Abarth 500e vs MG4 EV Urban

The Abarth 500e costs £4,500 more than the MG MG4 EV Urban. For that premium it adds a 2.6s quicker 0-62mph time. The MG MG4 EV Urban is not just cheaper - it also offers 38 miles more WLTP range, 392 litres more boot space and 1 more seat (5 versus 4). On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MG MG4 EV Urban comes out ahead overall.

The MG MG4 EV Urban is £4,500 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £168 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG MG4 EV Urban comes out roughly £4,540 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 137 miles for the Abarth 500e and 140 miles for the MG MG4 EV Urban - effectively matched, and both well below their WLTP figures because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 28-35 minutes.

The Abarth 500e is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 159 mm narrower than the MG MG4 EV Urban. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 717 mm of total clearance for the Abarth 500e and about 558 mm of total clearance for the MG MG4 EV Urban. The Abarth 500e also turns in a 1.1 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.