MG MG4 2026 review: Urban Essence 54 | BYD Dolphin rival tested

Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

8 / 10

The 2026 MG4 EV Urban is only available in the Essence trim level and offered in two model grades comprising the entry-level Essence 43 with 43kWh battery and up to 316km of driving range ($31,990, drive-away) plus the premium Essence 54 with 54kWh battery and 405km range ($34,990, drive-away).

Our York White test vehicle is the Essence 54 with drive-away pricing that’s more than enticing when compared with the list price (before on-road costs) of rival equivalents like the Hyundai Inster Extended Range ($42,500), BYD Dolphin Premium ($36,990) or GWM Ora Lux at $35,990 drive-away.

It offers an equally appealing menu of standard equipment that includes luxury appointments often confined to higher priced models like heated front seats, leather-rimmed and heated multi-function steering wheel, power-adjustable driver’s seat and a 360-degree camera view.

Also standard are 17-inch alloys with 205/50R17 tyres and a tyre sealant/inflator kit, LED headlights/daytime running lights/tail-lights including a full-width rear light bar, rear privacy glass, rear parking sensors, roof rails, roof spoiler and more.

Keyless entry to the interior reveals synthetic leather trim, single-zone climate control, electronic parking brake, two-tier central console, 12V socket and three USB-C ports, wireless phone charging, 7.0-inch driver information display and 12.8-inch multimedia screen controlling six-speaker audio with digital radio and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity.

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Is there anything interesting about its design?

7 / 10

Our test vehicle’s compact dimensions are well suited to busy metropolitan use as its 2750mm wheelbase, 4395mm length and 1842mm width make light work of congested traffic and tight parking spots.

The exterior styling is neat and functional with the ‘starburst’ 17-inch alloys enhancing its appearance. The interior design is roomy and practical, offering surprising occupant space and utility for a vehicle this size (see Practicality) combined with numerous soft-touch surfaces including synthetic suede and exposed stitching that contribute to an upmarket look and feel.

Our only design criticism is having to rely on the full-width LED light bar to double as a handle for raising the hatch when opening it, as its narrow ledge puts considerable pressure on your upturned fingertips and becomes slippery when wet.

How practical is its space and tech inside?

7 / 10

Our test vehicle’s modestly sized propulsion battery contributes to its relatively light 1520kg kerb weight, which when deducted from its 1970kg GVM (how much weight it can legally carry) allows for up to 450kg that could easily be used up by four large adults and some light luggage.

It’s also rated to tow up to 500kg of trailer but MG does not publish how much weight it can legally carry and tow at the same time, so we don’t know if it can carry its maximum vehicle weight while towing its maximum trailer weight.

Admittedly, the need to tow is probably not high on the priority list of small BEV buyers, but it’s handy to know it can tow a light box trailer or carry a bicycle rack on its towbar for those with recreational activities in mind.

The rear luggage area offers 382 litres of load space with the 60/40-split rear seat backrests upright (ample for a weekly grocery shop) which increases to 1266 litres or close to 1.3 cubic metres with the backrests folded flat to create an extended load area.

Storage space is optimised by the load floor’s two-tiered design, courtesy of its rear section being hinged. When opened it allows access to a deep 98-litre compartment below, which is a handy place to carry numerous items including the AC charger cable in its neat carry bag.

Generous front-of-cabin storage includes a bottle holder and bin in each door plus a single glove box. There’s also a two-tiered or ‘floating’ centre console with the bottom tier offering open storage, a 12V socket and two USB ports while the top tier has two cupholders, wireless phone charging and a lidded box at the back.

The rear seating is surprisingly spacious even for tall people, given I’m 186cm and when seated behind the driver’s seat set in my position I have about 80mm of knee clearance and about half that in headroom, which is better than numerous dual cab utes. Its flat floor also enhances foot space as there’s no transmission hump for a centre passenger to straddle.

There’s a bottle holder and bin in each rear door, pockets on both front seat backrests and adjustable vents plus a USB port on the rear of the centre console. Shoulder room is more than cosy for three rear passengers, so for adults this should be restricted to short trips only.

What are the key stats for its motor?

7 / 10

The MG4 EV Urban features what MG calls the '6-in-1' electric drive system, which is its latest space efficient front-wheel drive architecture that neatly integrates all key drivetrain components in one compact unit.

The Essence 54’s single electric motor, which produces 118kW of power and 250Nm of torque, drives the front wheels through a single-speed automatic transmission. It offers a choice of numerous drive modes including a handy ‘one pedal’ drive setting which, thanks to strong regenerative braking, makes the brake pedal largely redundant.

What is its driving range? What is its charging time?

7 / 10

MG claims the Essence 54 model has a combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) WLTP range of up to 405km from a single charge of its 54kWh propulsion battery and average energy consumption of 16.1kWh/100km. Using fast DC charging it takes 30 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent.

At the start of our test the dash display was showing 97 per cent charge and 407km estimated driving range.

We drove 216km on mostly metro roads with 42 per cent charge and 174km range remaining. After 4.5 hours of charging at home using the supplied AC cable with domestic three-pin plug, the battery charge increased to 53 per cent and range climbed to 222km.

We drove another 53km to clock a total test distance of 269km during which we achieved average combined consumption of 14.2kWh/100km, which validates MG’s claim of around 400km of driving range in real-world use that’s among the longest available in this vehicle segment.

What’s it like to drive?

7 / 10

Even tall drivers can find a comfortable position thanks to plenty of headroom combined with the chunky leather-rimmed steering wheel’s flat bottom design providing ample torso room. There’s also a large left footrest, powered seat adjustment and good vision. The heated seat and steering wheel are also welcome winter luxuries.

It’s enjoyable to drive as its 0-100km/h time of 8.7 seconds is among the faster contenders in this segment, with the electric motor’s instant torque ensuring spirited response from traffic lights and energetic all-around performance. We used the ‘one pedal’ mode most of the time as its strong regenerative braking not only requires minimal use of the brake pedal but also optimises battery replenishment.

Its agile handling provides surefooted cornering with nicely weighted and responsive steering. Overall, it’s hard to find any major flaw in the driving experience, although there is noticeable tyre noise at highway speeds.

What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?

8 / 10

The MG4 comes standard with ANCAP’s maximum five-star safety rating (awarded in 2025) which ensures benchmark active safety highlighted by seven airbags, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert (including autonomous reverse braking), lane-keeping, tyre pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise control and lots more. There’s also ISOFIX child seat anchorages on the two outer rear seats plus three top tethers.

What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

7 / 10

Standard warranty is seven years/unlimited km (extendable to 10 years/250,000km if serviced by an authorised MG dealer) and seven years of roadside assist. There’s also a separate eight years/160,000km warranty for the propulsion battery.

Scheduled servicing is every 24 months/40,000km whichever occurs first but MG Motor is yet to confirm local price caps.

MG Motor Australia has a national network of 95 authorised dealers.

Verdict