2023 MG 4 51kWh price revealed: Australia’s new cheapest electric car

The cheapest version of the 2023 MG 4 electric hatchback from China will be priced from $38,990 plus on-road costs when it arrives in showrooms in August.

The entry-level 51kWh Excite version of the MG 4 – a Toyota Corolla or Hyundai i30-sized hatchback – will be the first electric passenger vehicle to be priced from less than $40,000 plus on-road costs in Australia.

Drive-away pricing is yet to be revealed, but it is estimated to cost between $41,000 and $44,000 after on-road costs (such as registration, dealer delivery, and in some states and territories, stamp duty).

It is $6000 cheaper than the next model up, the MG 4 64kWh Excite ($44,990 plus on-road costs), which has the same features but a larger battery pack for more driving range (450km vs 350km), and a higher power output (150kW vs 125kW).

The MG 4 51kWh Excite is also $5000 cheaper than Australia’s previous most affordable electric vehicles, the MG ZS EV Excite and GWM Ora Standard Range (both $43,990 plus on-road costs).

One other electric vehicle has technically been priced below $40,000 in Australia, the two-seat BYD T3 van from $39,950 plus on-road costs in late 2021 – but only 50 were made available for a very limited time.

The price for the closest rival for the MG 4 – the BYD Dolphin electric hatch, also from China – is due to be announced this Thursday, 22 June.

The local distributor for the BYD Dolphin claimed the vehicle would become Australia’s new «most affordable» electric vehicle, but it is unclear if this will remain the case.

Due in showrooms in August, the MG 4 51kWh Excite’s price – which is said to be effective from July 1 – is comparable with high-specification versions of petrol-powered hatchbacks.

These include the Toyota Corolla ZR Hybrid ($39,100), Hyundai i30 N Line Premium automatic ($37,300), Volkswagen Golf 110TSI Life ($38,520) and Mazda 3 G25 GT ($38,410). All prices listed are before on-road costs, and include price rises due to come into force on July 1.

The 51kWh Excite is powered by a 125kW electric motor at the rear and a 51kWh battery, good for 350km of claimed driving range in European WLTP testing.

It compares to 150kW, 64kWh and 435km to 450km for the dearer 64kWh Excite and Essence variants of the vehicle.

Standard features are yet to be confirmed for the new base variant – more details are expected soon – but it is expected to match the 64kWh Excite variant with the larger battery.

These include 17-inch wheels, LED headlights, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7.0-inch instrument display, rear-view camera, four-speaker stereo, black fabric upholstery, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise control (but no blind-spot monitoring or rear cross-traffic alert).

The 2023 MG 4 51kWh Excite is due in showrooms from mid-August, pending any delays – as part of a broader model range expected to include up to five variants.