MG MG4 Urban vs Volvo EX30

What's the difference?

The MG4 Urban is not only the right car at the right time, perfectly catering to buyers looking to avoid rising petrol prices, it’s also a welcome return-to-form for MG as a brand.

MG is seemingly at its best when it sticks to small cars. It has traditionally excelled with the MG3 and ZS, smaller, more affordable products that keep expectations in check and can win over customers looking for the best bang-for-their-buck rather than simply the best car.

That’s not to say the MG4 Urban isn’t a good car. It offers tremendous value for money, excellent interior space and drives nicely, so anyone who has been considering making the switch to an EV should seriously consider this new arrival.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

There’s a lot to like about the Volvo EX30 Cross Country. It’s an impressive AWD EV. Nice to drive, comfortable and offering the extra driver confidence an AWD system brings.

It also looks good, has a decent stack of features onboard and has plenty of appeal for owners, especially in terms of servicing costs.

As an EV tourer, it has a reasonable driving range and offers enough in terms of AWD flexibility to appeal to those people who may like the idea of an all-electric adventure machine.

But it is small, has a limited scope of off-road capability and pricing is ranging upward for what it offers.

MG says the design inspiration for the MG4 Urban came from the $100,000 Cyberster. While there are certainly a lot of differences between that roadster and this hatchback, the air-intakes and wheel design are indeed very similar. And I guess the badge is the same too, so there’s that…

But, comparing it to the Cyberster misses the point. What makes the MG4 Urban’s design more interesting is the bits you can’t see. While it shares the same name as the MG4 Hatch, this car has almost nothing in common with it. That’s because this new MG4 Urban is based on the brand’s newer EV underpinnings that debuted on the MGS5 EV.

That means the MG4 Urban is front-wheel drive, whereas the hatch is rear-wheel drive, and because of the way the battery is integrated into the chassis, it creates not only a bigger hatchback but also one with a different shape.

The Urban is more ‘cab forward’ (to use design parlance) meaning a shorter bonnet, which creates more cabin room. It also means there is more boot space because the powertrain is located up front.

MG does a good job with cabin presentation too. It’s another step forward for the brand, improving the overall level of fit and finish from its earlier models, to create a cabin that looks modern and doesn’t feel like it has been built to a price.

This Cross Country is 4233mm long (with a 2650mm wheelbase) 1850mm wide, and 1567mm high. It has a listed kerb weight of 1910kg.

It’s a slick-looking compact SUV with more than its fair share of hints at its off-road aspirations including raised suspension so it perches higher off the deck than its regular EX30 stablemates (190mm of ground clearance). It has dark coloured front and rear body panelling, dark wheel-arch extensions (built to cop any loose gravel or dirt while all-wheel driving on well-maintained bush tracks), and if you get on the ground to check, front and rear skid-plates.

Quirky touches include an impression on the front bumper section of a topographical map depicting the highest mountain range in Sweden (as well as the apparent co-ordinates to that location), and interesting doodles under the lid of the front boot (what I like to call the 'froot' whereas as you might call it the frunk for front trunk).

Overall, the Cross Country has a spartan-style cabin. No, I don’t mean there are swords and shields and oiled-up blokes in loin cloths here – just that there’s a clear, basic layout that leans more towards functional than flashy.

It also has a fixed-in-place panoramic glass roof that has no sliding cover built into the ceiling and I’m not a big fan of having my noggin exposed all of the time.

As I just mentioned, the cabin is bigger than the other MG4, which creates good space in both seating rows. 

Up front they’ve placed the gear selector on the steering column to create space for more storage in the centre of the car. That means there’s plenty of shelves, cubbies and cup holders to take care of your small (and not so small) items, spread across the cabin.

As for the boot, the switch to a front motor and a smaller rear suspension means a 382-litre boot with all seats up and 1266L if you drop the back seats. Plus there’s a 98L underfloor storage spot, in place of a spare wheel (with a puncture repair kit included instead).

The design of the key controls are simple and easy to use, with a digital display for the instruments ahead of the driver and a 12.8-inch multimedia screen in the centre of the dashboard.

Navigating the menus is relatively straightforward but in a victory for user-friendliness, MG has listened to feedback (and incoming Chinese government regulations) and added some physical controls. There are buttons and a dial for the air-conditioning system and a volume knob for the sound system.

Inside, the driver misses out on a digital instrument display but the centrally-located, vertically-mounted 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as pretty much every control and gauge you could wish for and, as driver, you quickly get used to checking that screen for your current speed etc.

It also offers a way to open the glove box (that sits below the screen) and quick ways to switch off driver-assist aids, such as 'Lane Departure Warning' and the 'Driver Alert System', which could otherwise be a bit annoying. Unfortunately, you have to switch off those systems every time you get back in the car.

The screen is where you’re also able to cycle through drive modes, vehicle settings and the like. The front seats are power-adjustable set-ups and they are heated but not ventilated. There is plenty of durable plastic inside the cabin as well as a denim-like 'tailored wool blend' seat upholstery and soft-touch surfaces.

In terms of space, well, as befitting a compact SUV, there’s not a lot of it for gear or people. The aforementioned glove box is small, there’s no centre console (only sliding cupholders above, and a narrow receptacle below with a wireless charging pad) plus the door pockets are thin and shallow.

And second-row passengers don’t fare too well, either. It’s squeezy back there – even for a Hobbit-sized bloke like me – and there are few amenities.

No fold-down armrest with cupholders, no directional air vents and that panoramic glass roof doesn’t have a sliding cover so those in the front and back cop the full brunt of the summer sun. I can vouch for the ouch too because I had this Cross Country during record-high summer temps in NSW and my gigantic forehead (due to a hairline that keeps creeping rearward) suffered a roasting. That’s about the only circumstance – no sunroof cover and extreme heat – in which it’s okay for someone to wear a hat while driving.

In terms of storage, with both rows in use, there’s a listed 318L of volume in the rear cargo area and 1000L when the second row is stowed away. The rear cargo area has a light and bag hooks and there’s a charging cable and tyre-repair kit in the shallow underfloor storage space.

It’s well worth noting that this vehicle, despite being marketed as an all-wheel drive vehicle with adventure potential, doesn’t have any spare tyre onboard.

At the front of the Cross Country, there is seven litres of cargo volume in what I call the 'Froot' (front boot) rather than the 'Frunk' (front trunk).

The Volvo EX30 Cross Country is top-of-the-range in the three-variant EX30 range and it has a manufacturer suggested list price of $69,990. It’s the best variant in the range if you’re keen to travel beyond the bitumen. For reference, at time of writing, the 2026 Volvo EX30 Single motor Extended range Plus is $59,990, before on-road costs, and the Extended Range Ultra is $66,290, excluding on-roads.

Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and over-the-air software updates), wireless charging, AWD, three driving modes, a Harman Kardon stereo with front sound-bar, a 360-degree camera view, semi-autonomous parking assist and 19-inch alloy wheels.

It also has LED headlights and tail-lights, a digital key (Bluetooth phone unlocking), heated steering wheel, power tailgate and a fixed panoramic glass roof (but no sliding cover).

In terms of off-road-specific features it has a 'Performance' drive mode (which optimises all-wheel drive), 'Hill Descent Control' and front and rear skid plates.

Exterior paint options include 'Cloud Blue', 'Crystal White', 'Onyx Black', 'Vapour Grey' and 'Sand Dune'.

For reference, vehicles that you might consider rivals in the same realm as the Cross Country – such as the Kia EV3 (about $63,950 MSRP for a top-spec GT-Line), Zeekr X (about $64,900 MSRP for the top-of-the-range all-wheel drive variant), and Skoda Enyaq (about $65,990 MSRP for the 85 Sportline) – are a few grand cheaper while packing as much, if not more, features onboard and managing to look and feel more premium than the Volvo. The Cross Country's price is creeping up for a vehicle that is quite spartan inside. More about that soon.

The MG4 Urban Standard Range is powered by a 110kW/250Nm electric motor that drives the front-wheels via a single-speed transmission. The Extended Range has slightly more performance, 118kW and 250Nm, but aside from that they are the same motor.

The EX30 Cross Country has a twin-motor electric set-up, producing a combined 315kW and 543Nm. It has a single-speed transmission and a 69kWh battery.

Drive modes include 'Standard', 'Performance' (taps into all-wheel drive and is the preferred mode for light off-roading) and 'Range' (defaults to rear-wheel drive to get most out of battery).

It does not have any off-road driving modes (like Sand, Mud or Snow) but it does have 'Hill Descent Control'.

Claimed 0-100km/h time is just 3.7 seconds.

The biggest difference between the two MG4 Urban variants is the battery. The Standard Range has a 43kWh battery good for 316km of driving between charging, while the Extended Range gets a bigger 54kWh battery to make it capable of up to 405km.

We didn’t drive the car long enough to get a clear indication of real-world efficiency and range, but it performed well during our drive in suburban Sydney. The steady stop-start traffic gave the battery its best chance to perform well and the early indications are its range is close to claim, at least under the right circumstances. We’ll have to reserve definitive judgement until we’ve had a longer test drive.

What MG was very keen to highlight are the cost savings of buying an EV at a time of sky-high petrol prices. The company made a point that using off-peak electricity, which can be had for just 6c per kW from certain providers, means you can replenish the battery of the MG4 Urban Standard for just $3.44. 

Official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) energy consumption is listed as 19.1kWh/100km. On this test, I recorded 18.4kWh/100km, which is impressive, especially considering I took this Volvo on some tracks that pushed the limit of its capabilities.

For reference, the 2026 Subaru Solterra AWD Touring has claimed energy use of 16.0kWh/100km, but I've yet to test it to gauge its real-world energy consumption, under pressure in tough (for an AWD) conditions.

The EX30 Cross Country has a 69kWh battery and according to Volvo can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes on a fast 175kW DC charger.

It took me about 18 hours to get it from 20 to 80 per cent on a household socket (16 amp/3.6kW).

It has a listed driving range of 417km (WLTP) on a full charge. Official driving range is “up to 417km (WLTP)”.

What really stood out about the MG4 Hatch is its rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive layout, which made it a very dynamic and almost sporty car. In my 2023 review I called it “a genuinely enjoyable small car to drive".

The MG4 Urban doesn’t quite leave the same impression. Again, we had only a brief and (appropriately) urban test drive around Sydney’s beachside suburbs, but the MG4 Urban proved competent rather than commendable.

But, let’s be honest, unless you’re looking for driving thrills in the wrong place (affordable, city-focused hatchbacks) the MG4 Urban does the job it is required to do. It’s as nice as any other mainstream hatch to drive from Point A to Point B.

The ride could be a little softer and more compliant, with the suspension feeling too firm at times, but with its electric motor it’s a quiet and relaxed driving experience. The electric motor provides adequate performance too, certainly more torque in less time than you’ll get in a petrol-powered hatch.

Curiously, MG Australia executives said the MG4 Urban was locally evaluated and tuned but could only offer a vague mention of ‘holistic’ changes to better suit it to local conditions, rather than pointing to any specific Australia-developed changes to the suspension, steering or powertrain.

This compact, all electric SUV has a ton of power and torque from the get-go. It’s impressive on almost all surfaces and it really is fast.

It has listed kerb weight of 1910kg and a turning circle of 11m, and this is a highly manoeuvrable vehicle.

The driving position is at best low and sporty, and there’s adequate visibility, even though it is pinched in places, especially looking back towards the rear of the vehicle.

This is a smooth and refined compact SUV that's nice to drive on- and off-road.

The Cross Country punches well above its weight in terms of power and torque and throttle response is great. It even errs on the side of too energetic, but steering is precise, the transmission is slick and the brakes have plenty of bite.

You’re able to change driving characteristics on the main screen by cycling through the drive modes (Standard, Range and Performance). Performance is a key mode when you hit the dirt because that fully engages and optimises the all-wheel drive system to give you that sure-footedness on looser surfaces.

Range is aimed at optimising the vehicle’s energy efficiency and Standard is not too bad for general day-to-day driving conditions.

When you do get off road, it handles minor corrugations well. It also deals with deeper, more severe potholes reasonably well. It’s pleasantly surprising that it stays so settled and composed while you're going through some lumpy and bumpy stuff.

The Cross Country is not an off-road animal as such, it can handle things when the road surface becomes more traction-compromised than you may normally face. But with limited ground clearance (even if it’s 19mm higher off the ground than the regular EX30 for a total of 190mm) the Cross Country is not a rock-crawling beast.

It doesn't have any off-road driving modes, however it does have hill descent control. But that's really for mild inclines and downhills where it has to hold a safer speed than it may otherwise achieve.

In terms of dimensions, it's not that well set up for off-roading. You don't want to take this anywhere near four-wheel drive only terrain. But having said that, it is more than capable of handling light to moderate off-road conditions – mild corrugations, some deeper potholes here and there, loose gravel, loose stones, those sorts of things.

In fact, there's no reason why you can't drive this vehicle on well-maintained tracks in dry conditions to your favourite campsite in a national park, even if it's a bit slippery.

The suspension set-up – Macpherson strut front, multi-link rear – is well suited to on-road driving. And while the Cross Country tends to feel a bit firm in places, it remains composed and settled when things become lumpier and bumpier, say, for instance on dirt tracks and gravel roads.

Its raised suspension (compared to the regular EX30) is on the firm side of things and it become a little jittery when the road becomes more corrugated and less well-maintained. But otherwise it is mostly well settled, well composed and ride and handling is nicely controlled.

This Volvo’s towing capacity is 1600kg.

Its all-season tyres – Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance SUV (235/50R19) – are on 19 inch rims and that’s not a package well suited to off-roading of any kind, really. There’s always the option of swapping them for some all terrain tyres on an 18-inch rim and that combination would instantly make this Cross Country even better for mild to moderate off-roading.

The Volvo EX30 Cross Country has the maximum five-star ANCAP rating from testing in 2024.

It scored 35.27 out of 40 (88%) for Adult Occupant Protection, 42.03 out of 49 (85%) for Child Occupant Protection, 50.36 out of 63 (79%) for Vulnerable Road User Protection, and 14.48 out of 18 (80%) for Safety Assist (includes AEB, driver monitoring and lane support system).

As standard, it has seven airbags and a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech including AEB (with pedestrian, vehicle, large animal and cyclist detection), 'Lane Departure Warning' (intrusive in operation, but easy to switch off), a 'Driver Alert System' (also over-reactive but easy to switch off), adaptive cruise control, hill descent control, a 360 degree camera view (with a 3D view) and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

As mentioned, it’s missing any real off-road driving modes but then again, the Cross Country isn’t built to tackle anything too rough and tumble.

There is a ISOFIX child seat attachment on each outer seat in the second row and top-tether anchor points on all second-row seatbacks.

The MG4 Urban is covered by the brand’s 10-year/250,000km warranty, as long as you service it at an official MG service centre. If you don’t get your car serviced with the company directly, your warranty reverts to seven-year/unlimited km coverage.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 25,000km and will cost you $1366 over the first five years. The cheapest visit is just $149 but the major service, after four years, is a pricey $472, which does push against the idea that EVs are cheaper to service due to less moving parts.

The Volvo EX30 Cross Country is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty (with roadside assistance included) and an eight-year/160,000km warranty applies to the battery set-up.

A five-year/150,000km servicing plan applies and is free – and that is well worth noting here. While free/complimentary servicing is not unheard of in the EV space – it's offered with Audi e-tron, Polestar 4 (Long Range AWD), Genesis (GV70), BYD (Sealion 7) and more – the fact Volvo offers it on a variant that may spend at least some time on unsealed roads is commendable.

Servicing appointments are set for every 24 months/30,000km, whichever occurs soonest.

Volvo Group Australia has more than 40 dealerships as well as numerous Volvo-approved workshops across the country.