This could get confusing. MG Motor Australia has confirmed it will offer the all-new MG4 all-electric hatch, but it won’t replace the current model of the same name.
Instead, the smaller MG4 will remain on sale with a reduced line-up and at a higher price than the new model.
Locked in for an arrival in the second quarter of 2026, it’s thought the larger MG4, that switches to front-wheel drive, could carry the MG4 Urban nameplate to help buyers distinguish it from the older, smaller rear-wheel drive MG hatch.
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Dwarfing the current MG4, the new Urban measures in at 4395mm (+108mm) long, 1842mm (+6mm) wide and stands 1551mm (+47mm) tall, with a 2750mm (+45mm) wheelbase.
However, apart from wheelbase, it is smaller than MG’s other compact EV offered in Australia, the S5 SUV.
In Australia the front-wheel drive MG4 Urban range will come with 43kWh and 54kWh battery pack options.
The existing rear-drive version will drop the smallest 51kWh and larger Long Range 77kWh battery pack and only be offered with a 64kWh battery and will offer a range between 400km and 450km.
With the MG4 also getting an update with new features, prices will rise above the MG4 Urban.
That explains why the more expensive MG4 will not only have a larger battery, but it will also have more power than the Urban.
It will carry over the 150kW/250Nm e-motor the current Excite 64 and Essence 64 are powered by.
The new MG4 Urban, meanwhile, will feature a single e-motor that produces 120kW and 250Nm.
Combined with the 42.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, MG claims the MG4 Urban can drive up to 437km. With the larger 53.95kWh powerpack that rises to 530km.
Those figures should be taken with a pinch of salt as they have been recorded on the more lenient Chinese test cycle.
Later, MG says it will introduce a state-of-the-art semi-solid-state battery that could also be eventually offered Down Under.
Beneath the skin, the MG4 Urban gets a cheaper less sophisticated rear suspension that switches from a multi-link set-up to a simpler torsion beam.
Within the cabin, MG has promised up to 30 different stowage spaces in the Urban, including a 98-litre space under the boot floor with a dry-wet separation. Above it, there’s 471-litres of luggage space.
New interior features include ‘soft-light mirrors’ that are claimed to help those who need to apply makeup on the move, a new ventilated 50W wireless phone charger and seats that fold flat into a 1.8 square-metre bed the rear seats are 60:40 split-folded.
As standard there’s a 10.25-inch touchscreen, but that can be upgraded to a much-larger 15.6-inch unit that runs MGxOppo Smart Car Connectivity software.
Heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, 245-colour ambient lighting and a panoramic glass roof with an electric sunshade will all be available.
Tipping the scale at between 1415kg and 1485kg, the new MG4 Urban rides on an all-new platform that helps it undercut the MG4 by a massive 240-263kg.
Of course, some of that weight can be explained by the smaller car’s bigger battery.
It’s still not clear how the new front-drive 2026 MG4 Urban will be positioned in Australia and whether it will be a rival for the likes of the BYD Dolphin ($29,990 plus on-roads) or the GWM Ora ($33,990 drive-away).
Previously, the MG4 has been priced as low as $30,990 in Australia, a price point the new MG4 Urban could occupy when it lands in Q2 of 2026.
