Road Tested by Hugh Maguire.
Pros:
Excellent interior space & huge boot for its class.
Very well equipped as standard even in base trim.
Reasonable real world range.
Cons:
Max charging at 87 KW lags behind rivals.
Anonymous styling.
Touchscreen interface isn’t particularly intuitive.
There is already a model called the MG4 so you could be forgiven for thinking that this MG4 Urban is a derivative of the same model, but its not. It is actually a completely different car designed to be a budget level entry into the EV world.
It is a five door hatchback with front wheel drive and uses a different type of battery than the other cars in the MG range. This LFP type battery tolerates frequent charging better than most.
There are three versions available namely, MG4 Urban 43kWh, the Comfort with a 54kWh battery and the Premium with a 54kWh battery.
The car on test here is the Premium model. So the MG4 Urban may be cheap with an entry price of just €22,995 but is it cheap and cheerful?
So how does it look?
It will not win any prizes for being an a interesting car to look at. It is pretty anonymous looking frankly but that will not matter to most buyers in the market for a budget level EV. That said the light clusters both front and rear are nicely designed and add bit of style to the profile of the car. It also comes standard with attractive 17 inch two-tone alloy wheels.
What is it like inside?
The interior is well put together and there is a simple functionality to it all. There are some cheaper hard touch plastics but in general quality is to the fore.
The model on test here is the Premium version which boasts cloth trim and a host of standard kit highlights of which are a 360 degree camera system, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, wireless charging, electric front seats, heated seats, adaptive headlights, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, and a feature that is particularly impressive, if you are getting out of the car and there is say a cyclist approaching from behind you the car will warn you. I could go on but in short it is very well equipped.
I was less impressed by the small almost square display in front of the driver. Its crammed with too much info and is not really very attractive as no effort has been made to create a style. Its just lots of digital info. The huge 12.8 inch centrally mounted touchscreen dominates the dashboard. I found the interface to be acceptable if a bit slow to respond at times. The graphics are basic enough but they too are acceptable.
I do like the fact that MG have included nicely designed chrome looking real buttons below the touchscreen for the climate control functions. There is also wireless CarPlay and Android Auto as well as a single wireless phone charging pad. I must say that is a pretty impressive level of standard equipment. It is worth mentioning that even the entry level version is very well specified too though obviously not as comprehensively as this Premium version I am reviewing here.
This MG4 Urban is also particularly impressive with the amount of interior space it offers. The cabin is very roomy given the cars compact dimensions. I could seat four adults in complete comfort and five at a squeeze. Further it has a huge class leading boot at some 577 litres with the rear seats up. It also has a handy additional deep storage area under the boot floor for storing items out of sight. So this car impressed me greatly with its load carrying ability. It makes it ideal family transport proving practical and versatile.
What is under the bonnet?
The Premium model is has the 54kWh battery powering an electric motor driving the front wheels. Power output is some 160 bhp.
Like all EV’s acceleration is smooth and driving it is simplicity itself. No start button, just jump in select drive and go. For those who want a bit more kick there is a choice of drive modes, Normal, Eco, Sport and Custom. Range for this version is claimed at 405km (from a 100% charge) but in reality expect a real range of about 300km ( from 100%) if you don’t nurse it along or you spend quite some time on the motorway.
It is always worth noting that EV manufacturers quote range based on 100% charge yet we are told to only charge to 80% to protect battery life. So in effect your minus 20% on real predicted range before you even set out. In addition no EV I have ever tested can match the WLTP test results as is the case here too.
Road tax is €120.00 and overall consumption ranged around 15.2 kW per 100km. Charging is probably this MG’s weak spot as it can only charge at up to a max of 87 kW. That lags behind rivals many of which have DC charging at up to 150kW.
A fast charge from 20% to 80% I found takes about 35 minutes.
What is it like on the road?
It proves reasonably quiet and refined. Overall noise levels are low enough. It is not an involving driving experience but I could say that about most of its rivals too. Most EV’s just are not interesting to drive. Visibility from the drivers seat is very good and of course you do get the 360 degree camera which makes parking very easy. Its nimble and easy to negotiate tight town traffic while also quite happy cruising at motorway speeds.
My Verdict.
Prices start at just €22,995 for the entry version with the 43kWh battery. That is very competitive given what this car offers in terms of space and equipment levels.
The Premium I am reviewing here costs €28,795.
I think for real value the entry version is worth serious consideration. The middle of the range Comfort version is probably the sweet spot at €25,795 and you do get the larger 54 kWh battery.
Overall then if your priority’s are a decent level of standard kit, a big roomy cabin and a huge boot then the MG4 Urban may just be one of the better value options out there particularly the entry level version. So the new MG4 is indeed cheap and cheerful!