MG4 2025 review: Essence 77kWh long-term | Part 2

And that’s time on the MG4, with the little EV earning its place among the most city-friendly offerings available right now, especially in light of the brand’s most recent pricing changes.

See, Australia is in the midst of an EV price war. And in September this year, MG fired its most aggressive shot yet, slashing the price of its MG4 to just $30,990 drive-away. Sure, that’s for the cheapest Excite 51 variant, but that is still incredibly good value.

Remember when we used to talk about EV and ICE vehicle price parity coming? Well, it’s here now, with the cheapest MG4 coming in at under the cheapest Corolla Hybrid, and the Mazda3.

‘Factory bonuses’ have been applied to the rest of the range, too — including the vehicle we’ve tested here — but truthfully, the EV price landscape is so volatile it’s almost not worth writing them down.

If you’re in the market for a new EV, do your research (or come to CarsGuide.com.au where we will have done it for you), because I can pretty much guarantee there will be a bargain out there somewhere.

Put it this way – our car, the Long Range 77, technically listed at $53,990 in May. Further price offers then brought that down to more like $51k. Today, MY23 plate cars are  $42,990 (-$8,000), while MY24 plate care are $45,990 (-$5000) before on roads.

Anyway, I tell you all this because, after a few months behind the wheel of this MG4, my thoughts on this have really crystallised. For my lifestyle, which largely exists in the city but with plenty of adventures at the weekend, this little EV would work perfectly as a second car. 

That would mean fuel-free commuting most of the time, but with a petrol-powered option waiting in the wings should a longer trip beckon.

That will change with battery tech, I’m sure. Solid-state batteries are coming (Nissan, amongst others, will soon launch a pilot program for the tech) and they should be a production reality sometime in 2025, unlocking much longer driving ranges from much smaller battery packs.

But for now, an EV best suits my life as a second vehicle – actually, as the main vehicle, with a backup option waiting somewhere – and at these prices, that’s got to be a viable reality for plenty of two-car Australian families, right?

The reality is that relying on public charging still sucks a bit. There's no two ways about it. They're not always where you need them, when you need them, and it means more planning than I'm used to before embarking on longer trips.

They also extend trips, because even the fastest-charging EVs will see you stationary for 15-plus minutes for a substantial top up.

But I found that in real life, I rarely bothered with public charging. I mostly charged at home (often around once a week), and only used roadside chargers when in a pinch while taking longer trips (read my first instalment for one such trip). Besides, the benefits of being able to plug in at home – especially if you have solar panels – rather than play fuel price lotto is a massive perk.

There are some quirks of MG4 ownership. The get-in-and-start function needs help. The system deployed here is clunky and far from seamless, which is also exactly how I’d describe the infotainment. I found Apple CarPlay only worked (for me, at least), if I plugged in the USB after the car had ‘switched on’. If I plugged in my phone before the car had come to life, it just wouldn’t recognise the connection.

And yes, these were annoying, but for me they weren’t deal breakers. The MG4 is a clever and pretty practical city EV, and one that’s pretty fun to drive, too.

It's 4287mm long and 1836mm wide, which makes it mega easy to manoeuvre in the city, and its EV packaging means there's decent room in the backseat, and a usable 350L-1165L boot space, too.

With a 6.5s sprint to 100km/h, it's pretty spritely, too. Which ties in neatly with what I think is probably the best thing about the MG4 ownership experience –the way it drives.

This isn't a spongey, soggy Chinese car. The MG4 feels far more tailored to our conditions, and our tastes, with a firm ride, direct steering and the sense that the vehicle will respond to your inputs rather than take a moment to think about them before acting.

Fun to drive, cheap to charge, and easy to live with. And seemingly getting cheaper by the day. If you're looking for a runabout EV for the city, the MG4 makes plenty of sense.

Acquired: July, 2024

Distance travelled this month: 600km

Odometer: 6115km

Average energy consumption this month: 17.9 kWh/100km