2024 Best Electric Car (Under $80K): MG4

Three stand-out electric vehicles, one simple question: which is the best under $80,000? An outright comparison this is not – we’ve judged this trio as we would Car Of The Year entrants.

Performance of intended function and innovation are the two crucial criteria for these three after proving their mettle in value, comfort, and driving excellence against direct rivals.

The second-gen Hyundai Kona has matured significantly and is now a family-sized vehicle that puts its EV foot first. The Kona earned its place here in top-spec Premium guise, but we chose the $10K cheaper Extended Range variant to sample a greater slice of the range.

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Like the Kona Premium, the Kona Extended Range is well screwed together and boasts connected services, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Unlike the Premium, it has small 17-inch alloys that only aid how well the electric Kona steers; it’s engaging yet comfortable. The Kona is very much fit for purpose as a family SUV, legitimately big enough to compete with a Mazda CX-5 thanks to clever packaging, a big boot, and no transmission tunnel.

Inside, there are a few conspicuous missing features: heated seats and power adjust would’ve been nice, however, it’s the cheap scratchy upholstery and lack of padding on the armrest that confirm this Kona’s fleet intentions. You’d put up with these shortcomings in a base small SUV but a $58,000 pill is tougher to swallow.

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It probably doesn’t help the car was supplied in parking inspector white with standard-issue NSW yellow plates. (Is there a less tasteful number plate hue in existence?)

If you bought an Extended range you’d covet thy neighbour’s Premium. Its charging capabilities aren’t particularly spectacular, and although it’s an easily-recommendable vehicle the Kona doesn’t push the genre of electric cars quite as much as the other two vehicles.

Things get trickier with the Kia EV6 and MG4, not least because they exist at disparate ends of the price spectrum. The MG4 is one of only three BEVs with an RRP below $40K, while Kia’s rear-wheel drive EV6 GT-Line just barely scrapes into our $80K ceiling with two variants above it. Yet if the Kia justifies its price here (as it did winning COTY 2022) then overall honours are on the table.

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Initially, it looks like Kia’s excellent SUV might romp away from the MG with victory.

The MG4’s media system can be clunky, the cabin controls are unlabelled, and starting/stopping can be an awkward process. Although the turning circle is excellent and the finger-light steering is nice around town, it doesn’t faithfully load up to communicate grip as well as we’d like.

Then there’s the efficiency, which has been one of the MG4’s repeated shortcomings. It reported 17.7kWh/100km over our 300km test to the front-drive Kona’s more reasonable 15.2kWh/100km figure.

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Returns diminish exponentially as you spend more on the MG4, too.

With its 77kWh battery pack on board, for example, the small car is heavier on the road and not priced so competitively. The contrived XPower isn’t worth consideration – even by driving enthusiasts.

The EV6 doesn’t suffer from any of these issues. It’s as efficient as its rivals while charging incredibly rapidly and has a logical cabin layout with a traditional start procedure.

The EV6’s cabin is a little dark thanks to its coupe-inspired lines yet it never feels claustrophobic. Ponch described the trims as ‘gorgeous’ and there’s no doubting its heated and ventilated seats are brilliant.

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The exterior no longer fits Kia’s EV design language and is due for a facelift next year. If it scores some of the EV9’s cabin detailing and attractive front mask, it’ll only get better.

While the GT-Line RWD we included in testing is somewhat of a sweet spot – and very much worth the $7K premium over the Air – every grade in Kia’s line-up feels justified in existing and the more you spend the more you get. It’s a classically complete range.

Did we mention how good the EV6 is to drive? A stiff EV-only E-GMP platform with 800-volt electrical gubbins, rear-wheel drive, trick frequency-selective dampers, and a little bit of Australian know-how in the final chassis and steering tuning delivers a car that’s at once engaging for keen drivers, comfortable in town, and secure on the road.

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More than just being the best electric SUV to drive, the EV6 is better than any other mainstream medium SUV.

The MG4 is an excellent steer, too. Not quite as slick and consistent as a VW Golf or Cupra Born, MG’s rear-drive hatch is unique with a character all to its own.

You can feel the work of deeply talented engineers in the MG4’s chassis balance. It’s fun to punt, especially with the Excite’s 17-inch alloys and low-grip rubber. The natural throttle calibration, brake feel, and ability to adjust regeneration efficacy – including a one-pedal driving option – aren’t taken for granted.

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Inside, the MG4 is a genuinely spacious hatchback that could be used as family transport.

There may not be the whizz-bang electronics of BYD but it is comparable with a Golf and beyond the Mazda 3 or Toyota Corolla. Material quality is a shade below Mark 8 Golf standards, too.

Importantly, the MG4 annihilates its price-point rivals. The BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora don’t come close to the completeness of MG’s little hatch and we reckon it’ll be quite some time before European, Korean, or Japanese manufacturers even think about playing in the sub-$50K realm.

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The Wheels team of testers has worked tirelessly to get to this point and preconceptions have been challenged.

It’s perhaps not a huge surprise the Kia EV6 made it to the top three, but with the raft of medium SUV launches, it could be taken as an upset. As for the MG4, its inclusion might come as a shock to someone who hadn’t spent time behind the wheel.

Both would make worthy winners, but there’s one key criterion that separates the top pair: which moves the game on? The EV6 already shifted EV expectations and rivals continue to fall short of its excellence. But the Kia doesn’t make electrification any more attainable. It’s not putting bums on seats in significantly greater numbers.

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WINNER: MG4

Not only has MG constructed an engaging and rewarding hatchback that drives with the maturity of long-standing European nameplates, but also one that’s affordable to the masses.

It proves price parity with combustion cars is coming, and that’s enough to cement the MG4’s status as our best electric vehicle under $80,000.