What's the difference?
The small BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) sedan segment of Australia’s new car market is logically where those looking for the lowest priced entry point to EV ownership go shopping.
Chinese manufacturer MG has focused on value-for-money in a practical city-based BEV with the release of its front-wheel drive (FWD) MG4 EV Urban, which offers a lower priced alternative to the premium rear-wheel drive/all-wheel drive (RWD/AWD) MG4 EV range with which it shares showrooms.
We recently spent a week aboard this well-equipped five-door hatch to see if it's well suited to city living.
The smallest car in Skoda’s local line-up is also its most affordable, but only just.
When the current generation Fabia launched with the halo Monte Carlo variant at almost $40,000, it was a bit of a surprise for a small hatch from what’s seen as an affordable brand.
Now, there’s a new entry-level version of Skoda’s bub and, while it’s not nearly as cheap as it once was, it offers a choice that’s more within reach for anyone keen on a premium small car.
Can the Fabia Select convince customers looking at the likes of the Mazda 2 or Suzuki Swift to go Euro and cross the $30,000 threshold?
The MG4 EV Urban Essence 54 is a small but surprisingly spacious five-door hatch with its convenient driving range requiring minimal charging when serving as a zippy urban runabout. Cross-shopping with rivals will highlight its generous standard features and competitive drive-away pricing for those wanting a low-priced but well equipped entry to city-focused BEV ownership.
Once you get past the shock of the Fabia no longer being a sub-$25K car (because let’s face it, what is anymore?), the fact that it remains refreshingly simple to live with and engaging on the road should be celebrated.
It has its downsides if you need space, and you can buy a light (or even small) SUV for the same price, but you’ll be compromising in other areas.
The Skoda Fabia can’t do everything, but what it can, it does well. Plus, it’s certainly less common than the similarly priced Toyota Yaris.