MG4 launches in Europe, could eventually make it here
Thursday, 30 June 2022
The electric MG4 hatchback has been revealed in full, and there’s a good chance we’ll see it in New Zealand. Known as the MG Mulan in its home market, the car will wear the MG4 moniker in Europe and other global markets.
MG Motor in this part of the world is very keen to get the MG4, with a spokesperson for the Australian arm telling media there that the company was “currently reviewing the MG Mulan for the Australian market and exploring different variants”, adding that it was “unlikely that we will see this model before H1 2023.”
MG Motor New Zealand was even less forthcoming, with a spokesperson simply saying “MG New Zealand will confirm details relating to any new models when more information is available.”
The car itself is 4287mm long, 1836mm wide and 1504mm tall and looks a bit like a blend of the Nissan Leaf and Toyota Yaris Cross. Underneath is MG’s new modular MSP platform, offering a single rear-mounted motor and either a 51kWh or 64kWh lithium-ion battery.
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The motor can produce either 125kW or 150kW of power, depending on which battery it’s paired with. Smaller batteries get the less powerful version. MG says the entry combination will cover up to 350km on a single charge, while the larger battery model can travel up to 450km.
If you’re interested in more poke, MG says an all-wheel drive version with two motors is in the works.
A 50:50 weight distribution and low centre of gravity should translate to decent handling, but we’ll have to wait and get it out on some back roads to make sure. In the name of being thorough, of course.
Inside is a pair of digital screens, with the smaller sitting behind the wheel and the larger responsible for infotainment duties. A few physical buttons remain, including volume control. Below is a rotary gear selector, wireless charging pad and electronic parking brake.
MG isn’t offering specifics, but it says the 110mm-tall battery pack means there’s enough room for a family of five inside. MG is quite proud of its battery design, with Zhu Jun, Deputy Chief Engineer of SAIC Motor saying that it could theoretically scale from 40kWh to 150kWh in capacity.
Interestingly, it seems like MG has designed the battery to be swappable, at least to a degree. Jun said: “Users can buy a small battery first, and then replace and upgrade when a longer range is needed.”
If MG can bring the MG4 to New Zealand, it could come as an affordable alternative to the Leaf for those looking for electric small cars.
UK publications are throwing around £25,000 as the starting price, which translates to NZ$48,700. The Leaf starts at $61,990, while the MG ZS EV kicks off at $49,990. Incidentally, the ZS EV starts at £28,495 in the UK.