MG4 EV vs Renault 4

The MG MG4 EV costs £2,800 more than the Renault 4. For that premium it adds 31 miles more WLTP range, 54 kW faster peak rapid charging and 30 kW more power. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Renault 4 comes out ahead overall.

The Renault 4 is £2,800 cheaper to buy. The Renault 4 is cheaper to charge, roughly £144 a year versus £192 for the MG MG4 EV, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Renault 4 comes out roughly £3,040 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 181 miles for the MG MG4 EV and 208 miles for the Renault 4 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Renault 4 goes roughly 26 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 25-30 minutes.

The Renault 4 is the easier car for tight UK car parks: it is 40 mm narrower than the MG MG4 EV. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 604 mm of total clearance for the Renault 4 and about 564 mm of total clearance for the MG MG4 EV. The MG MG4 EV also turns in a 0.3 m tighter circle, which helps with U-turns and multi-storey ramps.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the MG MG4 EV and 84% for the Renault 4. That gives the MG MG4 EV a modest edge in retained real-world range. The MG MG4 EV's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Renault 4's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.