It’s been 12 months since I jumped behind the wheel of an MG4, but I thought it was time to revisit the model since my first drive at the Australian launch.
Since then, I’ve reviewed everything from the new MINI Cooper SE to the Tesla Model 3 Performance and Volvo EX30. However, something must be said about this fun and irresistibly cheap electric hatchback from the Chinese brand MG because while it’s no Aston Martin DB12 Volante, it’s too good to ignore.
RELATED: You can read my in-depth Polestar 2 review here.
How Much Does the MG4 Cost?
When it launched, the MG4 was the cheapest electric vehicle in Australia. However, it’s since been one-upped by the GWM Ora (from AUD$35,990 drive-away) and BYD Dolphin (from AUD$36,890 before on-road costs).
MG’s goal was to price the base MG4 as close to the petrol alternatives as possible, and I believe the brand has achieved this. Prices start from AUD$40,990 plus on-road costs for the 51kWh Excite model, which offers 350km (WLTP) of range. For this review, we tested the Long Range 77 model, which is priced from AUD$55,990 plus on-road costs and comes with a range of up to 530km (WLTP).
The sweet spot in the range remains the MG4 Essence (64kWh), which has a 435km range and starts at AUD$47,990 plus on-road costs. My real-world experience in testing EVs has told me that budgeting an extra 100km of range for weather, road, and charger conditions over the base model is worth your money.
Here’s a full pricing list for the MG4 model range in Australia:
- MG4 Excite 51 – from AUD$40,990 plus on-road costs
- MG4 Excite 64 – from AUD$44,990 plus on-road costs
- MG4 Essence 64 – from AUD$47,990 plus on-road costs
- MG4 Long Range 77 – from AUD$55,990 plus on-road costs
- MG4 XPower – from AUD$59,990 plus on-road costs
If you’re tempted by the MG4 Long Range 77, I highly recommend looking at the slightly more expensive MG4 XPower (AUD$59,990), with its 320kw of combined power and a 0-100km/h time of 3.8 seconds. Alternatively, you’re getting very close to Tesla Model 3 territory, and this is still our pick as the best value-for-money EV on the market.
Finally, the market for EVs, particularly Chinese-made EVs, continues to struggle, and with supply seemingly outpacing demand, it has driven down the price of new and used cars. Again, MG is not the only brand in this boat, but through writing this review, I’ve been made aware of brand-new MG4 Long Range 77 vehicles sitting on websites like carsales.com.au with drive-away pricing of around AUD$50,000 for most states. I even spotted a “Dealer used” MG4 Long Range 77 in white with 200km on the odometer for AUD$42,990 drive-away at the time of writing.
This price war has not helped sales to any particular degree, but the MG4 has maintained its lead in the Small > AUD$40K segment. Getting a deal on the MG4 in this weakening market might be a winning recipe for buyers because, as I will explain, this car represents great value for money, only exaggerated through price cuts.
What’s the Interior of the MG4 Like?
By revisiting the MG4, I can tell you this is up there with the best interiors in the segment. I happened to book the MG4 back-to-back with the new Volvo EX30, and where the interior of that car was mildly frustrating with its Geely-meets-Volvo attempt at Tesla minimalism, hopping into the MG4 was a refreshing sensation.
Where other EVs on the market have followed Tesla’s lead and moved to massive tablet screens, they’ve all mostly failed in their attempts. MG didn’t bother with that, they slapped a simple 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wired Apple Carplay and Android Auto into the middle of the dashboard and (thankfully) a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster in front of the driver with all the information you could ever ask for. Not having to look to the side for speed is something we didn’t realise we needed so badly.
The infotainment system had only one of two hiccups during my test, and it never crashed. Yes, it could use more computing power because it can be a little laggy at times, which is particularly frustrating when the climate controls are mostly managed through the screen, but it wasn’t too bad at all.
I don’t understand why you would bother offering a wireless charging pad when you have to plug in your phone for Apple Carplay and Android Auto.
Outside of the tech, the car feels well-built and very solid. Maybe the best praise I could give it is that nothing specific points to this being an exercise in extreme cost-cutting to reach that AUD$40k end goal. Yeah, the gear selector feels a little ‘cheap’, and so do the switches throughout the car, but at least they seem durable.
Below the screen, you’ll find several physical buttons to control volume, defrost, and the various climate controls. It’s not the most straightforward system to use and will require a small learning curve, but once you get the hang of the shortcuts (including the shortcut button on the steering wheel), you won’t have any trouble.
It would be great to have regenerative braking and drive mode selection available at the touch of a button, too. You can assign the steering wheel shortcut buttons to take care of this, so it’s not the end of the world, but you can’t get the one-pedal driving function to lock on, meaning you have to dive through the menu each time you get into the car.
There’s also an above-average amount of wind noise coming into the cabin above 100km/h. Strangely, the steering wheel control panels also have rather pointy edges that can dig into the palms of your hands depending on how you hold the steering wheel. This is not a huge issue for most, but it’s worth mentioning.
Storage has also been a hallmark of EVs because, without a transmission tunnel, there’s no need for a large hump in the middle of the car. You’ll appreciate the large uncovered section in the middle of the front passenger seats, and I kept grocery bags, my backpack, and drinks in the two cupholders.
The seats are comfortable, but you wouldn’t want to spend much time in the second row, which lacks rear air vents and a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders. There’s plenty of space back there for humans, significantly more than the Volvo EX30 but less than a Tesla Model 3, and the boot has enough space for larger bags, with a claimed 350 litres of luggage space in this MG4 Long Range 77 I’m testing.
Finally, like every electric vehicle on sale in Australia, there’s no spare tyre in the MG4.
How Does the MG4 Drive?
Initially, for the launch of the MG4 in Australia, I drove the MG4 on the highway between the Royal National Park and Bowral. However, this time, I spent more time commuting and using the car as I would every day.
The everyday ride comfort and dampening from the suspension on Sydney’s worst roads is well-sorted and especially surprising after jumping out of a car at AUD$20,000 more expensive.
The single electric motor in this MG4 Long Range 77 produces 180kW of power and 350Nm of torque, so there’s plenty of poke and punch. You’ll complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.5 seconds, which is handy for quick overtakes up to the national speed limit and never leaves me wanting more power.
Of course, the range from the largest 77kWh (74.4 usable) battery pack fitted to this MG4 is impressive, offering up to 530km, according to WLTP testing standards. Step down into the smaller 64kWh battery models, and you’ll take another 100km of real-world range off the top. This 77kWh battery is a worthwhile consideration if you’re road-tripping because EVs get less efficient on the highway. For example, you’ll struggle to get more than 400km on the highway in mild weather.
Maybe the most surprising thing about the MG4 is just how dynamic it is to drive. When you throw the car into a few corners, the MacPherson strut suspension at the front and a five-multi-link rear suspension provide ample mechanical grip for a car that’s not meant to be a sportscar. This, and the rear-wheel drive layout, is a tidy combination of sporty driving characteristics.
As far as feeling and feedback are concerned, plenty is coming through to your hands and feet, and the size and shape of the steering wheel are also comfortable. I say all this because, usually, there’s nothing to write home about in cut-price EVs, but the MG4 bucks the trend with precise steering, brakes, and pedals.
Where I was originally critical of the semi-autonomous driving system on the highway, it was less of an issue during my day-to-day use of the MG4.
The system combines adaptive cruise control and lane-keep to assist in steering the car and keeping it in the centre of the lane when driving on motorways. However, as I noted in my first drive review, it doesn’t work well and can pinball you from one side of the lane to the other, even on straight roads when the weather conditions aren’t ideal.
I also struggled with the basic adaptive cruise control system, which struggles to manage a simple lane change at highway speeds. Pulling out from the left lane to overtake, the car slows down as you merge, which isn’t particularly safe. I’d still love to see MG refine some of these features, reprogramming the system to speed back up to the set limit when indicating (like most other systems on the market) would fix the problem overnight.
Man of Many’s Verdict on the MG4
It’s a shame that the story around the MG4 is mainly that of price cuts and a softening electric vehicle market in Australia. If we put these factors aside and answer whether the MG4 is a great car, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, it’s not just a good car but one of the best value-for-money cars on sale in Australia, so it’s worth adding to your shortlist.
MG might have been a little overconfident about its sales figures when it stated to the media that its aim was to sell more than 3,000 MG4s before the end of last year—they sold 3,078 through July 2024.
However, this is a very good car, and when you combine the sharp price point, low maintenance costs (the 5-year service cost is AUD$1,182), 7-year unlimited KM warranty, and enough technology to tempt owners of outdated petrol vehicles, I think the MG4 will continue to be the segment leader in sales for the foreseeable future.
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