Due by the end of 2023, the new MG 4 electric car – sized similarly to a Toyota Corolla – will be available in three model grades and two battery sizes. But pricing is not due until closer to launch.
Chinese car maker MG has revealed initial details of what could be one of Australia’s cheapest electric cars when it arrives between July and September 2023, the 2023 MG 4 hatchback.
Due in the third quarter of 2023 (July to September), the MG 4 – a similar size to a Toyota Corolla or Hyundai i30 hatchback – is expected to be offered in a choice of three model grades, with two battery packs offering up to 450km of claimed driving range
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, though in the UK the new MG costs the equivalent of $40,000 drive-away for an entry-level model, rising to $50,000 drive-away for a flagship, long-range version.
This would put it on course to be Australia’s new most affordable electric vehicle, below the $44,490 to $47,891 drive-away GWM Ora Standard Range hatchback – and the $46,195 to $49,130 drive-away MG ZS EV Excite small SUV.
However, MG Australia executives have cautioned the MG 4 may not claim the cheapest electric-car title.
“I think cheapest is not necessarily our appetite, at least not in that it’s about value,” MG marketing executive Rick Whaite told a group of Australian media, when asked if the MG 4 would become the country’s new cheapest electric car.
“We will do our very best to make sure that it’s an incredibly compelling proposition for the market.”
When asked if the MG 4 would be cheaper than the MG ZS EV, Mr Whaite told media: “It’s lovely to have [a] sibling rivalry, let’s just say that. But I think it’s important for us to understand what the entire model composition is.”
The second half of 2023 arrival time indicated by MG Australia represents a delay of a few months compared to the first half timing previously announced — attributed to delays in securing supply from the factory in China.
“It’s really about demand, supply and production capacity … Originally we were gonna get it a little sooner, and in terms of what we’re trying to do with regards to the specification in the model line-up, that’s taking quite a bit of [time on the phone] with the factory,” Mr Whaite told media.
Three variants are expected to be available in Australia, with a choice of two battery sizes 51kWh and 64kWh, with 350km and 450km of claimed driving range respectively in European WLTP testing.
Rivals for the new MG include the Ora hatch from fellow Chinese brand Great Wall Motors (GWM), as well as the Nissan Leaf ($50,990 before on-road costs) and the upcoming BYD Dolphin city hatchback (expected to cost from about $40,000).
The entry-level MG 4 uses a 125kW electric motor on the rear axle — underpinned by a new dedicated electric-car platform unrelated to the ZS EV – which is upgraded to a 150kW motor in the long-range version. Both variants are capable of zero to 100km/h in about seven to eight seconds.
Details shared by MG Australia suggest there will be two models with the 51kWh battery, and one with the 64kWh pack.
There is a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive MG 4 available in China with more than 300kW. MG Australia says it is “under consideration” for the local market.
It remains to be seen if the new MG 4 will be offered with nationwide drive-away pricing as per petrol and hybrid MG models, or if on-road prices will differ between state and territories, in line with the ZS EV.
Seven colours will be available, including the bright blue and orange hero colours seen in overseas images.
The 2023 MG 4 is due in Australian showrooms in the third quarter of the year, or between July and September.
The post 2023 MG 4 initial details for Australia, due by October appeared first on Drive.