MG Motor Australia has locked in the new MG 4 electric hatchback revealed in China earlier this year for local release, but it won’t replace the existing MG 4.
Instead, MG will position the more softly styled, front-wheel drive hatch beneath the existing rear- and all-wheel drive model in Australia.
“The new-for-2026 front-wheel drive [model] will be a completely different vehicle, perfect for the city. Balancing driver usage needs and production cost considerations of rear-wheel drive, we saw the opportunity for an affordable FWD vehicle to complement the MG4 RWD and AWD,” said MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao.
MG says the new front-drive MG 4 isn’t expected to be available Down Under until the second quarter of 2026.
It appears MG will apply the MG 4 name to all versions of the new hatch, though it has trademarked the MG 4 Urban nameplate Down Under.
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Above: RWD/AWD MG 4, FWD MG 4
It’ll be offered here with 43kWh and 54kWh batteries, while the existing MG 4 will be available here only with a larger 64kWh battery. That will see the base 51kWh battery pack, as well as the Long Range’s 77kWh, dropped in our market.
MG also promises the current rear/all-wheel drive hatch will bring “updated features”, which will be accompanied by higher prices, so it’s urging buyers to “snare their piece of history now, under $40k drive-away”.
The current MG 4 is available with a 51kWh battery offering 350km of WLTP range, a 64kWh battery offering between 400km and 450km of range, and a 77kWh battery offering 530km of range.
The Excite 51 produces 125kW of power and 250Nm of torque, with the Excite 64 and Essence 64 receiving a bump in power to 150kW, and the Long Range 77 pumping out 180kW and 350Nm.
The flagship XPower, the only dual-motor all-wheel drive variant, produces 320kW and 600Nm.
The new MG 4, in contrast, is offered with a single 120kW/250Nm front-mounted electric motor.
Its 42.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery offers 437km of range, while its 53.95kWh LFP battery offers 530km. However, both figures are based on the more lenient CLTC cycle used in China.
MG has also confirmed it’ll introduce a semi-solid-state battery for the new MG 4 in China later this year.
The new MG 4 also features MacPherson strut front suspension but a torsion beam rear, unlike the existing MG 4 which has multi-link independent rear suspension.
Inside, there are 30 storage spaces, including a 98-litre concealed dry/wet separation storage space under the boot floor.
Other handy features include soft-light mirrors up front “designed for women’s makeup and touchups”, a ventilated 50W wireless phone charger, and a 1.8 square-metre ‘king bed mode’ when you drop the 60:40-split rear seats.
A 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard, but a larger 15.6-inch unit brings MG x Oppo Smart Car Connectivity.
Available equipment includes heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, 256-colour ambient lighting and a panoramic glass roof with power sunshade.
Down back, there’s 471L of boot space, expanding to 1362L with the rear seats folded.
The MG 4 measures 4395mm long, 1842mm wide, 1551mm tall and rides 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.
It weighs between 1415kg and 1485kg, and rides on a different platform to the existing MG 4 and the related MG S5 EV small electric SUV, which are based on MG’s Modular Scalable Platform.
It’s unclear how much the new front-wheel drive MG 4 will cost in Australia. The rival BYD Dolphin is priced from $29,990 before on-road costs, while the GWM Ora is currently being offered from $33,990 drive-away.
MG has previously offered the existing MG 4 from as little as $30,990 drive-away.
MORE: 2026 MG 4 detailed: Softer front-wheel drive hatch to get semi-solid-state battery
