Fine specimens of this rounded electric hatchback are there for the taking, with ranges from 218 to 338 miles
Finally, an affordable, practical, pleasingly styled and good-to-drive electric car. That was our verdict on the MG 4 EV when it arrived in 2022.
That it hailed from China seemingly didn’t dent its appeal to British buyers – perhaps in part because it wore the famous octagon on its beak. Since coming here, it has always been among the top 10 best-selling EVs, peaking at number two, and between the different battery and performance options there’s a 4 for almost every need.
Our own Steve Cropley, after running a top-line Extended Range variant for 13,000 miles, was utterly convinced, concluding: “Of all the EVs I’ve had, this has seemed the most honest and practical.” How’s that for an accolade?
And now, with prices starting at just £7000, used 4s represent incredible value for money. Unlike many EVs of its kind, the 4 is a hatchback in the conventional mould and thus sits its driver low down, legs outstretched and with a generous amount of steering column adjustment. As such, you feel comfortable immediately.
The upholstery (faux leather or cloth) is a little dour, owners have reported premature wear and the plastics are mostly hard and scratchy, but those are excusable shortcomings at this price point, and hardly unique to the 4. Broadly it’s solid and well screwed together.
Most functions are controlled via the reasonably intuitive 10.3in infotainment touchscreen (12.8in from 2026). However, it’s possible to configure the steering wheel buttons to adjust the temperature and fan speed. It’s unconventional but works surprisingly well. There are some proper buttons too, and the recent facelift brought improved material quality – although it will be a while before these cars hit the used market en masse.
The 4 is roomy, if not quite to the extent of the Volkswagen ID 3 or Cupra Born. Tall adults will be comfy in the back, but the boot is averagely sized at 363 litres. Trophy trim adds a false floor, giving you a useful home for charging cables.
The rear-driven 4 is willing to engage a keener driver. It stops some way short of allowing controllable, exuberant oversteer, but its pleasingly accurate and uncorrupted steering makes for enjoyable progress on the open road and boosts the sense of nippiness in the city. It’s far more fun than rivals like the Kia e-Niro and Peugeot e-308.
It’s not quite as dynamically balanced as the Born, though: while it’s pleasant to hustle, its soft suspension permits notable roll and the ride is quite fidgety.
The standard 4 is served in three flavours: the entry-level car gets a 49kWh battery and a 168bhp motor, the Long Range bumps capacity and power to 61.7kWh and 201bhp, and the Extended Range concludes with 74.4kWh and 241bhp.
Range figures run from 218 to 338 miles. There are two trim levels, SE and Trophy, the latter being our pick, because it adds a fair amount of equipment, including blindspot monitoring, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, a better stereo and a 360deg camera.
Finally, there’s the XPower hot hatch, which adds a front motor for a combined 429bhp, enough for a 0-62mph time of 3.8sec – quicker than the VW Golf R’s. The problem is the softly sprung chassis struggles with so much power, so we would stick to a rear-wheel-drive version for the best everyday balance.
What we said then
5 April 2023: The MG 4 EV may not move any technological boundaries, but other manufacturers should undoubtedly see this car as a serious threat, because it does so many things so well, and for such a keen price that it is hard to argue you should buy any other electric hatchback.
An owner’s view
Chris Boek: “I bought my MG 4 in October 2024. Since then, I’ve only had the first service in my plan, which went fine. I use Android Auto, so the in-built entertainment system’s various glitches are irrelevant. The screen is at a good height-sometimes a little too bright at night but not a show-stopper. I love the look of the car, it handles really well and it has all the mod cons. I’m very happy, and I will probably keep driving it until it stops working.”
Buyer beware
Interior: It’s prone to wear generally. The top of the doors, where you might rest your elbow, is covered with textured plastic that’s unpleasantly hard yet can be permanently scratched with just a fingernail. The driver’s seat on our long-termer was already showing significant wear after six months and 13,000 miles.
Adaptive cruise control: It’s not the smoothest system out there and there’s no option to use normal cruise control.
Body: Rattling bootlids are annoying but not major reliability issues. However, more serious problems include failing charge ports and differentials leaking oil.
Reliability: The 4 came bottom of its class in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, with 30% of surveyed owners reporting problems, which covered almost all fault categories. MG paid for repairs in only 55% of cases, leaving 39% of faults costing £1000 or more to put right, according to owners. Repairs weren’t always swift either: 68% of affected cars took more than a week to fix.
Warranty: MG’s seven-year/80,000-mile warranty should help you sleep better, but owners have reported particularly unhelpful customer service from some MG dealers. Also note that the interior is covered by only a 12-month warranty, so a rattly panel or vibration may not be covered.
Also worth knowing
The first cars that arrived in the UK are known as ‘Phase 1s’. They are mostly 22-platers (some are 72-platers) and can’t receive over-the-air software updates. This might not sound like a big issue, but it means they’ve missed out on upgrades like the one-pedal mode that came later.
They’ve also had more reported build quality issues, so it’s best to spend a little extra on a later car. As of this year, all 4s cost £195 annually to tax, while insurance groups range between 27 and 40 – quite high compared with rivals like the Hyundai Kona Electric.
How much to spend
£7000-£9999: It’s quite promising that some 4s have already racked up six-figure mileages. However, many in this bracket are also Category S write-offs – which reflects the difficulties in obtaining parts for even lightly damaged cars.
£10,000-£14,999: You don’t have to spend much more to get a 4 with fewer than 50,000 miles and a clean history.
£15,000-£19,999: For as little as £15,500, we found a one-year-old 49kWh SE with just 700 miles on the clock. Or for the same money, how about a 40,000-mile 429bhp XPower?
£20,000-£30,000: Nearly new, facelifted cars for as much as £10,000 below their list prices.
One we found
MG 4 EV Extended Range Trophy, 2024, 30,000 miles, £17,260: As with many EVs, you can pick up a two-year-old 4 for half of what it cost new. In this case it’s an Extended Range – that’s 329 miles per charge – in the upper trim. It will still be within warranty for another five years or 50,000 miles.
