MG’s new MG4 looks to be a new family hatch-sized electric car that will be launched this year.
MG will expand its range later this year with an all-new electric model it teased a new all-electric model, which the brand says it will reveal towards the end of 2022.
Although there’s no official confirmation, data on the brand’s UK website suggests the vehicle will be called the MG4 – there is yet to be any mention of the model by MG Australia. Alongside the teaser images, this suggests that it will be a larger family hatchback compared with the brand’s MG3.
MG has already confirmed the size of the vehicle, at 4.3 metres long, putting the MG4 into competition with family hatchbacks such as the likes of the Nissan Leaf. And given the all-electric powertrain, the MG4 will be a rival for cars such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, albeit with a more budget-friendly ethos.
Leaked patent images from China could point the way to the design of the car. The totally modernised look, which we’ve previewed in our exclusive images above, is in contrast to the brand’s big-grille design language used at present.
Instead, we expect that the MG4 will adopt more typical EV design elements. The teasers reveal side skirts with chunky black plastic cladding, suggesting that the new MG will be an elevated hatchback along the lines of the Volkswagen ID.3 and the new Renault Megane E-Tech Electric, rather than a lower-riding, more conventional family hatchback, as is the case with Peugeot’s all-electric e-308.
At the rear, meanwhile, a new full-width LED tail-light bar curls around the tailgate, similar to the design used on the Kia EV6.
No technical specifications have been alluded to, but the MG4’s dimensions overlap with the ZS’s, so it’s possible that the new car will share the same platform, battery and electric motor technology as the brand’s budget electric SUV. MG has just given the ZS EV a major update, including new batteries, and there’s a fresh Long Range version of the car using a 73kWh battery capable of almost 440km on a single charge, according to WLTP certification.
A standard-battery version employs a 51kWh pack for a 318km range, although in the smaller, lower-riding MG4 this would probably be able to take the car beyond the 320km mark. Sitting above the MG4 in MG’s line-up will remain the MG5 wagon, recently updated with a new 57.7kWh (usable) battery for a 402km range, combined with 100kW rapid-charging tech.
Although MG’s inconsistent approach to battery technology across its electric-vehicle portfolio makes it difficult to pin down what will power the MG4, the carry-over of electric motor tech from the ZS EV and the 5 should be straightforward, using a front-axle-mounted e-motor with an output of 115kW.
Further details will be provided closer to the car’s unveiling, which will take place towards the end of the year. However, given MG’s focus on affordability, we expect it will be much cheaper than its rivals. If the MG4 is to sit below the ZS in terms of cost, a starting price with a three infront of it is possible.
James Brodie
Keyword: MG MG4 will be a budget electric hatch