MG MG4 News
Trouble for Tesla and Toyota?
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By John Law · 09 Nov 2024
Is MG the latest headache for Tesla and Toyota? October’s electric car sales suggest the Chinese brand just might be. Tesla is out and MG is in, and it’s all thanks to price cuts that have bumped the highly regarded MG4 hatchback not only ahead of Model Y and Model 3 sales, but in front of Elon Musk’s controversial brand entirely. In October 2024, Tesla sold a total of 1464 cars, 1042 of which were Model Y and the remaining 422 Model 3s. During the same period, MG shifted a seriously impressive 1486 MG4 hatchbacks. For context, in the small-car segment that puts the MG4 only behind the Toyota Corolla (1751) and ahead of all others, including stalwarts such as the Hyundai i30, Kia Cerato (967) and Mazda3 (742). It also outsold the Toyota Camry.The MG4’s direct rivals including the GWM Ora (154) and BYD Dolphin (67) were nowhere near the MG last month. So what’s driving sales over at MG? It’s price. That’s the long and short of it. The brand is offering startlingly low entry points for its electric hatch, with the Excite 51kWh with 350km of WLTP range currently $32,990 drive-away — and that’s a national deal for MY24. Not only is that cheaper than the GWM Ora ($35,990, drive-away) and BYD Dolphin ($38,990, before on-road costs), but about $3000 less than a Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport hybrid, too.Stepping up to the Excite 64 with 450km driving range and the up-spec Essence, the brand’s offering an $8000 factory bonus, though that is restricted to MY23 models. Current versions (with minimal changes) are $44,990 and $46,990 (drive-away), respectively. Historically more popular than Ora and Dolphin anyway, the MG4 was finding between 300-400 homes a month earlier in the year. It was the dramatic price cut on September 20 that has drastically impacted sales. MG Chief Commercial Officer Giles Belcher made note of other reasons for MG4's success last month."At MG we believe we have a winning formula when it comes to buying a new car, and this includes EVs – we have award winning products, backed up by an industry leading 10-year warranty and at a price point that represents great value," said Belcher.To be fair to MG, while the Excite 51kWh was the most sold variant with 53 per cent share, that still leaves the other variants doing heavy lifting in sales terms.Price has been one of the biggest factors affecting EV popularity. Tesla is a great example, after a few mid-1000 Model Y months in April and May it slashed prices, corresponding to a huge month-on-month increase in June with 2906 Model Ys and 1777 Model 3s sold. That same month saw other marques, including Nissan, Peugeot and Ford, dramatically discount their electric cars. A near-instant increase in sales followed.If MG manages to keep such a sharp price point on the MG4 hatch while covering its operating costs, rivals like the Dolphin, Ora and other new rivals are unlikely to catch up by the end of the year. There will be a bigger challenge next year with more cut-price rivals such as the Kia EV3 and Hyundai Inster, not to mention fresh rivals such as Aion's new hatch, entering the fray.
MG commits to one brand in Australia
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By Tom White · 22 Oct 2024
MG won't launch premium or electric sub-brands as it commits to one marque in Australia
Why MG won't follow in Toyota's footsteps
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By Tom White · 21 Oct 2024
Despite offering nearly its entire range as electric or hybrids, MG will keep combustion versions of its cars around.
Why MG's Cyberster didn't go full retro
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By Tom White · 17 Oct 2024
Retro is all the rage, but here's why MG went in a different direction with its Cyberster drop-top.
Meet the new cheapest electric car in Oz
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By Dom Tripolone · 20 Sep 2024
The electric car price war might be coming to an end, and MG has won. The Chinese brand has ripped about $10,000 off the price of its cheapest MG4 electric car with a new national drive-away price of $30,990. This represents a drop of about 25 per cent for the MG4 51 Excite.
More bad news for Chinese electric car makers
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By Samuel Irvine · 27 Aug 2024
Canada has followed the lead of the US and European Union in announcing it will impose a big tariff on Chinese-made EVs. According to the Canadian government, the 100 per cent tax will apply to all vehicles imported from China, including those built by Tesla, who currently ships its Chinese-made EVs to Canada.
The bargain value new-car buys of 2024
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By Byron Mathioudakis · 03 Aug 2024
There are a handful of new-car bargain gems out there, with a combination of design, packaging, engineering, performance, economy and quality that belie their affordable pricing. We name our top seven picks.
Is the electric car price war ending?
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By Dom Tripolone · 19 Jul 2024
The electric car price war that has raged in Australia for the past few months might be drawing to a close.
New MG4-based SUV unveiled!
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By Laura Berry · 16 Jul 2024
The MG4 has been one of the most highly acclaimed electric cars on the market and now it looks a s though the Chinese carmaker is going to SUV-ify it!
Hello hatchback! Small cars, big comeback
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By Laura Berry · 05 Jul 2024
Something is happening to the car world and we're all witnessing it - the return of the hatchback and sedan, and we know why its happening