2026 MG 4 spied: Two-car strategy firming for small EV segment

MG could release a second small electric hatchback in Australia, giving it yet another rival for the likes of the BYD Dolphin and GWM Ora.

Images taken by CarExpert reader Lindsay in Canberra show a camouflaged, right-hand drive version of the new MG 4 previewed in China in March.

“We have taken our evaluation of this new model to the next stage in our process. It is under serious consideration to join alongside our award winning MG4 range to best match technology to the evolving needs of Australian drivers and lifestyles,” said an MG Motor Australia spokesperson.

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“The much loved current MG4 is not going anywhere. Further testing will be completed before a decision is reached around this new model in Australia.”

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While this new model has confusingly been revealed as the new MG 4 in China – where the existing MG 4 is no longer available – it’s almost certain to wear a different nameplate here.

In late June, MG parent SAIC Motor applied to trademark the name MG 4 EV Urban with IP Australia.

MG said earlier this month that no decision had been made to use this name.

However, of the MG trademarks SAIC Motor has filed over the past five years, all bar one – the QS Plug-in Hybrid – has subsequently appeared on a vehicle in local showrooms.

The MG 4 will be officially launched in China on August 5, 2025.

MG previewed the new MG 4 in March as its first global vehicle of 2025, but didn’t show off its interior until later.

Video clips and images published by MG on Chinese social media have shown off a minimalist interior in a shade of beige, featuring a large and free-standing, landscape-oriented touchscreen and digital instrument cluster.

A single row of buttons sits below the touchscreen, while in China at least it’ll offer MG’s new ‘cockpit system’, which was developed with smartphone brand Oppo but also supports Huawei and Apple devices, allowing voice-activated commands, gesture-based navigation and smartphone mirroring.

There’s still much that is not known about the vehicle, though MG Motor Australia confirmed earlier this year that it is based on a different platform to the rear/all-wheel drive Modular Scalable Platform that underpins the existing MG 4 and new MG S5 EV small electric SUV.

A Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) filing, shared by Car News China, revealed the new MG 4 measures 4395mm long, 1842mm wide and 1551mm tall on a 2750mm wheelbase.

That makes it 108mm longer, 6mm wider and up to 47mm taller than the current MG 4, on a 45mm longer wheelbase.

Technical specifications in the filing are reportedly limited, though a single electric powertrain comprising a 120kW electric motor is listed, along with a kerb weight of 1485kg.

The new hatch uses a 70kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery.

Despite featuring a front bumper and tail-lights inspired by the flagship Cyberster electric sports car, the new hatch is much more softly styled than the existing MG 4 that’s no longer offered in China but remains popular in markets such as Australia and Europe.

The softer styling is complemented by new pastel green and purple exterior finishes, though MG has also shown off a bright red MG 4 on Weibo with black stripes.

The current MG 4 may not have been a hit in China, but in the first half of 2025 it was Australia’s fifth best-selling EV.

MG delivered 2268 examples, making it more popular than the Dolphin (1337) despite a sales drop of 18.2 per cent from the same period last year.

MORE: Explore the MG 4 showroom