I often get asked ‘what do you think is the best EV buy to buy?’ – to which my usual answer is ‘it depends’.
Just like their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts, EVs now come in many shapes, sizes and capabilities – with EVs adding a few different ones, like driving range.
To say there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ EV is an understatement, just like there has never been an ICE one. Choosing an EV is therefore just the same as choosing cars in the past – one that does a good all-round job for your use-case being the best compromise.
However, if pressed I have been suggesting for those with a suitable use-case for a good ‘Small Passenger’ vehicle, the coming MG4 in long-range form is looking like the car to beat in 2023.
I have been saying this as it’s a practical, well featured and sharply priced EV that is getting rave reviews in those markets where it is currently available. However, going by the number of awards it has recently been receiving in the UK – perhaps you don’t need to believe just me!
In the UK, the MG4 has been available for a bit over three months now – in which time it has accumulated a flurry of awards. For instance, Which Car? UK just announced the MG4 as 2023’s ‘Best Small EV’. Its reviewers described the MG4 EV as ‘the right car at the right time’, praising it for offering excellent levels of space, standard equipment and driver engagement.
To quote the judging panel: “Given the rising cost of living, and the fact that electric cars tend to be quite expensive to buy, the MG4 EV – with its very keen pricing – feels like the right car at the right time. And crucially, corners haven’t been cut to achieve that pricing. In addition to undercutting rivals by thousands, the MG4 offers fast charging, plenty of space and lots of standard equipment”.
Other UK awards the MG4 has received lately include:
- ‘Bargain of the Year’ at the 2022 Top Gear Awards: with the team praising the engaging driving experience on offer – noting that “cornering is more involving than in pretty well any other compact EV”.
- ‘Best Value Electric Car’ and overall ‘Car of the Year’ by the DrivingElectric team;
- ‘Best Small Family Car’,
- ‘Best Value Car’ and ‘Overall Car of the Year’ from Electrifying.com;
- Best EV under £40,000 (Au$70,000) at the Scottish Car of the Year Awards. This by the way means the MG4 beat many much higher priced EVs, as UK MG4 pricing starts at £25,995 ($Au47,000). Jack McKeown, President of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (who form the judging panel) saying: “What delighted us about the MG4 is that it does the basics so well. It’s one of the cheapest electric cars in the UK but has a range of up to 281 miles (450 km). It looks good and drives nicely as well. The MG4 is proof that EVs can be cheap to buy and own as well.”
The MG4 has also scored a five star safety rating in the most recent round of Euro NCAP testing, which MG Australia hopes it will also achieve here too, despite the testing procedure changes ANCAP are implementing for 2023.
All up, as I said at the start of this article – for 2023, it looks like the MG4 is going to be a hard package to beat, even by EVs worth significantly more. However, there are a few questions yet that Australian buyers will need answers to:
When will we see it here? (Currently, ‘sometime around the middle of this year’ is the word from MG, but a formal date has yet to be set).
Will enough be allocated to Australia? (To avoid the lottery that getting hold of EVs like the Ioniq 5 has become – although so far, MG have been more willing to bring in significant numbers of the MG ZS EV).
Will we get the 64kWh battery option for the MG4, or only the 51kWh battery? (Currently, the MG ZS EV is offered here only with the smaller 51kWh battery, even though a 64kWh battery version is available in other markets, including the UK).
By late 2023 we will have seen a pile of new EVs in related segments to the MG4 reach the Australian market. These potentially include the Cherry Omoda, Fiat 500e, Ora Good Cat, Toyota BZ4X/Subaru Solterra, Renault e-tech Megane, another MG (the MG5) and … maybe … two BYD models.
Major updates to the Kona electric and Lexus UX300e are also due. In fact, it won’t be long before the choice for an electric small to medium passenger car or SUV will become as complex as it has been in the past for ICE cars.
Finally, it seems the EV Transition is taking hold here, just like it already has for the rest of the world.
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.
