Battery size: 42 - 53 kWh
E-Rating™: A
Max charge rate: 87 kW
Range: 201 - 258 miles 
Introduction and model history
MG has established itself in the UK as a brand that offers brilliant value, very competitive electric cars. This new MG4 Urban doesn’t deviate from that theme, and arguably takes it to a new level as it brings even more practicality for your money than just about anything at this price point.
So, let’s explain why on earth there are two MG4s. The snazzy, sporty-looking MG4 that we’re familiar with remains on sale, and offers a longer range, more grown-up electric family hatchback offering. This MG4 Urban sits below that car in the lineup even though at nearly 4.4-metres long, it’s a very similar size to the familiar MG4 hatchback. It's basically offering Renault Scenic space for Renault 5 money! That's not bad, is it?
The Urban is actually based on an entirely different platform, so is front-wheel drive (rather than the rear-wheel drive of the ‘proper’ MG4), and it gets much more modest performance, lower range and slightly slower charging, and is designed to appeal more to a buyer who probably wants it as a second car in the household and does mostly shorter journeys.
It is fantastic value, too. The MG4 Urban starts at under £23,000 for the shorter range that manages WLTP range of 201 miles, while the long range model starts at around £25,500 for a range of up to 258 miles. That makes this budget MG hatchback a rival to loads of other stuff, including the Renault 4, Ford Puma Gen-E, BYD Dolphin Surf and Dolphin, and the (not quite here yet) VW ID.Polo, Skoda Epiq and Cupra Raval.
What about the styling of the MG4 Urban? Well… I mean, MG will tell you that it’s inspired by the Cyberster roadster but I struggle to see that. It’s just boring but okay, isn’t it? A bit… meh.
Range, battery and charging
The MG4 Urban is offered with 41.9- or 53.9 kWh lithium-iron LFP batteries, which manage a claimed WLTP range of either 201- or 258 miles if you stick with the Comfort model. Go for the range-topping Premium Long Range MG4 Urban and you get bigger wheels, which drops the claimed range to 251 miles. That’s not bad, and is on a par with rivals like the Renault 4, Citroen e-C3 Aircross and BYD Dolphin.
You also get vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging as standard on the MG4 Urban, which means that you can power your electrical devices using the car’s high voltage battery. Want to power your strimmer down at the allotment? Now you can!
Charging speeds are a bit slow. The smaller battery MG4 Urban Standard Range gets 82kW DC rapid charging, while the Long Range gets 87kW, which in the real world will mean a 100 mile top-up in around 25- to 30 minutes provided you’re plugged into a powerful enough rapid charging station.
Practicality and boot space
The MG4 Urban is remarkably spacious for such an affordable EV. There’s loads of room in the back, so you’ll be able to sit a tall adult behind a tall driver, and you get a couple of pairs of Isofix fittings for child seats. There’s also a light over the back seats, which I mention as the original MG4 hatch lacked one, which I know from personal experience is a pain when you’re trying to sort out kids and car seats in the dark. You can also sit three people across the rear bench, although it’ll be a bit of a squeeze.
There’s also plenty of space up front, and the on the top spec Long Range Premium model that I drove you get electric seat adjustment, and you can adjust the steering wheel for rake- and reach regardless of which model you go for. It’s comfy enough, even if the seats are a bit firm and short of lower back support.
It's also got a HUGE boot. There's 577 litres of space, which is even bigger than the Puma. Mind you, 98 litres of that space is under the boot floor, which is surprisingly short for such a big claimed luggage space. I just didn't think it looks big at all, to be honest, until I lifted up the variable boot floor to reveal the cavernous area beneath. That's great for storing your cables, of course, but if you've got chunky stuff to lug around with you then make sure you try the MG4 Urban out before you assume it'll do the job. I reckon you might struggle to get a double buggy in there because of the shape of the load space. Or it won't be ideal if you have to stand the dogs on top of each other to get them all in, will it?
Interior, design/styling and technology
The big news in the front of the MG4 Urban is the infotainment system, which gets a 12.8-inch touchscreen featuring freshly updated software including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s a perfectly decent system, too. You can swipe to access shortcuts – which include a personalised MG Pilot Custom setting, which let’s you save your preferences with lane-keep assist, speed limit warning and various other assistance systems, and then you can activate your settings with a couple of prods of the screen.
There are also configurable shortcuts on the steering wheel, and it makes a lot of sense to use those for the brake regen and drive modes, if you ask me. More on that in the driving bit, further down this review! There’s also a 7-inch digital driver’s display, which gives you a clear speed readout. You even get proper, physical buttons for the air-con temperature and media volume, which I'm a big fan of.
Other than that, the materials on the dash don’t feel too bad in the MG4 Urban, but the seat upholstery does feel really cheap. It reminded me of wetsuit material, in a weird way. Kind of scratchy and rubbery. I’m not sure how it’ll stand up to stains from the kids, either, as it’s the sort of material that absorbs that carton of orange juice, rather than repels it.
Nonetheless, the equipment and tech you get for your money on the MG4 Urban is very impressive. Even the entry-level MG4 Urban Comfort model (which you can have with either battery) gets a parking camera, adaptive cruise control, in-built satnav, climate control and 16-inch alloy wheels.
The Premium model (which you can only have with the Long Range battery) adds electric driver’s seat adjustment, heated seats and steering wheel, wireless phone charger, 360-degree parking camera and 17-inch alloy wheels. It’s a fairly big price hike of £2,500 over the Long Range Comfort, though, and I suspect that most people will only really want it for the heated seats… It’s annoying that you can’t just add those for a few hundred quid on the Comfort Long Range, to be honest.
Safety standards are good on the MG4 Urban, which has achieved a five star Euro NCAP rating.
Motors, performance and handling
This is one of the cars that just does the job. It’s entirely forgettable in the way it drives, but it doesn’t do anything untoward, and that’s just fine. It’s not quick! The 0-62mph time is 9.5(ish) seconds in both models, which feels pretty pedestrian but is still fast enough that you can make a decent getaway from a junction or merge safely into fast moving motorway traffic. I spent most of my time in the MG4 Urban on town and country roads, which I suspect is where most people will be driving their Urbans, and it felt just fine, really.
There are four levels of brake regen, including a one-pedal drive mode, and while most of the settings are okay, the adaptive brake regen mode (which sense the car in front and automatically brakes to keep a safe distance) is a bit too intrusive and unpredictable. It reacts sometimes when you don’t expect it to, feels a touch jerky when it does, and you’re just conscious of it doing its thing. The really good adaptive regen systems – like the one in the Hyundai Inster, for instance – are very smooth and predictable, but the MG falls short of that. It’s also a bit annoying that you have to activate the one-pedal mode in the MG4 Urban via a well-hidden menu on the screen.
Still, the fixed regen modes are perfectly okay with and you can activate those via the steering wheel shortcut button which is nice and easy.
Ride comfort in the MG4 Urban is okay. It’s a bit bumpy over town roads, but nothing too harsh and it settles down okay at higher speeds. You’re more likely to be annoyed by the slightly too-sharp initial brake pedal response, or that unpredictable adaptive regen system, than by the ride comfort and steering! Like I said, the MG4 Urban just does the job, really.
If you do want a more fun car to drive then check out the Renault 4 or Ford Puma Gen-E, both of which are way more enjoyable to drive, even if they’re not as big and spacious.
Running costs and pricing
The MG4 Urban lineup starts with the Comfort Standard Range from under £23,000, and then steps up to the Long Range, which costs around £25,500 or £28,000 depending on whether you go for the Comfort or Premium trims. We haven’t got monthly PCP or contract hire prices, yet, but these will be absolutely critical to the MG4 Urban’s success.
What we do know is that MG is already offering £1,500 off as part of its ‘MG grant’ – which is the company’s own response to the UK’s EV grant. That means that you can get a roomy, well equipped five-door electric hatchback with a five year warranty (eight years on the battery) and a range of 201 miles for £21,500. I reckon that’s pretty amazing value!
Verdict
If you’re just after transport, and you want a car that’s roomy, sensible and great value, and you don’t need it for lots of long journeys, the MG4 Urban is a good choice. It really is quite dull, and you’ll find more joy and interest in the Citroen e-C3, Fiat Grande Panda, Renault 4 and 5, and in some respects even the jazzier-looking BYD Dolphin Surf. But in terms of space, range and equipment at the price, the MG4 Urban is a solid choice. And mostly, it’s just nice to have so much choice for electric cars at this price, these days, isn’t it?!
9
