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 drive-away for the MG MG4 Urban Essence 43 hatch ($29,990 on the September campaign) and running all the way up to the $99,900 MG Cyberster electric convertible. In between you get proper family SUVs 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.
Pricing note: MG quotes a Total Vehicle Price, which is a drive-away-style figure including 12 months of rego, CTP and stamp duty. The MG4 figures below are those drive-away numbers, so unlike most brands there is nothing extra to add. Campaign prices run to 30 September while stocks last.
One thing MG doesn't make obvious: the MG4 badge now covers two different cars. The new MG4 Urban (Essence 43 and 54) is a smaller city hatch on MG's E3 platform, while the MG4 Essence 64 and XPOWER are the original, larger rear-drive hatch. Same name, different platforms, different ANCAP records — worth knowing before you compare them.
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 drive-away ($29,990 campaign), 110kW, 316km range, FWD
- MG MG4 Urban Essence 54, $34,990 drive-away ($32,990 campaign), 118kW, 405km range, FWD
- MG MG4 Essence 64, $39,990 drive-away, 140kW, 452km range, RWD
- MG MGS5 Essence 62, $46,990, 125kW SUV, 510km range, RWD
- MG MG4 XPOWER, $47,990 drive-away, 320kW AWD hot-hatch, 405km range
- MG S6 EV Essence RWD, $49,990, 180kW SUV, 530km range, RWD
- MG S6 EV Essence AWD, $56,990, 266kW SUV, 485km range, AWD
- MG Cyberster, $99,900, 375kW electric convertible, 519km range
The old MG4 Excite 51, Excite 64 and Long Range 77 have quietly left the range — if a dealer is quoting one, it's run-out stock. The MG4 Urban carries its own 5-star ANCAP rating (2025, all variants), and the MGS5 is 5-star rated too. The bigger MG4's rating covers its 2WD variants, which leaves the AWD XPOWER unrated.
The best-value pick: MG MG4 Essence 64
If someone asks me which MG EV to buy without any other info, I point them at the MG MG4 Essence 64 at $39,990 drive-away. Here's why. You get a 64kWh battery good for 452km of range, 140kW driving the rear wheels, and a price that has dropped $6,000 from its $45,990 days. 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 step down is the MG4 Urban Essence 54 at $34,990 drive-away ($32,990 on the campaign): a smaller car with 405km of range from its 54kWh battery. For most people the bigger car's extra 47km and rear-drive balance are worth the difference, but the Urban 54 is the price-of-a-petrol-hatch bargain of the pair.
The cheapest MG electric car: MG4 Urban Essence 43
The entry point is the MG MG4 Urban Essence 43 at $31,990 drive-away, or $29,990 while the September campaign runs. It's front-wheel drive, 110kW, and a smaller 43kWh battery giving 316km 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 the Urban range carries its own full 5-star ANCAP rating. Just go in eyes open: 316km on the sticker means less on a cold day at highway speed, so it's not the one for regular long hauls. One quirk: it starts with a pedal press, not a start button.
The long-range choice: it's an SUV now
Want the most range in an MG? With the old MG4 Long Range 77 gone from the range, the crown sits with the MG S6 EV Essence RWD SUV at $49,990: 530km of range, 180kW, and a 1500kg tow rating the hatches can't touch. The longest-range hatch on sale is the MG4 Essence 64 at 452km, ten grand cheaper. If you genuinely need interstate legs and towing, the S6 is the answer; if 452km covers your bad week, keep the $10,000.
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 $47,990 drive-away (down $7,000 from its launch money) is an all-wheel-drive hot-hatch making a silly 320kW and 600Nm. It's seriously quick, and at the new price it's the cheapest 300kW-plus car in the country, but note its NCM battery returns 405km and its ANCAP record covers only the 2WD MG4s, so the XPOWER itself is unrated. 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 Urban's standard price and roughly matches it on range, so it's a real rival at the bottom — though the Urban's $29,990 campaign price flips that while it lasts. The GWM ORA 5 Lux SUV at $30,900 gives you 430km and a tow rating for Urban money. And the GAC Aion UT Premium at $31,990 offers 430km range, more than the Urban 43's 316km, for the same money. So MG isn't automatically the cheapest or the longest-range at every price point. Where MG wins is breadth: the RWD driving feel of the bigger MG4, a 452km hatch under $40k drive-away, and 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 Urban Essence 54 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 Essence 64 (452km) at minimum, or the 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, though the XPOWER's $7,000 price cut makes the emotion cheaper than it used to be. For genuine value the MG4 Essence 64 and the MGS5 Essence 62 are the two I'd put on any shortlist.