China’s cheaper MG4 Urban finally confirmed for UK
MG has confirmed the more affordable, front-wheel-drive family hatch will go on sale in February
A more affordable, more softly styled version of the MG4 family hatchback will go on sale in the UK in February, Auto Express can reveal. The maker hinted at the car’s introduction last month when the new model was tested by Euro NCAP, but this is the first time the car has been confirmed for sale in Britain. Prices should start from less than £25,000.
In a statement, MG said the new car, called MG4 Urban, will act as “a new B-segment MG hatchback designed specifically as an electric vehicle for towns and cities. Built on a new platform to enhance efficiency and range, it expands the successful MG4 line-up and offers even more choice”.
Speaking to Auto Express late last year, MG’s head of product and planning, David Allison, said: “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.”
Totally different to the MG4
The MG4 Urban is a totally different car to the MG4 currently sold here. The new front-wheel drive model (the existing car is rear-wheel drive) is already available in China, where it comes in four variants with up to 329 miles of range (under CLTC testing). It’s not yet clear how many versions will be offered here, or how they’ll compare to the existing MG4 – which itself will be updated next month.
That’s right, this totally new MG4 Urban will be sold alongside – or rather, underneath – the standard MG4, offering a more affordable take on the family electric-car formula. The new car won’t be MG’s entry-level EV, however – that’ll be the upcoming MG2.
The Urban looks quite different. It gets less aggressive styling, particularly at the front where there’s 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. The Urban model is 108mm longer than the current MG4, and its wheelbase, height and width are also slightly larger.
Semi-solid-state battery technology
However, what’s particularly 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.
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 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 currently sold here, at 1,485kg compared with 1,635kg.
As with the existing MG4 we already get in the UK, 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.
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.
As mentioned, the Urban model will line-up alongside a facelifted MG4. While little is known about that car yet, in order to stay competitive we expect it to gain influence from the newer MGS5 EV, including things like 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.
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