The film shows an outline of the Volkswagen ID.3 and Nissan Leaf rival under a silk sheet fluttering in the wind – giving us a rough idea how the car will look. The MG 4 will be the third electric car in MG’s line-up that already includes the MG 5 and the MG ZS EV.
You can expect the MG 4 electric hatchback to be priced from £25,000 when it goes on sale towards the end of the year, meaning it’ll be significantly cheaper than more established rivals like the Volkswagen ID.3 (£35,835) and, to a lesser extent, the Nissan Leaf (£26,995).
The MG 4 will be 4300mm long so it’s similar in size to the Volkswagen ID.3 (4261mm) and noticeably smaller than the Nissan Leaf (4490mm).
That’s about all the press release that accompanies the new video tells us, but you can squeeze a reasonable amount of information from the preview film.
The car’s hidden under a sheet in the short clip, but gusts of wind tease the car’s front, profile and rear end, showing a car that has sharp nose complete with LED headlights, shapely side creases, 17-inch wheels and an all-important light bar that stretches across the boot.
Inside, the MG 4 is likely to be similar to the MG 5 estate (shown below) that has just been updated. It gets a standalone infotainment screen similar in style (but not as big or colourful) as the one you get in a Tesla model 3. Expect the car to have generous levels of kit as standard including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Space should also be plentiful. The MG will likely have room for four tall adults and a boot that’ll gobble up a pair of large suitcases. The small electric motor and easily packaged battery (hidden under the floor) should make the MG 4 roomier than a petrol or diesel equivilent.
You can also look to the MG 5 – which has a 50.3kWh battery and 177PS electric motor – to get an idea of the powertrain the MG 4 will be offered with.
Sticking the same setup in the MG 4 would give it a range of around 200 miles and acceleration of 0-62mph in less than 10 seconds.
It’s not clear if the MG 5’s Long Range 61.1kWh battery would fit in the MG 4 but, if it did, it would give the car a range of nearly 250 miles in combination with a slightly less powerful 156PS motor.
Charging the battery from 5-80 per cent would take as little as 40 minutes using a public DC charger.
If you can’t wait for the MG 4 electric hatchback to go on sale later this year then all is not lost – the MG ZS EV is already on sale and is a great option if you’re looking for a bargain family car with electric power. Inside, you’ll find the MG ZS EV has plenty of space for a family of four, decent infotainment and surprising quality for a relatively cheap electric car. Less than £35,000 is enough to get you a 2020 car with the 72.6kWh battery that gives you a reliable range of more than 250 miles.
Click on the links for more new-car news on the Mazda CX-60, Renault Austral, Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer and the Alfa Romeo Tonale.
You can expect the MG 4 electric hatchback to cost less than £25,000 once you factor in the government’s £1500 plug-in grant.
The MG 4 electric hatchback is expected to be revealed later this year, so you can expect the car to go on sale late-2022 or early 2023.
The MG 4 electric hatchback will rival cars like the Volkswagen ID.3, Nissan Leaf, Citroen e-C4 and Hyundai Kona Electric.