Some cars are born to fill a gap, and the MG4 Urban is exactly that: a project designed to answer a specific market demand — from those who want to go electric without spending a fortune, but aren't willing to settle for less. It's not a restyling of the MG4 EV (just updated in exterior styling, with a completely renewed interior and active safety systems) that we told you about at its debut and which, with 5,500 units sold in Italy since launch, was the best-selling electric car in segment C in 2023 and 2024. It looks very similar, but the MG4 Urban is in fact an entirely new electric car, developed from scratch, on a dedicated platform and with a completely new powertrain.

MG4 Urban, designed to be efficient

The similarities are undeniable. Yet, compared to its EV sibling, the MG4 Urban adopts softer, more rounded lines designed primarily for efficiency; the aerodynamics, with a drag coefficient of 0.263, especially for an electric car, mean less air resistance and therefore greater efficiency and better range. Long since having become a Chinese brand, MG wanted to acknowledge the brand's British origins with a touch of the Union Jack, reproducing its geometric light patterns in the rear LED lights.

The dimensions? Four metres and 40 centimetres in length — an electric car that, despite the name "Urban", offers the space typical of a family saloon, suited to the daily commute and family weekends, thanks to a real-world range approaching 300 kilometres. The MG4 Urban range is structured around two trim levels (Comfort and Premium), two power outputs (110 or 118 kW, i.e. 149 or 160 horsepower) and two battery sizes, of 43 kWh and 54 kWh. The list price starts at €25,490; a price that, thanks to a fairly aggressive launch offer, drops below the €20,000 threshold with financing — specifically €19,490 — making the MG4 Urban one of the most affordable electric cars on the market.

On board, the space surprises

Stepping inside the MG4 Urban, the first thing you notice is the space. It's not just a feeling — it's a fact: 984 mm of legroom in the rear row, a boot of 577 litres (rising to 1,364 with the seats folded, plus a handy 98-litre compartment under the load floor, useful for storing cables). The number of storage compartments distributed throughout the cabin is impressive — thirty in total, large and small. For a car in this segment, these are almost record-breaking figures. Credit goes in part to the Ctb (Cell-to-body) battery architecture, integrated into the body to free up valuable interior volume, and to the compactness of the electric motor, which combines traction, charging, reduction gear and converter in a single unit. The ADAS system provision is adequate, and the car achieved 5 stars in EuroNCAP testing.

The central 12.8-inch touchscreen manages almost all on-board functions, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The return of some physical controls for the climate system and stereo, positioned below the display, is welcome — a choice that goes against the trend of centralising all functions in the display, and one that proves its worth in everyday driving. The driver is served by a 7-inch instrument cluster behind the steering wheel.

MG4 Urban, an electric car designed for relaxed driving

The MG4 Urban is a front-wheel-drive electric car — another substantial difference from its "sibling" the MG4 EV, which instead has rear-wheel drive. For many users this is merely a "technical detail" whose impact on everyday driving may be of little relevance. Let's say that in terms of on-road behaviour, especially for those who enjoy dynamic driving, it could make more of a difference. In essence, we're talking about a car that rewards relaxed driving — no noise, no vibrations. A serenity of driving that emerges from the suspension tuning and the progressive steering response.

A brake control allows the driver to modulate energy regeneration (across 5 levels, up to the classic one pedal mode that makes the brake pedal almost superfluous, especially in the city). The various driving modes (Normal, Sport, Eco, Snow or Custom) allow personalisation of driving style. There are highlights, and a few shadows… Such as stretches in the city, over manhole covers and potholes, where the suspension response could be better. Or the acoustic insulation at motorway speeds, with some tyre noise filtering into the cabin.

Two versions and a "real-world" range beyond 300 kilometres

The most interesting figure for the MG4 Urban remains its energy efficiency. During our test, albeit fairly brief, the on-board computer recorded a consumption of around 15.5 kWh per 100 km, translating into a real-world range of around 300 kilometres. Things can vary depending on the version, however. There is one with a 43 kWh battery that promises a declared range of 325 kilometres on the combined cycle, while the top-of-the-range 54 kWh version extends the range to 416 kilometres — which for city-only drivers can rise to as much as 600 kilometres, again on declared figures.

Charging? On AC, it goes up to 11 kW (5 or 6 hours for a full charge); on DC, up to 82/87 kW depending on the battery, with a charge from 10 to 80 per cent taking around 30 minutes — not lightning fast, but still an acceptable figure for the segment. From a domestic socket, it can take up to 28 hours. Both versions of the MG4 Urban use LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries — a technology that uses more readily available, lower-cost materials, with a lower energy density but longer-lasting efficiency. The warranty is always 7 years or 150,000 kilometres.