MG 4 Urban Review 2026

The MG 4 Urban is a befuddling addition to the brand's range, having nothing to do with the regular MG 4 and sitting below it in terms of price, despite being bigger. Its low price and practical interior make it tempting, but it is compromised in other ways. Find out how in our full MG 4 Urban review. 

Looking at the name of the MG 4 Urban alone, you might think it's a slightly lifted version of the MG 4 EV, perhaps with some token plastic cladding around the wheel arches. A kinda/sorta successor to the Rover Streetwise that no one asked for, if you will. But a glance at the images will tell a different story.

The MG 4 Urban looks nothing like the regular MG 4. It looks more like a Ford Puma, to our eyes, and under the skin, it's an entirely different car. 

In terms of pricing, it sits well below the MG4, given extra breathing room by that car losing its cheapest battery and trim options. So, you might think that means it's smaller, but it's actually a little bigger. Huh. 

It sits strangely in the MG range, but if you don't get too caught up in that, it looks like a compelling proposition on paper. The starting price is similar to that of a Renault 5, but for a car with a much bigger boot and more interior space. The range figures are more modest (the MG 4 Urban Long Range has an official range of up to 258 miles), meanwhile, but perfectly acceptable considering the low price. Standard equipment levels are good for the money, too. 

All sounds pretty good so far, doesn't it? Unfortunately, there are a few caveats. We drove the MG 4 Urban immediately after trying out the updated MG 4, and there's a marked reduction in cabin build quality between the two. It's also nowhere near as nice or comfortable to drive, and it's not very well refined. 

Interior space needs to be high on your agenda to make the MG 4 Urban worthwhile. If not, there are now quite a few very good EVs occupying the same sub-£25,000 territory as the MG 4 Urban, along with the Renault 5 we've already mentioned. 

The Citroen e-C3 Aircross is one, as is its cousin, the Vauxhall Frontera Electric. And instead of having a car that merely looks like a Ford Puma, why not have the real deal? The Ford Puma Gen-E isn't drastically more expensive thanks to its eligibility for the top-level electric car grant (ECG), comes close in terms of boot space, and is a better car overall. 

The MG 4 Urban isn't a no-brainer, then. As with so many Chinese-built electric cars we're testing here at Honest John, you'll need to carefully consider the compromises that come with the low price of entry. 

What's the difference between an MG 4 and MG 4 Urban?

The naming of these two might suggest there's a strong link between the two, but there actually isn't. The MG 4 Urban sits on a new front-wheel drive platform that has nothing to do with the rear-wheel drive platform sitting under the standard MG 4. 

This makes a big difference in the way the MG 4 Urban drives, but of more importance to the average buyer is what it means for practicality. Adopting front-wheel drive is much better for boot space, with no motor to package under the boot floor. 

Sitting atop all this is a body that doesn't share a single panel with the normal MG 4, taking on a small SUV shape as opposed to a hatchback. It's a less distinctive design, to our eyes, even if MG likes to point out some token stylistic similarities to the sporty Cyberster. 

Oh, and the cabin in the MG 4 Urban has a different design to the standard MG 4, too, although some switchgear is used across both cars. 

MG 4 Urban: Range and charging times 

The MG4 Urban is available with two battery sizes. Spec the MG 4 Urban Standard Range version, and you're looking at a range of up to 201 miles according to the WLTP Combined cycle, which isn't spectacular given that you'll likely struggle to get near that at colder times of year, but it's what we'd expect at this price. It's slightly more than a Standard Range Citroen e-C3 Aircross, for example. 

Meanwhile, the MG 4 Urban Long Range manages 258 miles on a full charge, which again compares well to the e-C3 Aircross, with the Extended Range version of that car good for 248 miles. 

A DC rapid charging capacity of 87kW for the Long Range models (the Standard Range is capped at 82kWh) is a little behind the Citroen's 100kW, but slightly better than the 80kW offered by a Renault 5 fitted with its smaller battery option. It makes for a 10-80% charge of 28 minutes in the Urban Standard Range and 30 minutes in the Long Range.

It'll be just under six hours to fully charge the Standard Range from empty using a 7.4kW home wallbox, and just over seven hours for the Long Range. Charging from a three-pin plug generally isn't recommended, but if you must, it'll take three to four times as long.

This is perhaps the MG 4 Urban's poorest area. While the MG 4 is a fun yet comfortable car to drive, the MG 4 Urban is neither. It's set up quite firmly, but there's little finesse to the damping, with the MG 4 Urban thumping over imperfections in the tarmac and generally feeling quite unsettled. 

It doesn't roll too much, at least, but it doesn't feel very happy if you try and take a corner a little quicker. It's not that quiet on the move, either, with a lot of noise coming from the tyres, in particular, entering the cabin. 

Despite not being a particularly powerful car, the front wheels struggle in damp conditions when you try to accelerate quickly out of a side turning, excitedly scrabbling while the basic traction control does its best to quell the wheel spin. 

All versions of the MG 4 Urban feature a single motor powering the front wheels, and not an especially pokey one. The Standard Range makes 150PS, making for a 0-62mph time of 9.6 seconds, while the Long Range cars put out 160PS for a marginally quicker 9.5 second 0-62mph sprint. 

The battery in the Standard Range car is a 43kWh unit, while in the Long Range, it's 54kWh. 

Although the performance stats aren't exactly exhilarating compared to some EVs, the MG 4 Urban provides more than enough shove for most. There's a slight delay between putting your foot down and anything happening, but this is shortened in the Sport mode. 

The car offers smooth, quiet and effortless performance, which is all it needs to do. 

The MG 4 Urban received the full five stars from Euro NCAP when tested. It scored 87% in the adult occupant category, 85% for child occupants, 85% for vulnerable road users and 80% for its safety assistance systems.

Here's where the MG4 Urban really shines. There's a total of 577 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place, split between 479 litres above the boot floor and 98 litres below it. Fold the rear bench, and the total volume increases to 1364 litres.

That's a good chunk ahead of the 460 litres offered by the Citroen e-C3 Aircross, and leagues better than the Renault 5's 326 litres. The Ford Puma Gen-E gets a lot closer at 574 litres, although more of that (145 litres) is found under the boot floor, in what Ford calls a 'Gigabox'. 

Plus, the Ford can't compete with the MG4 Urban's rear legroom, which is very generous indeed. You're unlikely to hear complaints about headroom, either, even with taller adults aboard. 

Unfortunately, this is where things start to go wrong for the MG 4 Urban's interior. While the standard MG 4's interior feels surprisingly plush for the cash, the MG 4 Urban cabin seems cheap by comparison. There are some nicer, soft-touch elements, but the dashboard is topped by scratchy plastic, with what looks to be the same material used for the inner door panels. 

The fabric used for the seats is pretty basic, and the felt-like material cladding much of the centre console actually feels a bit nasty to the touch - this was already badly marked in our very young test car. There's definitely a sense of 'you get what you pay for' inside the MG 4 Urban.

Just like the regular MG 4, the MG 4 Urban gets a sizeable 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It's not the most responsive thing to use, though, and frequently we found ourselves having to prod it a second time for the desired action to take place. 

We applaud MG for not sticking all the climate functions into the display, though. Instead, there's a physical bank of controls just below. Other car manufacturers – please take note. 

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto feature on all models, and we were able to quickly and easily connect our Android device to the car. Premium Long Range versions also have the option of downloading apps, including Spotify, directly onto the system. 

The infotainment system is joined by a seven-inch digital instrument cluster. It's nothing particularly flashy, but it displays all the information you might need in a clear, easy-to-read fashion.

All versions of the MG 4 Urban are eligible for band 2 of the electric car grant (ECG), giving a £1500 discount on each. This sees the MG 4 Urban start at £21,995 for the entry-level Comfort Standard Range model, while the Comfort Long Range is a still very affordable £23,995. The range-topping MG 4 Urban Premium Long Range will set you back £26,495. 

The cheapest version, then, is only £500 more than a Renault 5 despite being a much larger car. The Citroen e-C3 Standard Range undercuts the entry-level MG4 Urban, but it's also not as big. 

Sweetening the deal further, the MG 4 Urban is (at the time of writing) available on a £0, 0% APR PCP finance deal.

With the VED car tax exemption for EVs getting chopped in 2025, it's the same £195 a year for the MG 4 Urban as any other car. 

Fully charging the Standard Range battery from empty will cost around £12, and it'll be more like £15 for the Extended Range. We'd recommend getting yourself on an EV tariff, which will slash those costs if you time your charging sessions with cheaper off-peak periods. 

In terms of reliability, MG posted a middling result of 19th out of 33 manufacturers for reliability in the most recent HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. As an EV, though, there are fewer moving parts in the MG 4 Urban than petrol and hybrid-powered MG models, thus less to go wrong.

Should you encounter any reliability issues, MG's warranty lasts for an above-average seven years, although only for 80,000 miles instead of the more commonly seen 100,000. The battery is covered separately by the standardised eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty, which guarantees 70% state of charge.

The MG 4 Urban is available in two trim levels called Comfort and Premium. 

The MG 4 Urban Comfort comes with the following equipment fitted as standard:

• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Climate Control
• 12.8-inch infotainment system
• Seven-inch digital instrument cluster
• Vehicle-to-load capability
• Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
• Navigation
• Reversing camera

Upgrading to the MG 4 Premium adds the following into the mix: 

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Rear side tinted windows
• Electrically adjustable driver's seat 
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Ambient lighting
• 360-degree parking camera
• Wirless phone charger