CarExpert's senior road tester took the new MG 4 EV Urban from Sydney into the Southern Highlands to see whether one of Australia's cheapest EVs can handle more than the school run. It's a different car from the MG 4 hatch buyers already know: drive goes to the front wheels, the styling is rounder and calmer, and at close to 4.4 metres long with a 2750mm wheelbase it seats five comfortably, with 382 litres of cargo space that grows to 1266 litres behind a folded rear bench.
Price is the headline act. The long-range 54kWh grade sits at $34,990 drive-away, and a $2000 cashback currently brings the Essence 54 down to $32,990 while the entry Essence 43 slips below $30,000. The kit list reads far above that: a 12.8-inch centre touchscreen, separate 7.0-inch instrument display, wireless phone mirroring and charging, a 360-degree camera, heated seats and steering wheel, vehicle-to-load output, and physical buttons for everyday functions. Two batteries are offered — a 43kWh LFP pack rated at 316km WLTP and a 54kWh unit good for 405km — supported by up to 150kW DC charging (10-80% in around half an hour), a heat pump, battery pre-conditioning, and up to 10 years of warranty with dealership servicing.
The 54kWh front-driver produces 118kW and 250Nm, reaching 100km/h in a claimed 8.7 seconds — modest numbers that understate how willing and nimble it feels on winding country roads, thanks to a 1.5-tonne kerb weight, accurate steering and adjustable regen with one-pedal driving, all while riding comfortably over broken surfaces. The verdict: rather than a stripped-out bargain, the Urban makes cheap electric motoring feel ordinary in the best sense — a proper car that just happens to be electric, and exceptional value at $32,990 drive-away.