MG4 Review

Practicality and boot space

Climb inside and the advantages of MG’s purpose-built underpinnings are obvious. The flat floor and lack of an engine bay means that there is plenty of legroom all round. Despite being a physically smaller car than the MG5 estate, the 4 feels the more spacious of the two, and thanks to an open-plan dashboard arrangement, it feels more contemporary, too.

Rear passengers have plenty of head and legroom and there's space to fit three thanks to a wide back seat and a flat floor. Further back, the boot is wide and decently shaped. The capacity figure of 363 litres is only average for the class, but trumps the Ora Funky Cat and the load floor is wide and should easily be able to accommodate enough luggage for a week away. With all the seats down there's 1,177 litres (1,165 litres in the Extended Range and XPower models) which is roomy but don't expect a flat floor. And there are areas where the cost cutting is evident when you open the tailgate too, with bare metal and dull paint.

Interior & Design

The driving position feels natural and more like a traditional hatchback than an SUV. You do sit a little higher than you would in, say, a Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus, but thanks to plenty of adjustment on the steering column and seat, it's easy to find a comfortable driving position. The seats themselves are sharply sculpted and offer plenty of side and under-thigh support. There could be more lumbar support though - the SE model we tried gave us a bit of backache after an hour's driving. 

Our only other concern is the gear selector plinth that juts out from the centre console. Those with longer legs will find the edge a little too close to their knees – especially when getting inside in a hurry. 

Dashboard

The MG4 has a very simply designed dashboard – it’s almost Tesla-like in its appearance, and that’s a good thing as it makes the already spacious cabin feel even roomier. The quality of the touch points (the bits you touch the most often) all feel good, especially the steering wheel and the fake leather seats, but there are harder plastics used throughout such as on the doors. Considering the MG4’s price we have no complaints, though, and if we’re being really honest, the MG4 has the measure of the pre-2023 and updated Volkswagen ID.3 for interior quality.

One thing that is a shame is the interior is all rather gloomy. The dashboard, headlining and seats are all black, and the only thing that tries to lighten the interior is the trim on the centre console and that’s, you guessed it, shiny ‘piano’ black plastic. MG doesn’t offer any different interior shades like you find on the Ora Funky Cat or Volkswagen ID.3, and there isn’t even the option of a sunroof to brighten up the interior. 

Technology & Equipment

The MG4 comes with a pair of screens – a seven-inch one that sits in front of the driver, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen for the infotainment. The driver’s display features all the basic information you need, but sadly doesn’t display sat-nav and there’s no head-up display – but the latter is understandable at the MG4’s price point. All MG4s come with the same 10.25-inch touchscreen. It’s a crisp, clear screen and it runs MG’s own operating system which is neatly arranged and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though both have to be connected with a cable. There are a couple of gripes – the screen is a little slow to respond at times, and some of the icons such as the heated seat buttons are tiny. 

The MG4 is well equipped with basic SE cars coming with LED front and rear lights, rear parking sensors, vehicle to load technology (which allows you to use AC power to charge items such as laptops), and MG's iSMART app. The app allows owners to check the car's battery, set the interior temperature, along with other things. 

Trophy models add luxuries like 360-degree parking camera, wireless phone charging, heated front seats and steering wheel. 

Safety

All MG4s get lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control and driver attention alert. Move up to Trophy and MG throws in blind-spot monitoring, lane-change assist, door opening warning and rear cross traffic alert. Independent crash testers EuroNCAP gave the MG4 a full five stars when it tested the car in 2022. For adult occupant protection it was awarded an 83% rating, and for child occupant it got an 80% score.