Due in Australian showrooms early next year, the MG 4 could become the cheapest electric car on sale locally, from about $40,500 – if UK pricing is a guide.
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Chinese car maker MG has released pricing for its upcoming MG 4 electric hatch in the UK, giving Australian buyers an indication of how much they can expect to pay when it arrives in local showrooms next year.
Based on calculations by Drive – using UK prices as a guide – the basic MG 4 could go on sale from $40,500 drive-away, although it could be renamed from the SE Standard Range grade to Excite in an attempt to align it with MG’s Australian naming structure.
It would make the MG 4 Australia’s cheapest electric car, undercutting the BYD Atto 3’s $44,381 drive-away price by almost $3900.
Two additional variants of the MG 4 are available in the UK, with the SE Long Range starting from about $44,500 drive-away based on UK pricing.
The top-of-the-range MG 4 Trophy Long Range could be priced from $49,200 drive-away, if UK pricing is a guide.
Given the UK has higher taxes than Australia – VAT adds 20 per cent rather than the 10 per cent GST locally – a currency conversion may not translate dollar-for-dollar, but it’s the closest guide we have for now.
For example, the MG ZS EV costs £31,995 ($55,865) in the UK but $44,990 drive-away in Australia.
In the UK, the £25,995 ($45,390) MG 4 SE Standard Range features a 125kW electric motor which drives the rear wheels, powered by a 51kWh battery which allows for a claimed driving range of up to 350km.
Standard equipment on the MG 4 SE in the UK includes 17-inch alloy wheels, dusk-sensing LED headlights, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, automatic climate control, adaptive cruise control and rear parking sensors.
The £28,495 ($49,750) MG 4 SE Long Range offers a larger 64kWh battery, increasing its driving range to 452km while power is unchanged from the SE Standard Range with the 125km electric motor carrying across.
MG’s Active Grille Shutter System (AGS) is standard on the MG 4 SE Long Range, allowing the car to automatically open or close its front grille which can increase its driving range by up to 10 per cent.
For the flagship £31,495 ($55,000) MG 4 Trophy Long Range – likely to be renamed to MG 4 Essence for Australia – the most expensive variant gains a 150kW electric motor and a reduced driving range of 435km, retaining the 64kWh battery from the SE Long Range.
MG 4 Trophy variants in the UK will be equipped with extra features such as a two-tone roof, rear privacy glass, ‘twin aero’ rear spoiler, leather interior with an electric driver’s seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, satellite navigation, 360-degree camera and wireless phone charging.
Additional safety technology on the MG 4 Trophy includes blind spot detection, lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert.
Based on MG’s new-generation architecture, all-wheel-drive variants of the MG 4 are due to follow. Earlier reports by Chinese media claim there will be high output versions producing 330kW and 600Nm.
MG Australia is yet to announce Australian pricing and variants for the MG 4, however Drive understands the new model is scheduled to arrive in local showrooms early next year.
