MG 4 EV Review 2025

Proving that electric cars don't have to be prohibitively expensive, the MG 4 EV strikes an excellent balance of performance, practicality and desirability. It might undercut rivals like the Renault Megane E-Tech, Nissan Leaf and Cupra Born in price, but you'd be hard-pushed to work out why it's so much cheaper than competitors.

MG has been a pioneer for affordable electric cars, with cars like the MG ZS EV and MG 5 EV providing excellent value for money and selling in considerable numbers as a result. The MG 4 takes things a step further, though, as its head-turning looks and stylish interior mean it's actually quite a desirable choice. The fact it's priced below other models in MG's range just adds to the appeal.

So what is it? Well, it's an all-electric hatchback that's roughly the size of a Volkswagen Golf but priced from around £27,000: less than many smaller EVs.

It's available with three battery sizes: there's the MG 4 Standard Range, which uses a 49kWh battery pack and 217-mile range, while the MG 4 Long Range has a 64kWh battery and can travel up to 288 miles between charges (depending on trim level). Later on came the addition of an Extended Range version to the, er, range, which can travel up to 329 miles between charges according to official figures.

There is also a hot hatch version of the MG 4, known as the XPower, which is super-fast, dispensing with the 0-62mph dash in just 3.8 seconds. This is a rather different proposition to the rest of the range that we're talking about here, so we've reviewed it separately.

Charging is easy, using a charging port at the rear of the car (where you'd usually find the fuel filler cap). A full charge will take between 7.5 and 11.5 hours overnight, or around 35 minutes if you find a rapid public charger.

While MG's heritage as a manufacturer of twee sports cars feels like a distant memory, the MG 4 is actually one of the best electric cars to drive (certainly at this end of the market). You might expect a fairly anodyne driving experience (much like the Ora Funky Cat or even the MG 5), but the MG 4's rear-wheel-drive layout means it's a lot of fun to drive both in and out of town.

That doesn't have a negative impact on comfort, either, as the MG 4 rides pretty well for a relatively heavy EV. And there's plenty of technology fitted as standard to keep you safe. Even entry-level models come with active emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist and intelligent speed limit assist with traffic sign recognition. The MG 4 has been awarded five stars for safety by Euro NCAP, too, which should put your mind at rest that no corners have been cut.

There has to be some compromise somewhere, though, and that's probably the interior. It looks swish enough on first impressions, but some of the finishes aren't as plush as you'd get in a Renault Megane E-Tech. It doesn't boast the biggest cabin in its class, either, but it is practical enough to use as your main family car, something that can't be said for a lot of EVs at this price.

A few less-than-plush finishes are a small price to pay for a car that's usefully cheaper than a Volkswagen ID.3 (a car which isn't exactly known for its classy cabin), while MG's seven-year warranty should put your mind at ease about buying an electric car from a relatively small brand.

MG 4 EV: Charging times and range

The MG 4 is available with three battery sizes: there's the MG 4 Standard Range, which uses a 49kWh battery pack and 217-mile range, while the MG 4 Long Range has a 64kWh battery and can travel between 279 miles and 288 miles between charges (depending on trim level). There's also the Extended Range version, which can travel up to 329 miles between charges (all according to official WLTP figures).

Charging at home will be by far the most affordable way of keeping your battery topped up.We wouldn't recommend relying of a regular three-pin domestic socket for that, because charging times will be measured in days, rather than hours.

We'd advise getting a 7.4kW home wallbox charger installed. One of these will get an empty-to-full charge into the Standard Range car in 7.5 hours, or 9.5 hours in the Long Range, while the Extended Range car will take on a full charge on 11.5 hours.

We'd advise only using public DC rapid chargers in emergencies, because these are by far the most expensive way of charging. The rate at which your car will take on a DC rapid charge depends on the version you have. The Standard Range car can accept a DC charge at up to 117kW, while the Long Range can accept 135kW, and the Extended Range can accept 144kW.

With all of them, find yourself a 150kW public charging station running to its full capacity, and a 10% to 80% charge of the Standard Range car will be done and dusted in 37 minutes, while it'll take 30 minutes in the Long Range and 40 minutes in the Extended Range.

You could forgive MG for quietly forgetting its sporting heritage when producing affordable electric cars. But it hasn't, certainly not with the MG 4. It's one of the most nimble electric cars we've driven (this side of a BMW i4, anyway), helped by its low centre of gravity and 50:50 weight distribution.

Its darty steering feels much more direct than you get in the Ora Funky Cat (without feeling overly nervous), while the ride quality is also pretty impressive for a sporty electric car. Sure, it's not the most comfortable car of it's type, but it's plenty comfortable enough. You don't need to drive the MG 4 recklessly to appreciate how well it handles: it's fun at all speeds, while its agility helps around town, too.

Choosing between the various versions of the MG 4 will probably come down to how big a battery you'd like, but there are some slight differences in power, too. The Standard Range car combines a 49kWh battery with a 170PS electric motor, while the Long Range model pairs a 64kWh battery with a more powerful 203PS electric motor. The Extended Range car takes the battery up to 77kW and the power output up to 245PS

Confusingly, though, the bigger (heavier...) battery of the MG 4 Long Range compared with the standard car means it's actually slightly slower, despite its extra power. Officially the MG 4 Standard Range accelerates from a standstill to 62mph in 7.7 seconds, while the Long Range takes 7.9 seconds. The Extended Range does make its extra power count as you'd expect, though, with a sprint time of 6.5 seconds.

Performance feels suitably urgent in all of them, mind, especially if you're not used to driving an electric car. There's enough poke to spin up the rear wheels (or at least trigger the traction control) if you're heavy with the accelerator in wet conditions, while the shortage of sound and instant torque means you could be in for a shock when you glance at the speedo.

The MG 4 EV comes with the MG Pilot safety suite as standard. That means you get things like active emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, plus intelligent speed limit assist with traffic sign recognition. There’s also lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning, driver attention alert and intelligent high-beam assist.

If that's not enough driver-assistance tech, you'll want to upgrade from the MG 4 SE to the MG 4 Trophy. The range-topping model comes with all of the above, as well as blind spot detection, lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert (which will alert you to approaching vehicles when reversing out of a parking space). A door opening warning is also standard on the Trophy model.

In addition to all this safety tech, all MG 4 models also come with an alarm and immobiliser, hill launch assist, two rear Isofix points (for easy fitting of child seats) and the usual mix of airbags. The MG 4 EV was awarded a full five stars for safety when tested by experts Euro NCAP in 2022.

The MG 4 has a maximum towing capacity of just 500kg. That'll be enough for towing a small camping trailer, but don't expect to tow a caravan with the MG 4. If that's what you're after, you'll have to look at bigger EVs like the Nissan Ariya or Kia EV6.

The MG 4 is a family hatch for a price more befitting of an electric city car. It's similar in size to a Volkswagen ID.3 or Cupra Born, measuring 4287mm long, 1836mm wide and 1504mm tall.

While it has a relatively high seating position (the batteries under the floor prevent the driver's seat from being cranked too low), the MG 4 is not an SUV: you'll need the MG ZS EV or the later MG S5 EV if that's what you're after. The relatively low roofline does mean it feels a little dark in the cabin, but there's plenty of space for a pair of adults in the front. You get lots of useful stowage areas, too - including a cubby between the seats, a tray for your phone below the infotainment and some fairly generous door bins.

Head- and legroom in the back is pretty good, while you'll even squeeze in three adults side-by-side without too much discomfort. There are ISOFIX mounting points in the back, too, which helps when fitting child car seats.

The boot can carry up to 363 litres of luggage, which is less than the Volkswagen ID.3 can manage. It's a fairly square shape, though, which is handy, while the rear seats split 60:40 and drop to provide up to 1177 litres of luggage space.

At first glance, the MG 4's interior looks pretty stylish for an affordable electric car. But you will have to lower your expectations in terms of quality: it's just not as well finished as a Renault Megane E-Tech, with some scratchy plastics and flimsy surfaces. It also feels pretty dark in the cabin, while some of the buttons and switchgear feel a little flimsy and downmarket.

Still, there's always going to be an element of compromise in a budget car like the MG 4. And the brand's seven-year warranty ought to help banish thoughts that it's going to fall apart around you.

A 'floating' 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment screen is standard across the range. This includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can connect your phone and access apps on the move. Upgrade to the MG 4 Trophy and you get built-in sat-nav, but it's not necessary in our view (we'd much rather use Google Maps via the aforementioned phone connection). This was later added across the range as standard.

The screen is well positioned for glancing at on the move, while the high-resolution display and sharp graphics mean it looks pretty good, too. It's not the most intuitive to use, but you'll soon learn your way around it, while physical shortcut buttons below the main display come in handy (although it's a bit annoying that you have to use the touchscreen display to adjust the climate control).

There are no two ways about it: the MG 4 EV is a bit of a bargain in the electric car world. Prices start from around £27,000 for an MG 4 EV SE Standard Range: that makes it one of the cheaper EVs on the market, especially at this size, and especially when you're getting such a generous amount of standard equipment for your money.

Around £30,000 gets you the upgrade to the SE Long Range with its bigger battery a great driving range, while you'll need around £33,000 for the extra kit of the Trophy Long Range, which very generously equipped. For the ultimate on all fronts, you'll need around £37,000 for the Trophy Extended Range, which has all the bells and whistles, and the greatest range of the lot.

Of course, buying a pre-owned example on the used car market will save you quite a chunk of cash, and the MG 4 has been around long enough that there are some very tempting deals available. A budget of around £14,000 will get you a broad choice of examples: these will be a mixture of Standard Range SEs with low mileages of 10,000 miles or less, or Long Range Trophy models with slightly punchier mileages of around 35,000 miles.

And what's more you shouldn't be nervous of buying a used example because the MG 4 comes with a fully transferrable manufacturer warranty of seven years or 80,000 miles, whichever comes up first.

Charging your MG 4 at home will deliver by far the lowest running costs. Assuming that your domestic electricity is billed at the UK's national average rate of around 28p per kWh, then a full charge of the Standard Range car's 49kWh battery pack will cost you around £13. The Long Range car's 64kWh can go from empty to full for around £17, while a complete charge of the Extended Range car's 77kWh battery will cost around £21.

The news gets better because, in all likelihood, you'll charge your car overnight, and if you're on the right domestic power tariff, electricity used at that time of the day (or rather, night) is charged at a much lower off-peak rate. If that's the case, you can easily cut those figures in half, and maybe even more. That makes for properly low running costs.

By contrast, public DC rapid chargers will prove by far the most expensive way of getting power into your car, so we'd only recommend using these in emergencies. It's not uncommon to see prices of 90p per kWh on such charging stations, and by way of comparison, a full charge on one of these will cost around £42 on the Standard Range car, £55 on the Long Range car and £67 on the Extended Range car. At that sort of cost, it's barely any cheaper than running a petrol or diesel car.

In fairness, though, you probably won't be using such chargers for a full charge: a 10% to 80% top-up is far more likely. That'll cost you around £30 on the Standard Range car, £39 on the Long Range car, and £47 on the Extended Range car.

There isn't much of a difference in insurance groupings between the bottom of the range and the top, with classifications standing at between groups 27 to 33 depending on version.

EVs were once exempt from VED road tax, but that changed as of April 2025, and EVs are now liable for the same £195-per-year flat rate as petrol and diesel cars. At least the MG 4's prices are low enough that no version is troubled by the steep 'luxury car' surcharge.

The MG 4 can be had in two trim levels, SE and Trophy. The Long Range version can be had in either trim, while the Standard Range comes in SE trim only while the Extended Range car comes in Trophy trim only.

Standard equipment on the MG 4 SE includes:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• automatic LED headlights
• LED rear lights
• rear parking sensors
• electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors
• adaptive cruise control
• black fabric upholstery
• six-way manual seat adjustment for the driver (four-way adjustment for the passenger)
• climate control
• 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
• 10.25-inch central touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• four-speaker audio system
• vehicle-to-load charging
• leather steering wheel (with reach and height adjustment)
• front/rear electric windows with driver's one-touch up/down

The top-spec MG 4 Trophy adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• a six-speaker audio system
• navigation (later made standard across the range)
• live services (including weather, live traffic and Amazon Music)
• 360-degree camera
• wireless mobile phone charger
• blind spot detection
• lane change assist
• rear cross traffic alert
• black faux-leather seats
• six-way electric driver's seat adjustment
• heated front seats
• heated steering wheel
• height adjustable boot floor
• power folding door mirrors