MG4 EV Urban Real-World Efficiency Test: 5.8 mi/kWh (10.7 kWh/100 km) on Country Roads

Online, the MG4 EV Urban looks like a small city car. Once I saw it parked next to an Audi A3 and a Honda Civic, I changed my mind right away: it's a tall, roomy compact hatchback, roughly the size of a VW Golf to my eye. I wanted to know how efficient it really is, so I picked it up at 6 a.m. and headed out on two-lane national roads. The trip computer's verdict after 81.5 km (50.6 miles): 10.7 kWh/100 km, or about 5.8 miles per kWh. That's one of the lowest figures I've ever recorded in a test car.

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The car: MG4 EV Urban with the 54 kWh battery

My test car was the best-equipped trim, with 17-inch wheels (215/50 R17 tires), a 360° camera system and keyless entry: press the button on the door handle, get in, shift into Drive and go, with no start button at all. According to "MG Motor Europe", the top 54 kWh version has a 118 kW (160 hp) motor with 250 Nm, front-wheel drive on MG's new E3 platform, an LFP battery, 0–100 km/h (0–62 mph) in 9.5 seconds and up to 405 km (252 miles) of WLTP range. The same battery on 16-inch wheels is rated at up to 416 km (258 miles) WLTP. The car is 4,395 mm (173 in) long and weighs 1,520 kg (about 3,350 lb) empty, which is light for its size.

There's also a 43 kWh version with 110 kW (149 hp). The MG4 EV Urban isn't sold in the US, but in Romania the importer, "Quantum Auto", launched it with promotional prices of €19,990 including VAT for the Excite 43 kWh, €22,180 for the Excite 54 kWh and €24,982 for the Exclusive 54 kWh, the trim closest to my test car. Prices and offers can change, so check the current deal before buying.

The route: two-lane roads in the early morning

I started with 72% charge and 277 km (172 miles) of estimated range, the climate control on 22°C (72°F) auto, Eco drive mode and automatic regenerative braking. Outside it was 15–19°C (59–66°F), ideal weather for an EV. I drove the national road east of my hometown to the town of Târgu Frumos and back on the same road, in real morning traffic with everyone rushing to work.

The numbers looked great from the start:

• after 7 km (4.3 mi): about 8 kWh/100 km, including the drive out of the city;
• after 18 km (11.2 mi): 9.5 kWh/100 km;
• after 26.6 km (16.5 mi): 10.6 kWh/100 km at a 46 km/h (29 mph) average;
• in Târgu Frumos, after 43.7 km (27.2 mi): 63% left, exactly what the navigation had predicted at the start (64%).

On a long downhill stretch, regeneration did its job and the displayed consumption even dropped below zero. Besides automatic regen, the car blends regenerative and friction braking when you press the brake pedal. On this same road at around 15°C (59°F), my own Tesla Model 3 usually reaches the town of Podu Iloaiei at about 11 kWh/100 km. On the way back, the MG4 EV Urban passed through the same spot at 10.9 kWh/100 km. That says a lot about how efficient it is.

The final result: 10.7 kWh/100 km

At the end, the trip computer showed 81.5 km (50.6 mi) in 1 hour 24 minutes, a 57 km/h (35 mph) average and 10.7 kWh/100 km (about 17.2 kWh/100 miles). Of all the energy used, 96.2% went to driving and just 1.9% to climate control. The battery went from 72% to 56%, so 16 percentage points for 81.5 km, or roughly 5 km (3.1 miles) per percent. I think the reason is the combination of low weight, a sensibly sized motor and an efficient body. The trim with narrower 16-inch wheels could be even more frugal.

On the road, the car is easy to drive and the steering is comfortable. Adaptive cruise control is set from the steering-wheel buttons: a short press changes the speed by 1 km/h, a long press by 5 km/h, and left/right sets the following distance. Lane centering kicks in quickly and kept the car neatly in its lane, even through curves. At 100 km/h (62 mph) there's a bit of wind noise from the mirrors, nothing annoying.

Fast charging: close to 60 kW with a battery that wasn't preheated

I stopped at a 300 kW E.ON Drive charger with the battery at 56%, after 1 hour 25 minutes of driving at 18°C (64°F). The car started at 57–58 kW and climbed to about 58.6 kW. At 69% it was still pulling 55 kW, and in just a few minutes I had added about 50 km (31 miles) of range. Officially, according to "MG Motor Europe", the 54 kWh battery accepts up to 87 kW DC and charges from 10 to 80% in about 30 minutes. The gap has a simple explanation: the battery wasn't warm enough. Next time I'd switch on the battery preparation feature in the charging menu before arriving.

The charging menu also lets you schedule sessions, check battery health and turn on Vehicle-to-Load (V2L), which powers electrical devices from the car's battery. If you live in a house, that's a real plus during a power outage. "MG Motor UK" also notes that a heat pump comes standard, a big advantage in winter.

Rear-seat room for a 5'11" adult

While the car was charging, I moved to the back seat, with the front seat set for me (I'm 1.80 m, about 5'11"). I had generous knee room and headroom. A child could sleep comfortably back there on a long trip. According to "MG Motor UK", the trunk holds 577 liters (20.4 cu ft) including 98 liters of underfloor storage, and 1,364 liters (48.2 cu ft) with the rear seats folded. The plastics are soft on top of the dashboard and doors and hard lower down, as you'd expect at this price. I liked the non-slip pad on the wireless phone charger.

What it means for drivers

The MG4 EV Urban shows that an affordable EV can be extremely efficient without big sacrifices in space. At around 10–11 kWh/100 km (5.5–6 mi/kWh) on two-lane roads in mild weather, the cost per mile gets very low, especially if you charge at home. For daily commuting between a city and nearby towns, the range is more than enough, and the navigation's arrival estimate proved very accurate. For fast charging, it pays to precondition the battery before you reach the charger so you get the full charging speed. For a family buying its first electric car at a price close to a gas-powered compact, the MG4 EV Urban deserves a spot on the shortlist. Part two of my test has even more details.