MG will field two unrelated vehicles – a new MG 4 with front-wheel drive, alongside today's rear- and all-wheel-drive model – in the electric small car category from next year.
The second-generation, front-wheel-drive 2026 MG 4 is due in Australian showrooms between April and June next year as the new entry point to the brand's electric hatchback range.
It will be sold alongside today's sportier MG 4 hatch, which is expected to receive an update alongside a slimming of its range from three battery capacities to one (64kWh), with a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive.
Prices are yet to be confirmed, but MG Australia is pitching the new, front-wheel-drive model as an "affordable city-spec" vehicle – with 43kWh and 54kWh batteries – to serve as the new entry point to the range.
How close it can get to the $37,990 drive-away price of today's 51kWh Excite rear-wheel-drive variant remains to be seen.
MG has all but confirmed the cheapest variant in the rear-wheel-drive 2026 MG 4 range will remain above the $40,000 mark, much like the current $40,990 plus on-road costs 64kWh Excite grade.
The Chinese car maker has identified "production cost considerations of rear-wheel drive" as creating a need for "an affordable FWD vehicle to complement the MG4 RWD and AWD."
"The new for 2026 front-wheel drive will be a completely different vehicle, perfect for the city," MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao said in a media statement.
The front-wheel-drive MG 4 is based on a different platform from the rear-wheel-drive model, and is a larger vehicle wearing softer, more rounded styling.
It is intended to reverse slow sales in the Chinese market, where the current MG 4's sharper, sportier look has not resonated – unlike in Europe and Australia.
In China, the new MG 4 is offered with a 42.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery quoting 437km of claimed driving range, increased to 530km with a more expensive 53.95kWh LFP pack.
Those figures are based on Chinese CLTC lab-testing standards, which are less stringent than the WLTP test used in Europe and common in Australia.
The current, rear-wheel-drive MG 4 quotes 425km CLTC and 350km WLTP with a 51kWh battery, and 520km CLTC and 435-450km WLTP with a 64kWh battery.
The front-wheel-drive model pairs its batteries with a 120kW/250Nm electric motor, and is capable of charging from 30 to 80 per cent in a claimed 20 minutes.
At 4395mm long, 1842mm wide and 1551mm tall, it is about 100mm longer than the rear-wheel-drive model, on a longer wheelbase (2750mm vs 2705mm).
It has been linked with the MG 4 Urban name, after the brand trademarked the badge in recent weeks.
While it takes a step back in performance, the front-drive version packs more technology inside, with a larger 15.6-inch touchscreen on flagship models, a 50-watt wireless phone charger, and leather-look seating.
Ventilated front seats, 256-colour ambient lighting, and a panoramic sunroof with electric sunshade make their MG 4 debut on the front-wheel-drive model.
More details of the 2026 MG 4 range are due closer to the new front-wheel-drive variant's launch next year.
2025 MG 4 price in Australia
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
