The newly launched 2026 MG 4 EV Urban is the cheapest electric vehicle (EV) the Chinese brand has offered, but it could become even cheaper if product planners opt to bring in less well-equipped variants.
Priced from just $31,990 drive-away, the MG 4 EV Urban is amongst the most affordable EVs on sale in Australia… period. However, the Essence specification offered with two battery sizes in Australia is actually the flagship option, with a lower-grade trim available in other markets like the UK.
This could see the small electric hatchback’s base price dip under $30,000 on the road if it were to be offered here.
Speaking with media at the Australian media drive of the MG 4 EV Urban, head of product for MG Motor Australia, Meng Chen, said the brand’s customers tend to go for higher trim levels hence why the Essence is the sole offering at launch, but a cheaper trim could make its way Down Under.
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“Yes, we do have the [cheaper] trim line available, but we deliberately only debuted the Essence trim line because the data is telling us that EV buyers prefer premium trims. We’ve got very solid data to support that,” Mr Chen said.
“90 per cent of our [EV] customers are buying the premium trims. The 10 per cent – who are they? They’re fleet customers, government customers, who are focused on EV initiatives, but don’t want the premium trim – they don’t want [features like] a panoramic roof for a government car, that’s wrong [for] perceptions.”
For the launch of the MG 4 EV Urban, the brand’s representatives made several references to the UK market as a strong indicator as to what to expect in Australia.
Australia’s ‘Essence’ spec is pretty aligned with the UK’s ‘Premium’ trim level, which is exclusively offered there with the 54kWh ‘Long Range’ battery pack – priced from £27,995 (A$53,549), mind you.
The lesser ‘Comfort’ trim, meanwhile, is offered with both 43kWh and 54kWh batteries. It’s £2500 (A$4782) cheaper than the equivalent Premium spec, and does without niceties like heated front seats, ambient lighting and surround-view cameras, while subbing in cloth upholstery and smaller alloy wheels to achieve the sharper price point.
With that said, standard specification is still solid for an entry-level small car, with highlights including LED headlights; a full suite of MG Pilot active safety assists; a 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; as well as connected services.
Mr Chen maintained the reason not to launch the fleet-spec MG 4 EV Urban is a “business decision”, but it could also have to do with the fact the new EV is yet to be awarded an ANCAP safety rating. Many fleets demand a five-star ANCAP rating in Australia.
The MG 4 EV Urban scored a full five stars in Euro NCAP testing, and that’s expected to be carried over to Australian models soon. Maybe then we’ll see a follow-up announcement from the Chinese brand that its cheapest EV will get even cheaper.
The electric hatch is offered in one trim level across two battery variants in Australia, with the range kicking off from just $31,990 drive-away.
That’s right in the firing line of the BYD Atto 1 Premium ($27,990), BYD Dolphin (from $29,990), GAC Aion UT (from $31,990) – all before on-road costs – and the GWM Ora (from $33,990 drive-away).
The existing rear-wheel drive MG 4 Electric is currently in runout but was last sold new from $37,990 plus on-roads. MG Australia says it’s planning on announcing more details of an updated model ‘soon’.
MORE: 2026 MG 4 EV Urban review
MORE: 2026 MG 4 EV Urban price and specs