MG4 EV review 2026: Prices, specs and verdict

What is the MG 4 EV?

The MG 4 EV is an all-electric hatchback that shook up the cheaper end of the EV market when it arrived in 2022.

With a £25,000 starting price, the MG 4 was vastly more affordable than anything European giants like the Volkswagen Group and Stellantis could produce. Remember, this was a time when the cheapest Fiat 500 Electric was £30,000.

It also undercut bestsellers like the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf. But it wasn’t just about price, because the MG 4 was a fully-fledged family hatchback, offered lots of standard equipment and, crucially, was more enjoyable to drive than almost any electric rival.

But four years is a long time in the electric car world. Since the MG 4’s launch, a whole league of affordable and capable EVs have come to market – and many of them, like the MG, are built in China. Established brands have upped their game, too, cutting prices and improving the product.

In response, MG has given the 4 some improvements including an overhauled interior design and new technology. Does that bring it back up to the top of the class? We’ll find out in this in-depth review.  

Verdict: is the MG 4 a good car?

If you’re after a small electric car that drives well and gives you lots for the money, then you can do a lot worse than the MG 4. The updated version banishes our main gripes with the old version by drastically improving the interior and tech, while you still get strong performance, tidy handling and reasonable practicality.

Pricing, specs & rivals

Prices for the new MG 4 EV kick off from £29,995, which is around £2,000 more than the outgoing model – a significant jump at this end of the market. However, that’s due to old smaller battery version being ditched in favour of the value-focused new MG 4 Urban.

When you dig down into the numbers it’s clear that this updated MG 4 is better value than the outgoing car. That’s because the entry-level ‘Premium Long Range’ is cheaper than the old Trophy Long Range it replaces.

Premium trim is anything but basic, too, including 18in alloys, LED headlights, part faux leather seats that are heated at the front with an electrically operated driver’s seat, a heated steering wheel, climate control, a 360-degree camera system, wireless phone charging, keyless entry and adaptive cruise control.

Basically that’s all you’d need, and an equipment level that competes with far more expensive versions of the Volkswagen ID.3. You can upgrade to the Premium Extended Range model for another £3,000, with a bigger battery pack and more power, but the only equipment upgrade is a black contrasting roof.

Topping the range, as before, is the MG 4 XPower at £33,995. As well as all-wheel drive and a big power boost it adds a sportier alloy wheel design, sports seats, suede effect upholstery and metal pedals. It does use the smaller of the two battery packs, however.

Rivals

The MG 4’s price point is somewhere in between smaller EVs like the Renault 5, and equivalent sized models such as the Cupra Born and Volkswagen ID.3. However, the updated Vauxhall Astra Electric now starts from the same price as the MG.

Other options to consider include the Peugeot e-308, Renault Megane E-Tech or Renault 4, BYD Dolphin, Ford Puma Gen-E, Nissan Leaf, Volvo EX30 and Kia EV4.

MG 4: Interior comfort, quality & technology

It’s typical for cars undergoing a mid-life facelift to get interior updates too, but they’re rarely as far-reaching as the new MG 4’s. It’s almost totally new inside to match the MG S5 EV, and much better as a result.

Where the old car had a plain-looking dash with only so-so material quality, this new MG 4 has a much more attractive design and surprisingly plush materials.

You’ll find soft-touch faux leather all over the dash and door tops, along with some fancy suede-effect trim and a generally solid feel. The Renault 4 and 5 may have more colour and character, but the MG just about matches them for fit and finish, apart from a very slight chemical smell from the faux leather.

The new seat design is a bit more comfortable than before, and although the driving position is still slightly offset to the left there’s plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel and the (electrically adjustable) driver’s seat.

We like the easy-to-use physical climate control panel, too. Indeed, our only gripe is the steering wheel controls, which do come with proper buttons but aren’t that intuitive to operate.

Visibility is fine out the front and sides. But the view out the rear is a bit restricted by the new middle headrest, combined with the shallow rear window and (annoyingly) no rear wiper to keep it clear.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

The old MG 4’s touchscreen was a faff to operate on the move, with fiddly menus and small icons along with a lack of physical temperature controls. All of that has been fixed with the new car.

For starters the new, larger 12.8in touchscreen (borrowed from the bigger MG S5) is much more like it. The screen is brighter and has clearer graphics and bigger icons, while also being much more responsive to your touch. There are also shortcut functions via a drop-down menu, which were lacking on the old car.

As you’d expect there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with built-in sat-nav. You also get online services such as live traffic reports, YouTube, Spotify and Amazon Music, as standard.

The 10.25in driver’s display behind the wheel is much better than before, too, with clearer graphics and more accessible information.

You’ll find a wireless phone charging pad on every version, but there are also two USB-C ports and only one for rear occupants to fight over. Still, the six-speaker sound system delivers acceptable sound quality.  

How practical is the MG 4?

The MG 4’s dimensions are 4,287mm in length, 1,836mm in width and 1,516mm in height, which is unchanged from the original version. That means it’s slightly longer than an ID.3 or Megane E-Tech but splits them in terms of width and height.

Interestingly, the cheaper MG 4 Urban is wider, taller and considerably longer than the regular 4, so that’s the model to go for if outright space matters over cabin quality and driver appeal.

Still, the MG 4 is far from cramped. Those up front will find no shortage of headroom, leg space and elbow room, even if they are over six-foot. The only minor issue is that the chunkier new dashboard design doesn’t let the driver spread their legs sideways as much as before.

In the rear, too, there’s a decent amount of space for tall adults to not feel overly cramped, with good levels of legroom and ample headroom. The only real negative is a lack of foot space under the seat in front, meaning your knees sit fairly high off the seat base.

Three adults would be a bit of a squeeze compared to the Volkswagen ID.3, too. But when compared to similarly priced cars like the Renault 4 and Ford Puma Gen-E, the MG is a good deal roomier for occupants.

Storage and boot space

The MG 4’s new centre console might make leg space a touch less generous, but it means more easily accessible storage in the front. You now have a pair of open cupholders on top, as well as a wireless phone charging pad, another smartphone slot and a decent under-armrest cubby.

Underneath that is a spacious open storage tray which could swallow a small handbag. The door bins and glovebox are an okay size too.

In the rear, those door bins are smaller but still usable, while there’s another phone storage area between the seats. It’s a real pity that you don’t get a middle seat armrest with cupholders, nor any pockets in the front seatbacks, however.

The MG 4’s boot is an okay size, but no class-leader. At 363 litres in capacity, it’s only slightly behind the ID.3 and a bit more than both the Vauxhall Astra Electric and BYD Dolphin. It’s a lot smaller than the new Nissan Leaf, Ford Puma Gen E and, crucially, the MG 4 Urban, however.

There is at least a height adjustable boot floor giving you less of a load lip to lug items over, as well as under floor storage and 60/40 split rear seats, but there’s precious few other features to highlight. There’s also no front boot, unlike the Urban.

Performance & drive: What is the MG 4 like on the road?

As well as dropping the 170hp entry-level version, MG has given the Long Range MG 4 a new electric motor to improve performance.

Unusually it makes a bit less power than the old version, down from 201hp to 190hp. But with a chunky 74lb ft of extra torque, the new car is 0.4 seconds quicker in the 0-62mph sprint.

You might not notice this unless you drive it back-to-back with the old car, but regardless the Long Range offers strong performance for a relatively cheap EV, being quicker than any version of the Renault Megane E-Tech and Vauxhall Astra Electric.

Upgrading to the Extended Range version brings the added benefit of a significant performance boost. With 241hp, it’s capable of 0-62mph in a brisk 6.5 seconds. That’s almost as fast as a rear-wheel drive Tesla Model Y.

If for some reason that brisk pace doesn’t suit, then there’s the amazingly rapid MG 4 XPower. With a bonkers 435hp and a 0-62mph time of just 3.8 seconds it’s in another league to cars like the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX. In fact, it’s faster than EVs that are way more than twice the price such as the Porsche Macan Electric.

All MG4s have a generous five regenerative braking levels, including the strongest one-pedal mode. You have to activate the latter via the touchscreen, though MG does give shortcut buttons on the steering wheel that you can customize to adjust the regen up or down. We’d prefer proper paddles like Kia and Renault give you, but the MG’s brake pedal itself responds naturally.

Power, 0-62mph times

• MG 4 Long Range: 190hp/ 7.5 secs
• MG 4 Extended Range: 241hp/ 6.5 secs
• MG 4 XPower: 435hp/ 3.8 secs

Ride and handling

MG hasn’t changed much about the way the MG 4 rides and handles, but it didn’t need to. One of the highlights of the old versions was a surprisingly agile and playful feel on the right road – and that remains a core trait today.

While front-wheel drive rivals feel nose-led and can easily lose traction, the standard rear-wheel drive MG 4 offers a real sense of balance and loads of grip when you want it. It really inspires confidence on a twisting road, but is also stable and settled on the motorway.

You might think the XPower is the one to choose for enthusiasts, and with its serious performance and all-wheel drive grip the stats suggest that. However, it loses the standard car’s playful nature on the right road, so it ends up being less enjoyable. It doesn’t feel like the suspension or brakes have had enough of an upgrade, either.

Outside of that, the MG 4 also gets the basics right. The steering is light and easy yet accurate for zipping about town, and the throttle response isn’t jerky. It isn’t overly phased by speed bumps, either, and the X-Power version isn’t too harsh for a performance hatchback.

Overall ride quality is decent, but no versions of the MG 4 are as well isolating as a Megane E-Tech or ID.3. There’s more fidgeting, and potholes are felt more easily than in those cars, but the MG is by no means uncomfortable.

Noise and refinement

The MG 4 loses out a little bit to pricier rivals when it comes to high-speed refinement. At 70mph on the motorway, you get a bit more wind noise and road roar than you’d notice in pricier rivals like the ID.3. At least suspension noise isn’t too noticeable, and you can barely hear the electric motor whirring away.

Euro NCAP: is the MG 4 EV a safe car?

The MG 4 was crash tested by Euro NCAP back in 2022, where it received the maximum five-star safety rating.

Adult and child occupant protection was considered good overall, but not outstanding. Some criticism was levelled at the dashboard design potentially causing some occupants a hazard in a crash, while the lack of a rear middle head restraint was also marked down.

The dash has been redesigned and a middle seat headrest added for the 2026 model, so it would be interesting to see if those scores would change in renewed testing.

Every version gets a high level of active safety equipment as standard. All models get the expected six airbags, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist, driver monitoring and speed limit alert, but also standard across the range is blind spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert.

Charging, range and running costs

The MG 4’s battery packs haven’t been drastically changed for this 2026 update, but the entry-level 50.8kWh version has been removed from the line-up to avoid clashing with the new MG 4 Urban EV.

That means the base version is what used to be the ‘Long Range’ upgrade – with a 62kWh usable battery pack giving a competitive official WLTP range of up to 280 miles. That’s more than both Pure and Pro versions of the Volkswagen ID.3 and any BYD Dolphin, while it’s on a par with the pricier Renault Megane E-Tech.

That’ll be fine for many, but the Extended Range MG 4 is tempting for a reasonable price increase. That makes use of a 77kWh usable battery pack, boosting the official range to 338 miles. That’s only a dozen or so miles short of what the more expensive ID.3 Pro S manages.

The MG 4 XPower uses the smaller 62kWh battery, and because of its extra power and dual motors its official range drops to 251 miles.

The Long Range/XPower battery pack now uses a Lithium-Ion Phosphate (LFP) chemistry, which is meant to boost stability and durability against frequent fast and full charging. The Extended Range battery, however, is the more energy dense traditional lithium-ion NMC type.

Strangely, you still can’t add a heat pump to the MG 4 even as an option. The cheaper MG 4 Urban has one as standard to more efficiently warm the cabin in winter.

Range on a charge (WLTP figures)

• MG 4 XPower: 251 miles
• MG 4 Long Range: 280 miles
• MG 4 Extended Range: 338 miles

The MG 4’s rapid charging speeds are improved slightly over the outgoing car, and are among the best of any cheaper EV.

The Long Range version now has a claimed peak of 154kW and a rated average speed of 110kW using a suitable rapid charger. That means a 10-80% charge is theoretically possible in 25 minutes.

Interestingly, the Extended Range has a lower claimed peak speed of 144kW and an average speed of 80kW across the charging curve. Combined with the bigger battery it takes significantly longer to rapid charge, at 41 minutes for a 10-80% charge.

It’s well worth considering whether you’d rather have faster rapid charging or a longer range – although with many EV drivers doing most of their charging at home or on cheaper slow chargers it may be less of an issue.

Disappointingly, it seems 11kW charging is no longer offered on any MG 4. That means you can’t make use of three-phase AC chargers typically found in car parks.

At least every MG 4 now has Vehicle to Load technology, letting you power or charge devices, household appliances or camping equipment using the main battery.

Charging speeds

(Figures from EV Database)

• 7kW charging: 11 hrs (Long Range) / 13hr 15 mins (Extended Range
• 11kW charging: N/A
• 50kW rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 66 mins
• 150kW+ rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 25 mins

How much does the MG 4 cost to insure?

The updated MG 4 shouldn’t be any more expensive to insure than the outgoing model. The range starts at insurance group 29 for the Premium Long Range model, rising to 32 for the Extended Range version. Unsurprisingly, the XPower sits in a relatively high group 40 due to its serious performance.

The cheapest MG 4 is seven groups higher than an MG 4 Urban, but on a par with higher spec version of the BYD Dolphin. A Volkswagen ID.3 is likely to be cheaper to insure across the board, however.