2023 MG 4 to face VW ID.3 electric hatch
Sharp-looking five-door will come with a claimed range of 281 miles – and, potentially, a sub-£30k price
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MG has bolstered its electric city car game with the launch of the MG 4, a new and potentially headache-inducing rival for the likes of Volkswagen's ID.3 and Nissan’s Leaf. The electric hatchback will arrive in the UK this September, likely with a highly competitive price tag, so what do we need to know before it gets here?
First things first, it’s set to have really good range for a small car. Using a 51kWh battery, MG says it will manage a claimed range of 218 miles on a single charge, or, with the larger 64kWh battery, an impressive 281 miles. Plenty, you might say, for the average UK commuter, who does about 115 miles each week, and it’s longer than the range of many rival city cars like the Fiat 500e or Mini Electric, neither of which can crack 200 miles from a full charge.
MG also says the 4 is designed to be engaging to drive, with engineers having made the car’s battery thinner to keep weight low in the car, which is good for handling. The MG 4 is also rear-wheel drive with a rear-mounted electric motor, and it looks appropriately sporting – and, we’d say, a little more visually exciting than MG’s more family-focused cars. The nose wears sharp headlights and a bold, carved out bumper. The side sports black skirts that contrast the body colour, and there’s a spoiler on the rear, which adds to the racey vibe.
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As for the MG 4’s interior, it seems to be in-line with the sleek, very minimal electric car cabins we are all used to by now, with a large central floating infotainment screen and a borderless digital driver’s display. Expect a strong supply of digital tech to go with it – MG has proven with its other models that a low price doesn’t necessarily leave you short of technical essentials.
In fact, while pricing is yet to be announced, it’s quite likely that the MG 4 will follow suit of its siblings and come in at a price that slots it into the entry-level point of its class. We'd expect something around £28k, which for a new electric hatch, is pretty good value these days. Although we’ll hold full judgement until official pricing is out – and, of course, until we’ve driven the thing. Click here to watch our video review of its main rival, the ID.3.
By Freda Lewis-Stempel
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