After its release, the MG4 EV quickly gained momentum in New Zealand as an EV that drove well, looked good and was priced well. It managed to win New Zealand Car of the Year in 2023, adding to its list of worldwide car awards.
It’s one of those cars you see everywhere, especially when they are finished in bright orange. My partner has owned her orange MG4 for 3 years, it’s ready to tick over 50,000km – and she still loves it. Read our review of the Essence model here.
But today was all about the ‘new’ MG4. After three years, it was time for a refresh. Not only would we be seeing the new MG4 today, but we’d get to see and drive the all-new model, the MG4 Urban.
It may seem weird that MG are launching the Urban model, when it is built on a different platform and looks so very different, and yet they still call it an MG4. MG says it is dropping the base Excite model of the MG4, and so the MG4 Urban will replace it, with pricing at $38,990.
The Urban is focused on a slightly different buyer, says MG NZ, and is targeted at those who want a bit more interior space, more boot space, who don’t mind a slightly lower range and less performance.
2026 MG4
With 2,236 MG4s sold here since August 2023, the model has done well in New Zealand. MG is slimming down the MG4 range to just two models, the Essence and the X-Power.
Don’t expect to see big visible changes to the model; other than new low wind-resistance wheel covers and a redesigned roof spoiler, there are no other external changes to the car. MG says it wants the car to remain instantly recognisable, hence almost no design changes.
There are no drivetrain or battery changes either, so very little has changed for the model.
The interior is where the changes are at. There are a lot more soft-touch materials used, as well as a larger and upgraded infotainment screen (now measures 12.8”), a much larger 10.25” driver’s display, different upholstery, and a raised centre console with a Qi wireless phone charger.
There are now 7 colours to choose from, although the bright orange has been dumped. The new colours include a very photogenic teal (“Iris Cyan”), although there would not be one today for us to see in the flesh.
The MG4 Essence will have a 64-kWh battery pack that is WLTP rated at 452km. It has a 140kW electric motor driving the rear wheels, and that manages 350Nm of torque.
It gets to 100km/h in 7.5 seconds, and costs $44,990.
The other MG4 model is the X-Power, with the same 64kWh battery pack but a WLTP range of 405km. It’s all-wheel drive and has two electric motors that manage 320kW of power and 600Nm of torque.
This performance model will take up to 140kW of DC charging power and gets to 100km/h in 3.8 seconds. The price has dropped quite a few thousand dollars to $55,990. We’d only get to drive the new Essence model today, with the X-Power arriving in June.
2026 MG4 URBAN
MG is firm in its view that the Urban is “not a stripped-down version of MG4”. It uses a completely different platform – the Next Generation E3 platform – which also means it’s front-wheel drive, as compared to the rear-wheel drive of the MG4 Essence.
That new platform also means more cabin space, says MG, along with the company claiming enhanced rigidity, a lower centre of gravity, and a 10.5-metre turning circle.
Macpherson suspension is used in the front, with a torsion beam rear end.
The car has five drive modes; Snow, Eco, Standard, Sport, and Custom. It has active grille and achieves a drag coefficient of 0.266 and is fitted with a 53.9kWh battery pack that has usable capacity of 52.8kWh, meaning a WLTP range of 405km.
Energy consumption is listed at 16.1kWh/100km.
The design is very different to the MG4, with views mixed on the day. Some felt the front looked like the previous generation of Tesla Model Y, while others liked it. The rear of the car is definitely its most appealing angle.
The interior is extremely similar in design to the MG4, with the same 12.8” centre display but a smaller 7” driver’s display. Gear selection is on a column-mounted stalk, and the car comes standard with Qi wireless phone charging.
MG claims that someone 6’3” tall can sit in the rear “with ample headroom and legroom”, as that new chassis gives better interior space.
Like the MG4, there are physical knobs for changing the air conditioning or audio volume.
MG claims the car can easily accommodate five adults and their luggage, with a 480-litre boot, that has an extra 98 litres of under-floor storage.
There’s just one model of the Urban going on sale here, with a 54kWh battery pack that equates to around 405km range and will take a maximum charge of 87kW (compared to 154kW of the MG4 Essence). The $38,990 Urban has a 118kW electric motor that outputs 250Nm of torque and will get to 100km/h in 8.7 seconds.
The MG4 Urban has an ANCAP safety rating of 5 stars and the full suite of MG Pilot safety assistance systems is standard.
MG4 – drive impressions
I drive my partner’s MG4 often, so it was going to be easy to make comparisons between the old and the new.
The new console is nice, with a Qi phone charger right there on top. It’s nice also to have the cup holders moved up so much higher. The new, higher console does mean that the sense of space in the front of the old model has diminished somewhat, but it’s still an improvement overall. The Alcantara finish on it is a nice touch, rather than just some piano black plastic.
New for 2026 are the physical switches for some basic AC control, as well as audio volume. My takeaway from these switches is the tactile feel; they feel like real alloy, and the same goes for the new AC outlets below the switch panel. These, along with the upgrade in materials and more soft touch surfaces, mean a car that has lifted itself to a more premium grade.
The new driver’s display is a welcome move up in size, and the clarity remains excellent. The centre screen too feels so much bigger, and the new user interface is far faster and simpler to use than before.
Without any change to the drivetrain or suspension, naturally the car drives exactly the same as the current model.
MG4 Urban – drive impressions
First impressions are that it’s pretty damn similar to the MG4, but with more general space. Hopping into the rear seats gives the same impression of space; it’s impressive what MG has done with interior space vs. length of car.
I was surprised to see only single-stage heated seats, and a single-stage heated steering wheel. I can’t remember the last time I saw these items, as everyone seems to have moved to two or three-stage settings.
The centre screen is the same as the MG4, but I was spoiled by the larger driver’s display in the MG4; going back to the smaller one in the Urban was a struggle. The Urban has the same centre switchgear for AC and audio as the MG4, and the same air vents. Other than the small driver’s display and the drive selector on a column stalk, it feels extremely similar to the MG4.
I guess that brings me to the point of difference between the two cars, in driving them at least. We were told they were very different and we’d notice that difference; after all, they are built on two different platforms. In our short drive today, I found very little difference between them.
Not that that’s a bad thing; one of the best points about the MG4 is the sheer ease of driving it, and the Urban has that same feeling.
MG4 & MG4 Urban – Summary
Currently, I am driving the BYD Atto1 for review. It’s a small EV hatchback, much smaller than the MG4 or Urban. It’s the top-spec Atto1 so its retail price is $35,990. In comparison, the MG4 Urban is just $3K more, and yet is far more spacious, has far better range, and is better equipped. It’d be hard to justify the Atto1, based on price alone.
The Urban can stand alone for those buyers who want an EV under $40K but without too much compromise. It was only a few hours in the car (if that) but first impressions are very good.
So, what about the ‘new’ MG4? It feels wrong to say it’s new when so little has changed, other than the model has a lot more competition in the market. But driving it again reminds me just how good it is, and with that revised interior and bigger screen etc, it’s simply better again.
We’ll book in both models for review, and see what each is really like after a week’s commuting and general driving duties.
