MG is a prolific manufacturer. Since it launched its MG4 EV in 2022, the Chinese-owned brand has brought out nine new or updated models.
The arrival of its refreshed MG4 and a new MG4 Urban model brings that total to 11 new cars.
And since the MG4 EV debuted in September 2022, it has shifted over 49,000 units. It’s the UK’s fourth best-selling EV since going on sale and represents circa 50 per cent of MG’s 100,000 UK EV registrations as a major pillar in its battery car transition.
You can understand then why MG has refreshed the MG4 for 2026 – a time when there is far more competition from other Chinese car makers, as well as a few European ones. But it has also launched a new MG4 Urban model alongside the updated MG4 EV.
Why two new cars in the same segment, you ask. Well, MG says it wants to let customers be swayed by the one that fits their lifestyle and needs the best.
So, which one has more pull? Daily Mail and This is Money motoring reporter Freda Lewis-Stempel test drove the two back-to-back in the Chilterns to compare and contrast – and advises which one you should buy…
MG has updated its best-selling MG4 EV for 2026 and brought out a new MG4 Urban model alongside. But which is better? Freda Lewis-Stempel test drove both to find out
What’s the difference between the two models?
The MG4 EV is the upgraded version of the electric family hatchback that’s been on sale since 2022.
It brings some exterior updates, improved cabin materials, and larger, faster infotainment systems.
Most important of all, though, is the upgrade to the battery packs, which now deliver longer ranges – now up to 338 miles on a single charge.
Predominantly, it’s the same car as before but with tweaks to tempt Britons to get their wallets out.
The Urban, however, is all-new.
It looks different than the 4 EV – cutesier rather than sporty – and is more practical, just as well connected and, most importantly of all, less expensive.
It, however, has less range to play with: a maximum of 258 miles on a single charge.
The MG4 (left) has hardy changed but the MG4 Urban (right) is supposed to take after the Cyberster all-electric roadster… but we aren’t convinced by this
Exterior looks – which one is more fashionable?
I’m not the biggest fan of the way the MG4 looks – and I haven’t been since it first debuted almost four years ago. Personally, I find proportions a little cricket-like (as in the insect, not the ball game).
But I appear to be in a minority here, and that’s fine,.
Other people find it a sporty-ish, distinctive looking small EV, based on a snap poll of friends, family and folk in the office.
The facelifted MG4 looks almost the same as before; just with a spoiler, new wheels and three new colour options. So, if you liked the way it looked already – short nosed and high rear – you‘ll still like it now.
The Urban borrows the MG Cybertser’s signature split in the grille and the arrow rear lights
I asked my colleagues which car is better looking, and the vote was unanimously in favour of the 4 EV
I would describe the MG4 Urban as dumpier.
Gone are the sharp edges and in their place softer, rounded features that make it look like it’s been pumped with air like a rubber ring.
It apparently takes after MG’s Cyberster all-electric Roadster, borrowing the signature split in the grille and the arrow rear lights.
MG aren’t kidding anyone, though – even with these features, I can’t see a resemblance between the two cars.
Nor do I really want to.
The Cyberster is a very cool, uniquely designed electric sports car that rings in at £55,000.
On the other hand, the MG4 Urban is a cost-efficient family runaround on a budget.
It’s the same as saying siblings resemble each other simply because they share the same family nose..
The MG4 cabin is updated to follow on from the MGS5 EV and S6 EV. Materials are more premium, and the 12.8-inch touchscreen now has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
The MG4 Urban’s interior is near identical but it has a smaller driver display and it has its gear selector on a steering wheel stalk
How do they compare practically? And are the interiors the same?
If you want the most space and storage per square foot, then you need to buy the Urban.
It wins against the MG4 EV for family-friendly comfort and practicality by a good length, and MG says it outperforms other EV hatchbacks when it comes to space for passengers and luggage.
Front and rear occupants do indeed have generous headroom – 997mm upfront and 957mm at the rear – and legroom hits 984mm.
If these numbers don’t mean much then just know that the VW ID.3 has around 760mm of rear legroom and the new Nissan Leaf has around 850mm.
You can fit three passengers in the rear, and you don’t even feel like your shoulders are being crushed into your spine. It’s genuinely an impressively spacious car for its exterior proportions.
MG says the Urban outperforms other EV hatchbacks when it comes to space for passengers and luggage. There’s 957mmof headroom at the rear – and legroom hits 984mm
And boot space is exceptional for the price and size, with 479 litres (floor to ceiling) and 98 extra litres tucked away below the boot floor.
This is ideal for items such as sleeping bags and camping kit – and it’s also very useful for hiking gear or wetsuits you want to keep separate because they get dirty and soaked.
Fold the seats down and you get 1,364 litres of space overall and there are 30 storage spaces throughout the cabin too.
The MG4 EV on the other hand offers 388 litres (floor to ceiling) and 1,164 litres with the seats folded.
Nissan’s Leaf supplies owners with 437 litres of luggage space – less than the Urban but more than the MG4 – but the ID.3 is beaten by both new MG4 models as it only has 385 litres to pack up.
But it’s here where the differences between the 4 EV and the 4 Urban end.
The interior otherwise is a case of spot the difference.
The Urban’s boot space is exceptional for the price and size, with 479 litres (floor to ceiling) and 98 extra litres tucked away below the boot floor
And to save you the painstaking game, I’ll give you the answers to how the two are marginally distinctive from inside the cabin.
The driver’s display in the MG4 (10.25-inch) is incorporated into the dash while the Urban’s (seven-inch) screen appears to ‘float’, the physical buttons (yes MG does buttons) on the dash look very slightly different between the two, the cupholders are round on the 4 but rectangular on the Urban, and the driver selector is a wheel located on the centre console in the 4 while the Urban has a stalk on the steering wheel.
The MG4 has sport seats while the Urban has traditional comfort chairs.
Otherwise, the two models have similar premium-style materials – a mix of ‘pleather’ (fake leather) and cloth, grey seats, soft touch dash and door materials – and a 12.8-inch central touchscreen.
They both have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as wireless smartphone charging, MG Pilot Custom function (where you can set and save your preferred ADAS settings) and heated front seats (depending on the trim level).
The infotainment system is shared with the new MG S5 and MG S6 EVs and is simple to navigate, with easy widgets and shortcuts.
It’s not the prettiest system; it doesn’t look like a Porsche or Mercedes’ MBUX, but it still looks smart enough. More Android than Apple basically.
The Urban: There’s not huge amount of power, or the world’s fastest acceleration, but for a small car it’s fast enough
What are they like to drive?
I took the MG4 Urban out first, followed by the MG4.
All Urban trims are front wheel drive, so that makes it simple for buyers.
There’s almost no difference in acceleration either; the Comfort Standard Range does 0-to-62mph in 9.6 seconds, while the Comfort Long Range and Premium Long Range achieve that speed in 9.5 seconds.
Comfort Standard Range has 147bhp, while Comfort Long Range and Premium Long Range both deliver 158bhp.
That’s not a huge amount of power, or the world’s fastest acceleration, but for a small car it’s fast enough.
I found it to be quick off the mark, enjoyable responsive and particularly fun on the twisting roads around the Chilterns.
I enjoyed driving this car on the wet roads: it was agile, held its ground through tight corners, and you could confidently point it and know it would be precise.
On the flip side, it uses MG’s new E3 platform, which is low-mounted and has a front-bias 55:45 weight distribution.
Because of this it is firm – something I tend to quite like, but other people don’t…
However, even with this in mind, I found its rigidity over potholes and uneven road surfaces somewhat thumping, and the road noise fills the cabin unless you turn your music up generously.
The Urban’s visibility is great diving down small side streets in market towns or villages, and the turning circle is very nifty – a plus point from the new MG E3 platform
The MG 4 EV requires more driver input; more active communication between car and user, while the Urban is more dependable.
The Urban’s brakes are a little sharp at low speeds, but the regenerative braking – which has four levels – is very easy to use in one-pedal mode. Especially around town, you can speed up or slow down without really thinking.
And the range held up very well: I was getting around 3.9 mi/kWh out of the car on mainly twisting, cold country roads, and I wasn’t in any way trying to drive efficiently.
Based on this figure, I would expect the real-world range to be close to 206 miles. Yes, that’s somewhat short of the official figure of 258 but is still pretty impressive for a budget-friendly EV option like this – and more than enough for the typical weekly commute by road (which on average is 39 miles, according to DfT calculations).
Visibility is great diving down small side streets in market towns or villages, and the turning circle is very nifty – a plus point from the E3 platform.
It really does excel in urban environments.
I was getting around 3.9 mi/kWh out of the car on mainly twisting, cold country roads, and I wasn’t in any way trying to drive efficiently
The 2026 MG4 is a case of not fixing something that isn’t broken: it was always a commendably good drive for the price, and this remains the case.
Both the Premium Long Range 64kWh and Premium Extended Range 77kWH are rear-wheel drive, while the XPower version is all-wheel drive.
A 0-to-62mph sprint is accomplished in 7.5 seconds in the Long Range, which drops to 6.2 seconds in the Extended Range model. The sportiest XPower cuts it further to 3.8 seconds.
Respectively, you’ve got 187bhp, 242bhp or 429bhp to play with.
The steering in the 4 EV is less taut, and thanks to the rear-mounted motor it can even be a bit spicy to throw around – for around the £30k mark, you can put a smile on your face that even some more actively sporty and expensive EVs can’t overconfidently beat.
There’s a bit of body movement in the turns, which can make it feel a little flighty in certain circumstances, but you can tame that through the drive modes (of which there are four). And once you get used to this characteristic feel, any hesitation is quickly overcome.
MG4 EV: For around the £30k mark you can put a smile on your face that even some more actively sporty and expensive EVs can’t overconfidently beat
The steering in the 4 EV is less taut than the Urban’s, and thanks to the rear-mounted motor it can even be a bit spicy to throw around
Both cars have the same suite of ADAS features as standard (a lot) and MG’s new Pilot button that lets you customise these features and switch them off at the touch of a button
The MG4’s biggest issues are mainly shared with the 4 Urban: road noise can be louder than wanted, it can thump over some bumps and the brakes could be finessed.
And the MG steering wheel isn’t my favourite.
Its rectangular shape is quite high, and this can cut right across the speed limit information on the driver’s display if you’ve adjusted the wheel height to the lowest setting.
Both cars have the same suite of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) features as standard – which is a lot – and MG’s new Pilot button that lets you customise these features and switch them off at the touch of a button.
It helps keep the irritation of lane keep warnings and – most of all – intelligent speed assistance speed limiter alerts to a minimum.
The longest range version of the Urban only covers 258 miles while the longest range MG4 EV manages 338 miles on a single charge
What’s the difference in range and pricing?
Both cars are affordable – after all they are MGs, and MG does affordable.
The MG 4 EV Premium Long Range does 280 miles on a single charge while the Extended Range pushes that up to 338 miles. The more potent XPower naturally can manage less on a single charge – only 251 miles.
The MG4 Urban Comfort Range offers 201 miles, the Comfort Long Range adds 57 miles (258 in total), and the Premium Long Range can do 251 miles on a single charge.
So, none of the MG4s have impressively long range, but they all have enough to do a solid city stint and the occasional longer journey.
The Urban is very, very cheap: It starts from £23,495 but this is reduced to £21,995 thanks to MG’s Electric Car Grant (its version of the official Government ECG).
Move up to the Comfort Long Range and you pay £25,495, and for the top Premium Long Rage trim you’re still only paying £27,995.
The MG4 EV starts from £29,995, with the Premium ER costing £32,995 and the XPower £33,995.
The MG4 EV is just as good a buy as before and even better value for money. But the Urban offers unquestionably superior practicality for such a low price. They are both great, affordable buys
Cars and Motoring Verdict: Which MG4 is the better buy?
There’s no denying that both the MG4 and MG4 Urban offer excellent value for money for medium-sized family EVs.
But when push comes to shove, I’d opt for the Urban… asl long as range isn’t your top priority.
If, however, the maximum distance on a full charge is the biggest factor for you, then choose the Extended Range MG4.
Otherwise, the Urban offers some fantastic practicality for a boggling low price, and it still manages to be a thoroughly decent, even sometimes fun, drive.
It too throws in the benefits from MG’s step up in quality and interior design.
MG has decided to essentially compete against itself in this segment of the market by offering people two similar cars, but they do tick different boxes and please slightly different motorists.
The overwhelming point though is that buyers should be pleased with either EV – they are both great cars at a relatively reasonable price.
