2026 MG 4 EV: Range Slashed to Two Variants, XPower Gets a Big Price Cut

Image credit: MG Australia

MG has reshaped its electric hatch for 2026, and the headline is simplicity. The MG 4 range that once ran to a confusing spread of battery sizes and trims is now just two cars: the single-motor Essence 64 from $39,990 drive-away, and the dual-motor XPower all-wheel drive from $47,990 drive-away. Both keep the keen pricing the MG 4 is known for, the Essence 64 gains a little more range, and the XPower lands with a noticeably lower sticker than before.

Pricing

Two Very Different Characters

The Essence 64 is the sensible one. It runs a 64kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery feeding a 140kW/350Nm rear motor, and the range has nudged up from 435km to 452km on the WLTP cycle. On a suitable DC charger it tops up from 10 to 80 per cent in around 25 minutes. The XPower is the firecracker, with a 64kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery and a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup making a combined 320kW and 600Nm. That is enough for a claimed 0 to 100km/h sprint of just 3.8 seconds, with range rated at up to 405km.

What Is New

Beyond the slimmed-down line-up, the 2026 MG 4 gets an upmarket refresh with more tech and added refinement inside. Dropping the entry-level small-battery cars and the previous long-range option means buyers no longer have to weigh up four or five overlapping versions. You pick value or performance, and that is it. For where the Essence 64 sits against the rest of the affordable EV field, see our cheapest electric cars guide.

Safety

The MG 4 holds a 5-star ANCAP rating, awarded in August 2023 under the 2020 to 2022 test protocols. It was the first MG model to score five stars under those criteria. Standard driver-assist kit includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control and a reversing camera. For a plain-English run-down of what the score covers, read our ANCAP ratings explainer.

How It Compares

At $39,990 drive-away the Essence 64 lines up against the wave of sub-$40k electric hatches and small SUVs flooding into Australia, but few of them match its 452km range at the price. The XPower is the more unusual proposition: a 320kW all-wheel drive hot hatch for $47,990 drive-away undercuts pretty much every performance EV on sale. If you are still torn between electric and a plug-in hybrid, our EV vs hybrid cost breakdown is worth a read.

Warranty and Servicing

MG backs the 4 with up to a 10-year or 250,000km warranty when you keep servicing it within the MG dealer network, one of the longest factory warranties in the country. That long cover has been a big part of MG's pitch to value buyers, and it carries over here.

Our Take

Cutting the MG 4 down to two clear choices is the right move. Most buyers will be perfectly happy with the Essence 64, which now goes a little further between charges and still slots in under $40,000 drive-away. The XPower, meanwhile, has quietly become one of the cheapest ways to buy genuinely fast acceleration in Australia. It is a tidy update that makes the MG 4 easier to recommend, not harder.

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