MG Electric Car: Range, Prices and Best Picks

If you're searching "mg electric car" you're probably weighing up whether MG's EVs are the cheap-and-cheerful bargain everyone talks about, and which one actually suits you. Short answer: MG has one of the biggest electric line-ups in Australia right now, starting at $31,990 before on-road costs for the MG MG4 Urban Essence 43 hatch and running all the way up to the $99,900 MG Cyberster electric convertible. In between you get proper family SUVs, long-range hatches and even a 320kW hot-hatch. Below I'll walk you through the whole electric range, what each one costs, the specs that actually matter, and where MG stacks up against the other cheap-EV players like BYD and GWM.

Just so we're clear on pricing: every "RRP" figure here is before on-road costs, so add rego, stamp duty and dealer delivery to get your real driveaway number.

The MG electric range at a glance

MG's electric cars split into three groups: the MG4 hatch (the volume seller), the electric SUVs (MGS5 and S6), and the Cyberster halo convertible. Here's the lot, cheapest to dearest:

• MG MG4 Urban Essence 43, $31,990, 110kW, 325km range, FWD
• MG MG4 Excite 51, $37,990, 125kW, 350km range, RWD
• MG MG4 Excite 64, $41,990, 150kW, 450km range, RWD
• MG MG4 Essence 64, $45,990, 150kW, 435km range, RWD
• MG MGS5 Essence 62, $46,990, 125kW SUV, 510km range, RWD
• MG S6 EV Essence RWD, $49,990, 180kW SUV, 530km range, RWD
• MG MG4 Long Range 77, $49,990, 180kW, 530km range, RWD
• MG MG4 XPower, $54,990, 320kW AWD hot-hatch, 380km range
• MG S6 EV Essence AWD, $56,990, 266kW SUV, 485km range, AWD
• MG Cyberster, $99,900, 375kW electric convertible, 519km range

Every MG4 and the MGS5 carry a 5-star ANCAP rating. That's a big deal at this price and something a few rivals can't match.

The best-value pick: MG MG4 Excite 64

If someone asks me which MG EV to buy without any other info, I point them at the MG MG4 Excite 64 at $41,990 before on-road costs. Here's why. You get a 64kWh battery good for 450km of range, 150kW driving the rear wheels, and a 5-star ANCAP rating. That's genuinely usable range for a family who does the odd weekend trip, not just school runs, and rear-wheel drive makes it a nicer thing to drive than the front-drive cheapies from other brands.

The cheaper MG4 Excite 51 saves you $4,000 but drops to 350km range and a 51kWh battery. For most people that extra 100km of range is worth the four grand, because it's the difference between charging weekly and charging twice a week. So the Excite 64 is the sweet spot of the MG4 line.

The cheapest MG electric car: MG4 Urban Essence 43

The entry point is the MG MG4 Urban Essence 43 at $31,990 before on-road costs. It's front-wheel drive, 110kW, and a smaller 43kWh battery giving 325km of range. That's your city-and-suburbs car. If you charge at home and rarely drive more than 100km in a day, it does the job for genuinely low money, and it still gets the full 5-star ANCAP rating. Just go in eyes open: 325km on the sticker means less on a cold day at highway speed, so it's not the one for regular long hauls.

The long-range choice: MG4 Long Range 77

Want the most range in an MG hatch? The MG MG4 Long Range 77 at $49,990 packs a 77kWh battery for 530km of range and steps power up to 180kW. That's proper interstate-capable range. The catch is you're now knocking on SUV money, and for the same $49,990 you can have the MG S6 EV Essence RWD SUV, which matches the 530km range and adds a taller body and a 1500kg tow rating versus the MG4's 500kg. If you tow or want the higher seating position, the S6 is the smarter buy at that price. If you want the sharper, lower hatch, the MG4 Long Range is your car.

The electric SUVs: MGS5 and S6

Family buyers, this is where you'll spend most of your time. Two options:

• MG MGS5 Essence 62, $46,990, 125kW, 510km range, 750kg tow, RWD, 5-star ANCAP
• MG S6 EV Essence RWD, $49,990, 180kW, 530km range, 1500kg tow, RWD
• MG S6 EV Essence AWD, $56,990, 266kW, 485km range, 1500kg tow, AWD

The MGS5 is the value SUV: 510km of range for under $47k is strong, and it holds the 5-star ANCAP badge. The S6 costs a bit more but triples the tow rating to 1500kg and adds power. The AWD S6 is quick (266kW) but note its range actually drops to 485km because it's dragging a second motor, and the price jumps to $56,990. Unless you genuinely need all-wheel traction, the RWD S6 at $49,990 is the pick of the SUVs, more range and the same 1500kg towing.

The fun ones: MG4 XPower and Cyberster

Two enthusiast plays here. The MG MG4 XPower at $54,990 is an all-wheel-drive hot-hatch making a silly 320kW. It's seriously quick, but that performance costs range, it's down to 380km despite the price. It's a toy-with-a-boot, not a road-tripper.

Then there's the MG Cyberster at $99,900, a two-seat electric convertible with 375kW and 519km of range. It's the halo car, priced miles above everything else in the MG range and aimed at people who want a topless EV for the fun of it, not the value shopper who started reading this page.

How MG electric cars compare to BYD and GWM

MG isn't the only cheap-EV brand fighting for your money. Worth knowing the alternatives:

• BYD Dolphin Essential, $29,990, 70kW hatch, 340km range, 5-star ANCAP
• BYD Atto 1 Premium, $27,990, 115kW, 310km range, but only 4 seats
• GWM ORA Lux, $31,990, 126kW hatch, 347km range, 5-star ANCAP
• GWM ORA 5 Lux, $30,900, 150kW SUV, 430km range, 750kg tow
• GAC Aion UT Premium, $31,990, 150kW hatch, 430km range
• BYD Atto 2 Dynamic, $31,990, 130kW SUV, 345km range

The BYD Dolphin undercuts the entry MG4 by two grand and matches it roughly on range, so it's a real rival at the bottom. The GWM ORA 5 Lux SUV at $30,900 gives you 430km and a tow rating for less than the entry MG4 hatch. And the GAC Aion UT Premium at $31,990 offers 430km range, more than the entry MG4's 325km, for the same money. So MG isn't automatically the cheapest or the longest-range at every price point. Where MG wins is breadth: it has the RWD driving feel, the strong 450 to 530km mid-range options, and the SUV-and-hatch coverage the others can't fully match.

How to choose your MG electric car

Start with how far you drive on a bad day, not an average day. If you never do more than 100km in a stint and you charge at home, the MG4 Urban Essence 43 or Excite 51 are all the car you need and save you real money. If you do occasional interstate or country trips, don't cheap out on range, step up to the MG4 Excite 64 (450km) at minimum, or the Long Range 77 / S6 EV RWD (530km) if you want genuine highway confidence.

Next, hatch or SUV. The MG4 hatches are lower, sharper and more fun to drive thanks to rear-wheel drive. The MGS5 and S6 give you a higher seating position, more practicality, and crucially more towing. If you tow anything meaningful, only the S6 EV with its 1500kg rating is up to it, the MG4s are capped at 500kg.

On running costs, all of these charge for a fraction of what petrol costs to run, and MG's warranty and servicing are competitive with the other value brands. The bigger the battery, the longer it takes to charge but the less often you'll need to, so factor in whether you have a home charger. No home charging and you're relying on public DC, and the smaller-battery cars start to feel like a chore.

Finally, skip the XPower and Cyberster unless fun is the whole point. They're the emotional buys. For genuine value the MG4 Excite 64 and the MGS5 Essence 62 are the two I'd put on any shortlist.