid-life update. The Vauxhall Astra Electric is another rival and one that’s available on the Auto Express Find A Car service with an average saving of more than £10,000. 

Sitting on a different platform to the MG4 we get in the UK, the Chinese MG4 comes in four variants with up to 329 miles of range (under CLTC testing). However, what’s groundbreaking about this newer model is its compatibility with semi-solid-state batteries.

These packs have the potential to be smaller, lighter, more energy-dense and even less volatile than the “liquid” batteries we see in most current EVs. This has huge implications for MG’s future electric cars because with solid-state batteries they should be better packaged, weigh less, charge more quickly and offer even greater range. 

5

While the MG4 tested by Euro NCAP used the regular LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery already on sale in China, MG’s parent company SAIC says the new semi-solid-state battery has passed “three-direction needle penetration tests” and “demonstrates improved performance in low-temperature conditions”, which we presume is in comparison with the existing MG4’s battery performance. 

The new MG4 also features ‘battery to body’ integration to improve not only rigidity, but also the battery’s crash protection. We’re still yet to find out the capacity of the semi-solid-state battery and what range and charging figures the new technology will provide. But thanks to patent filings, we know the Chinese MG4 has front-wheel drive and is lighter than the car we get here, at 1,485kg compared with 1,635kg.

A facelift of the UK MG4 is expected to happen in early 2026, so the Chinese model isn’t likely to replace it. Instead we could see it occupy a space underneath. Speaking to Auto Express recently, MG’s head of product and planning, David Allison, said: “To be honest, we're still looking at whether we can find a way of integrating that other car in the lifecycle.”

Allison added: “One of the benefits of the [Chinese MG4] platform being front-wheel drive is that it’s a little bit cheaper. Competition is becoming more intense, more aggressive. Trying to find a way of keeping a competitive-priced product is more and more challenging as the ZEV targets ramp up.”

5

While the Chinese MG4 sits in a similar segment to the UK MG4, it does at least look different, thanks to a less aggressive and sporty style, particularly at the front, which has a softer, more rounded nose, less pronounced air intakes and a much smaller, body-coloured splitter on the bumper. The headlights are smaller too, but the traditional, chrome MG octagon badge remains. 

Despite its lower weight, the Chinese MG4 is also 108mm longer than our version, and its wheelbase, height and width are also slightly larger. Given that MG axed the MG5 estate last year, it would make sense for the larger MG4 to adopt that name in the UK, especially as parent company SAIC still holds the trademark. The new car won’t be the entry all-electric MG, however – that’ll be reserved for the upcoming MG2.

If the new MG4 does come over here it’ll line up alongside a facelifted MG4. As it reaches its third birthday, the MG4 is likely to gain influence from the newer MGS5 EV, such as its 12.8-inch central touchscreen. The MGS5 EV also has a set of physical knobs and buttons for easier adjustment of controls such as the volume and climate settings, which we can expect to cross over into the MG4.

Tell us which new car you’re interested in and get the very best offers from our network of over 5,500 UK dealers to compare. Let’s go…