MG4 EV review - Practicality, comfort and boot space

Despite the MG4’s relatively low roof line it still offers good space inside, while there are plenty of useful storage options. Up front, there is a cubby with a sliding lid that sits just behind two cup holders, and lifting the top of the central armrest uncovers a deep bin for larger items. The glovebox isn’t very practical in terms of size or shape, but there is space in each of the front door bins for bottles and other items.

Keyless entry, automatic headlights, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors and a height and reach-adjustable steering wheel are all standard for the MG4. The top-of-the-range Trophy adds extras such as a heating function for the front seats and steering wheel, a six-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, an adjustable boot floor and a wireless smartphone charger.

Size

The MG4 is 4,287mm long, 1,836mm wide and stands 1,504mm tall, which makes it 26mm longer and 27mm wider than Volkswagen's own electric family hatchback, the ID.3. Meanwhile the more expensive Renault Megane E-Tech is 77mm shorter and 56mm narrower than the MG4.

25

Leg room, head room & passenger space

Interior packaging is good in the MG4, and passengers benefit from a decent amount of rear legroom. Knee room is also fine, although there isn’t too much space underneath the front seats for your feet. The EV powertrain means that the central hump in the floor is quite low, which helps accommodate three passengers across the rear seats – the middle of which is surprisingly comfortable.

We found access to the Isofix mounting points was awkward when fitting a child seat; we prefer the plastic surrounds used by the likes of VW rather than the large velcro fabric panels featured in the MG4.

Boot

With a luggage capacity of 363 litres, the MG4’s boot isn’t the biggest in its class. Both the VW ID.3 and Cupra Born offer 22 litres of extra cargo space, while the Megane E-Tech tops the lot with its 440-litre boot. The MG4’s boot is still adequate, and there's no load lip to contend with, unlike in the Renault. You also get some extra storage space under the boot floor that’s ideal for your charging cables, but there's no 'frunk' or storage under the bonnet to keep dirty cables away from your clean luggage. Should you need to carry more stuff, the MG4's rear seats fold flat in a 60:40 split, opening up 1,177 litres of cargo space for you to play with.

However, if a bigger boot is one of your key priorities, the Kia Niro EV offers an extra 112 litres of capacity over the MG4, while MG’s own (admittedly more expensive) ZS EV provides 470 litres.