2022 MG Mulan Reviews

Just when you thought utes and SUVs were about to completely take over Australia’s automotive scene, small cars are making something of a comeback.And it’s not the usual suspects like the Toyota Corollas and Mazda3s of the world that are bumping up interest in small sedans and hatchbacks. It is also electric cars.According to official year-to-date sales data to the end of November this year, small-car sales are up by 12 per cent compared with the same period in 2023. While that doesn’t sound like a massive increase, it represents the biggest percentage increase out of any SUV or passenger car segment.So what is driving this interest in smaller models? A couple of factors it turns out.The biggest contributor to the rise in sales is the influx of electric cars to the segment. Previously, the only electric small car was the Nissan Leaf which, while it was a pioneering EV model, never sold in huge numbers.Now there are a trio of EVs boosting the segment. The biggest selling small EV in Australia, by some margin, is the MG4 hatch. With 6079 sales, an increase of 140.6 per cent to the end of November, the MG4 is also the fifth best-selling small car.Sharp retail deals on model year 2023 MG4s, including a limited $30,990 drive-away price on the entry-level 51 Excite, helped boost interest in the Chinese-built EV.Another couple of small Chinese electric hatchbacks that are selling well include the BYD Dolphin which has found 1885 homes so far this year, an increase of 174 per cent over 2023.The GWM Ora has also nabbed 1182 sales, up by 175.5 per cent year on year.Two small EVs have seen sales drops, like the Cupra Born which has dipped by 47 per cent to 439 units, as well as the Nissan Leaf, which is down by 30.5 per cent, but that model is in runout in Australia following the end of UK production earlier this year.While EVs are doing the heavy lifting in the resurgent small-car sector, traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) small models are doing their part too.After a serious sales blip due to stock issues, the Kia Cerato is having a bumper year, with sales up by 187.5 per cent to 14,807 units, making it the second best-selling small car behind the dominant Toyota Corolla.The Cerato result is interesting given this generation went on sale in mid-2018. It is also now in runout ahead of quarter one, 2025 launch of its replacement, now dubbed the K4.The Corolla is also having a good run this year with 22,526 sales (up by 24.5%), ensuring a likely top 10 placing in the overall make/model sales chart. The Mazda3 is also in positive territory, up 13 per cent to 9618.A couple of other famous nameplates have seen sales declines, like the Hyundai i30 (11,616, -40.7%) and Volkswagen Golf (2593, -22.6%).At one point in history small cars made up one of the largest sales categories, but now with a 7.7 per cent slice of the overall market, it trails medium SUVs, 4x4 pick-ups, small SUVs and large SUVs.From 2011 to 2015 small cars ruled the top spot of the sales charts in Australia, with the Mazda3, then the Toyota Corolla taking top spot, before the Toyota HiLux ute came along and changed the face of the new-car market in 2016.

The replacement for the MG ZS electric SUV is inching closer to sale in Australia.

Chinese company IM Motors, which is a stablemate of MG, has debuted a new electric car with an astounding claimed driving range.

The small-car segment is stagnant at the moment and consumers are starting to wonder where the replacements for the ageing Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Hyundai i30 are, amongst others. Well, some are coming, others may not, and Kia may just have the answer you seek.

ANCAP has released a raft of new scores for eight new models which have landed in Australia this year, with some notable new entrants falling short of the maximum five-star rating.

The Toyota RAV4 hybrid topped sales charts again in November, but it isn’t likely to take the number one spot from the Ford Ranger this year.

MG has just launched its new mid-size SUV, and we've lived with it now for a month to find out everything you need to know about this Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 and Chery Tiggo 7 Pro challenger.

MG has doubled down on its price cuts for the MG4 electric small car.It has slashed about $10,000 off the price of the Excite 64kWh variant, with a new national drive-away price of $34,990.It applies to 2023 models and follows a similar discount in September to 2023 versions of the base Excite 51kWh variant.That deal catapulted the MG4 above fast sellers like the Tesla Model Y and BYD Atto 3 in the sales charts.The 51kWh model is currently priced at a national drive-away price of $32,990 for 2024 variants.The 64kWh version comes with a significantly bigger battery that delivers a claimed driving range of up to 450km, or 100km more than the smaller capacity 51kWh variant.MG Motor Australia’s CCO Giles Belcher said, “MG saw an incredible response to the pricing offers on the MG4 in October. Our dealerships across the country were able to help Australians switch to EV driving with the MG4. These price offers finish at the end of the year and will never be repeated.”These discounts make the two MGs the cheapest electric cars on the market.It also puts it on par or less than most petrol and hybrid vehicles.A Toyota Corolla Hybrid starts at about $36,000 and the cheapest Mazda3 starts at $32,990, drive-away — it even gets close to the brand's cut-price hybrid, the MG 3 Essence ($30,490 drive-away in Vic).Another sweetener on the deal is all MGs are now covered by a 10 year/250,000km warranty and seven years of capped priced servicing.All versions - beside the performance orientated XPower - use a single rear-mounted electric motor that makes 125kW/250Nm in the 51kWh version and 25kWh extra or 150kW in the 64kWh and 77kWh examples.The bigger battery version also benefits from faster charging, with a max DC rate of 140kW compared to just 88kW in the base version. Both can only take up 6.6kW via an AC charging point.The two Excite variants are fairly basic inside with manually adjustable cloth-wrapped seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, a synthetic leather-trimmed steering wheel and a 7.0-inch digital driver display and 10.25-inch central multimedia screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.The discounted versions also miss some safety tech such as blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and emergency lane keep assist, which comes standard on more expensive versions./mg/mg4

Our best look at MG's QS Toyota-Kluger challenging large SUV before you're meant to see it.

MG's parent company announces second-gen solid state tech before its first-gen batteries are even on sale.