2023 MG 4 electric hatch priced from... wait, how much?

June 19: Forget $47,990 – the MG 4 will start in Australia from below $40,000.

Get all the details at the story linked below.

April 6: $47,990 pricing confirmed

The Long Range MG 4 Essence will start from $47,990 before on-road costs, with pre-orders open from 11 April.

After revealing the MG 4 last month at the Fully Charged show in Sydney, the Chinese-owned carmaker has confirmed the electric small car will start at $47,990 before on-road costs.

Initially, just one variant will make it to Australia, known as the Essence locally, it’s equivalent to the UK’s top-spec Trophy trim. Wheels understands that the UK's SE and SE Long Range variants are likely to join the line-up shortly, potentially wearing 'Excite' badges.

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Our Essence, therefore, gets the larger 61.7kWh (64kWh gross) lithium-ion battery pack and a more powerful 150kW/250Nm rear-mounted electric motor than the Standard Range car. Driving range is quoted at 435km in combined WLTP, relying on a 14.2kWh/100km efficiency figure.

There are 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, and a roof spoiler outside to let you know this is the flagship MG 4, while inside you get rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring over the lower-spec cars.

Being based on MG’s modular scalable platform (MSP), the 4 should be more advanced than the company’s ZS EV, which runs on a converted internal combustion platform. It also gives it improved fast-charging capability, able to take on DC electricity at 135kW, enough to take the battery from 10-80 per cent in 34 minutes on a 150kW charger.

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Measuring 4287mm long, 1836mm wide and riding on a 2705mm wheelbase, the MG 4 is almost identical to a Volkswagen Golf in size. The MG 4 was also awarded five stars in Euro NCAP crash testing.

When it hits dealers, the MG 4 small electric car will rival the Nissan Leaf, GWM Ora, and BYD Atto 3, as well as MG’s own electric ZS small SUV. Customers will be able to order the MG 4 from 11 April with deliveries starting early in the second half of 2023.

Our original story, below, continues unchanged

The story to here

March 14: Ahead of an Australian release in the second half of the year, the 2023 MG 4 was on show at Sydney’s International Convention Centre.

A pair of MG 4s sat alongside the big-battery ZS EV Long Range as the two new models that MG will release this year.

Roughly VW Golf-sized, it’s expected that the MG 4 hatch will be available with a choice of two battery packs – 50.8kWh and 61.7kWh – and three trim levels. Driving range runs from 350 kilometres WLTP for the smaller battery and 450km for the larger.

Nailing pricing will be crucial, but the electric MG 4 is off to a good start. In the UK, the hatch is GBP£3000 less than the ZS EV. Converting its GBP£26,995 drive-away price to Aussie dollars would see the base model 4 start at AU$49,500 drive-away.

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It’s likely the MG 4 will be cheaper here – expect entry-pricing between $42-50K – due to the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and China, but whether it will trouble the GWM Ora and ZS EV short-range at the entry-level remains to be seen.

“We felt there was no better stage than Fully Charged Live to offer a glimpse of MG's future in previewing our first global modular scalable platform in the MG4 and we know you'll be as excited as we are to see it on Aussie and NZ roads in [the second half of this year],” said CEO MG Motor Australia, Peter Ciao.

With three trim levels promised initially, expect Australian MG 4s to mirror the UK’s lineup: SE, SE Long Range, and Trophy. The Trophy trim is allied with the larger 61.7kWh battery pack exclusively.

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All grades get AEB with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, auto high-beam, and traffic sign recognition. The top-spec Trophy scores blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The MG 4 was blessed with five stars in Euro NCAP testing.

Inside, a digital instrument cluster, 10.25-inch touchscreen, adjustable regenerative braking settings, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and DAB radio are standard.

A single electric motor is mounted on the front axle developing 125kW/250Nm in the Standard Range, and 150kW/250Nm in the heavier Long Range. A twin-motor performance variant is expected globally, with Australian plans yet to be confirmed.

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Charging maxes out at 150kW (DC) for the Long Range, allowing 10-80 per cent recuperation in 35 minutes. A 7kW AC charger will take charge from 0-100 per cent in 7.5 hours for the short range, and nine hours for the Long Range.

In Australia, MG will back the MG 4 with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for the body, battery, and electronics.

Our original story, below, continues unchanged.

John Law

December 2022: MG 4 spied; scores five Euro NCAP stars

The 2023 MG 4 electric hatch has been spotted testing in Sydney by a Wheels reader ahead of its expected March or April Australian release.

It’s confirmed that the MG 4 passed ADR compliance tests earlier in November, so this camouflaged mule is likely being used as a final evaluation model.

The vehicle was spotted parked up in Alexandria, not far from MG Australia's headquarters. It's rocking a camouflage wrap, and wheels that appear to be prototype or pre-production items.

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The MG 4's number plate area is covered up with what appear to be pieces of sheet metal, with cables and data-gathering equipment hidden behind.

Chinese-owned MG has not announced local suspension tuning programs like Korean rivals such as Hyundai and Kia, instead this vehicle is most likely being used to evaluate infrastructure and technology features, such as traffic-sign recognition functionality.

Our spy shot was coincidentally snapped on the same day the MG 4 hatchback was awarded five stars in Euro NCAP safety testing.

Europe’s peak safety testing body awarded the new EV scores of 83 per cent in adult occupant and 80 per cent in child occupant protection testing. Safety assist programs were given a 78 per cent pass rate and vulnerable road user protection 75 per cent.

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The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has yet to evaluate the MG 4’s safety credentials, but a five-star Euro NCAP score typically translates into a full complement of stars for Australia.

Pricing, Australian timing and specification is all yet to be locked in.

The 150kW single motor MG 4, a rival for the BYD Atto 3 and MG ZS EV, is expected to launch first with a price from as low as AU$45,000 and driving range of 350 kilometres, climbing to 450km for the long range variant.

A hotter 330kW dual motor is expected to follow as a rival for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Polestar 2 dual motor.

November 7: 2023 MG 4 confirmed for first-half Australian arrival

At today's local launch of the updated MG ZS EV, MG Motors Australia has confirmed the highly anticipated MG 4 electric hatch will arrive on the local market during the first half of 2023.

The MG 4 hatchback has long been earmarked for domestic sale, having arrived locally in August for testing, and more recently gaining its ADR (Australian Design Regulations) approval just last week.

Today's confirmation during media question time marks the MG 4's first official confirmation of Australian sale.

Further details, including local specifications and pricing, remain unconfirmed, however the car is currently offered in the UK market in standard 51kWh and long-range 64kWh configurations, with entry pricing converted to around AU$45,000.

A hot dual-motor variant was revealed last week for the Chinese market, producing 330kW and 600Nm, though that specific variant's Australian arrival remains unknown.

More details will be revealed closer to the 2023 MG 4's launch in H1 next year.

Stay tuned as more information comes to light.

Comparisons

Best Electric Cars Under $65k: Affordable EVs Rated

Welcome to part one of three price-based EV buying guides, this one focused on the most affordable electric cars available in Australia today

9 Dec 20226

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September 1: 2023 MG 4 electric hatch gets ADR approval

The 2023 MG 4 electric hatch is one step closer to a local arrival, with government documents revealing it has received Australian Design Rules certification.

The approval follows exclusive images sourced by Wheels of an example testing in Australia earlier this week (see below).

"We can confirm that we are working through the Australian Design Rules process and look forward to hopefully showcasing this model in due course," said a spokesperson for MG Motor Australia.

The documents have not revealed drivetrain or battery details for the MG 4, however, we'd expect a similar line-up to the United Kingdom locally.

In the UK, the electric hatch is currently offered in standard and long-range forms, starting from £25,995 (AU$44,190).

A dual-motor variant, known as the MG Mulan Triumph Edition in China, was revealed this week, offering hot-hatch performance with 330kW of power and 600Nm of torque.

Stay tuned to Wheels for the latest information on the 2023 MG 4 electric hatch.

Jordan Hickey

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August 30: MG 4 electric hatch arrives in Australia for testing

The MG 4 electric hatch has arrived on Australian soil for testing, with hopes it will launch locally early next year.

The new EV will drop into the Chinese marque's current range of models below the ZS SUV and above the MG3 city-sized hatchback.

Exclusive images obtained by Wheels show the MG 4 arriving in Australia, where it is understood to be undergoing testing against local conditions, as well as homologation and conversion to right-hand-drive.

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The MG 4 is still to be officially confirmed for an Australian launch, although the company's local arm has previously revealed it is evaluating the model and hopes to bring it here by early 2023.

A spokesperson told us: “The MG 4 remains very firmly in our sights for Australia, although timing for its arrival will be announced in due course.”

Revealed for Europe earlier this year, the new 2023 MG 4 electric vehicle is on sale for the equivalent of just over $45,000 in Australian dollars. By comparison, the MG ZS EV currently offered in Australia is priced from $46,990 drive-away for the entry-level Excite and $49,990 drive-away for the top-shelf Essence.

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Underpinned by MG's new Modular Scalable Platform (MSP), the MG 4 will be available for European buyers with a choice of two floor-mounted, 110 millimetre tall battery packs –either a 51kWh or 64kWh unit, capable of delivering up to 350 or 450 kilometres of driving range respectively.

While the 51kWh-equipped MG 4 delivers 125kW to the rear wheels through its electric motor, the larger 64kWh battery allows for up to 150kW, enabling a 0-100km/h time of under eight seconds with a limited top speed of 160km/h.

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It rides on a 2705mm wheelbase, which compares favourably to the ZS EV's 2585mm footprint, although its overall length is shorter at 4287mm versus the ZS EV's 4314mm.

Interior comfort should be better than in the ZS EV, however, thanks not only to the longer wheelbase but also to its slightly wider design – 1836mm versus 1809mm.

According to AutoExpress, the MG 4 range will be expanded with a new dual-motor performance flagship version in around six months’ time