MG 4 Urban will not rob regular MG 4 of sales

THE MG 4 EV Urban will not cannibalise sales of the regular MG 4, with the two models expected to not only co-exist but complement each other within MG’s Australian line-up according to local brand executives.

Having gone on sale last week, the MG 4 EV Urban is MG’s latest budget-friendly battery electric five-door hatchback.

Two variants of the model are being offered locally, both available in Essence trim level. Prices start from $31,990 drive away for the entry-level 43kWh variant, rising to $34,990 drive away for the 54kWh model.

Both MG 4 EV Urban variants are powered by a front-mounted electric motor, producing 110kW and 250Nm in the entry-grade version and 118kW and 250Nm in the larger-battery model.

The 43kWh variant has a combined WLTP driving range of 316km while the 54kWh model stretches this distance to 405km.

Meanwhile, the original rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive MG 4 – introduced to the local market in August 2023 – is on runout, with a facelifted version expected in Australia shortly.

Crucially, both models – despite sharing largely the same nameplate – will be sold alongside each other.

However, according to MG Motor Australia head of product Meng Chen, the changes have been made to the facelifted MG 4 lineup so that the two models will not take away from each other’s sales.

“We did think about that and if we hadn’t made any changes and just launched this Urban (model) to coexist with the current MG 4, a cannibalisation would absolutely have happened,” said Mr Chen.

“The old MG 4 at this moment is already run out. We are about to launch the new MG 4, the facelifted version.”

“Together with that, the trim line design has been optimised and so we have pricing two different products at different price in our MG price ladder.

“The target audience is also different and with different price, different audience, and different unique selling points we are assembling these two vehicles for two very different demographic and focusing, emphasising different aspects of the vehicle.”

MG Motor Australia believes that the two models sharing the MG 4 name will not cause confusion for customers as such a phenomenon was not observed when the MG 4 Urban went on sale in the United Kingdom earlier this year, according to Mr Chen.

“So, we did make this decision carefully last year and we decided to inherit the global name of MG 4 Urban, as a coexistence with the current MG 4 is also well-sorted,” he added.

“The MG 4 will continue to carry over the good reputation from the old MG 4 and the Urban will actually, by its name, advocate for the metropolitan inbound customers to make this car their everyday drive for their urban life.

“We are not seeing that this will cause any confusion, and we didn’t observe such a phenomenon from the UK market which already launched the Urban at an earlier stage.”

According to Mr Chen, the MG 4 Urban is intended for practicality-focused, budget-conscious buyers while the regular MG 4 focuses on driving dynamics and technology. 

“Talking about the unique selling point difference, the Urban is meant for practicality, spaciousness and also affordability,” he told GoAuto.

“Speaking of the MG 4, I’m not here to talk about the (facelifted) model yet, but what you observed from the old MG 4, this is a real-wheel drive vehicle, and it brings a lot of fun in your daily driving and also emphasising the technology and premiumness.”

The sentiment was shared by MG Motor Australia’s product planning manager Kevin Kou, who is confident in the MG 4’s driving dynamics in helping it stand out from the crowd.

“I’ll just say that the MG 4 original and with the upcoming (version) is probably one of the most enjoyable drives of this particular size segment and price point,” he said.

“I think you’d be hard pressed to name a car which drives as wonderfully as the MG 4 and I think that makes it really stand out and that makes it really a clear choice of where the position is compared to the MG 4 Urban or other cars in the market as well.”

The brand’s marketing director for Australia and New Zealand Dimitri Andreatidis added that the MG 4 has strong brand equity as a nameplate and that customers are ultimately spoiled for choice by being able to choose between the regular MG 4 and the MG 4 Urban.

“The MG 4, it has strong brand equity,” he emphasised.

“There is this understanding of what it is and what it represents and how it reinforces and supports the MG brand as a whole.

“So there’s no confusion, if anything, with the introduction of the MG 4 Urban, it reinforces that. Our customers are spoiled by choice.”