New MG4 to challenge Tesla’s EV dominance

The new 2024 MG4 compact hatch will outsell every other electric vehicle in Australia except the rampant Tesla Model Y, if bullish official sales forecast prove accurate.

MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao told media at this week’s MG4 launch that with no restrictions expected on supply, 2000 examples are forecast to leave dealerships per month.

Of all the EVs currently on sale in Australia, only the Model Y mid-size SUV manages to top that figure, averaging 2476 sales per month in 2023.

The Model 3 medium sedan is Australia’s second most popular EV, averaging 1739 sales per month.

Completing the podium is the BYD Atto 3 compact SUV, which is averaging just over 1000 sales per month.

If the MG4 does hit its target on an annualised basis, then 24,000 sales would also place it just inside the top 10 selling passenger vehicles outright, based on 2022 figures. It would sit just ahead of the Chinese brand’s own MG ZS small SUV.

Ciao made his prediction after MG Motor Australia sales director Kim Nguyen had initially declined to make a monthly sales forecast to media.

“This model [MG4] I have full confidence will start at 1000 [sales] per month and I also trust quick we can jump to 2000 per month, very soon,” Ciao said.

He subsequently confirmed “very soon” meant 2000 sales per month before the end of 2023.

The MG4 launches with a four-variant range headlined by the Excite 51 (a reference to its 51kWh battery pack) hatch, which was the first mass-market EV to be priced under $40,000 in Australia, priced at $38,990 plus on-road costs – but before EV rebates and subsidies.

The range stretches through two models with 64kWh battery packs priced in the $40K bracket, to the range-topping 77kWh MG4 Essence priced at $55,990 plus ORCs.

The high-performance 320kW dual-motor all-wheel drive MG4 XPOWER will be launched in December with a price expected to sit close to $70,000.

Ciao revealed MG Motor Australia had only placed an initial order for 3000 MG4s because there was still some uncertainty about which variant would prove the most popular.

“I am not sure which model will be real popular because electric car for Australia is still a family second car,” he said.

“So as a family second car, 51 totally enough because 350km range and even under $40,000 the vehicle is 50:50 [weight distribution], rear-wheel drive and good performance.

“I think 51 will be very popular but for corporate… I think 64 will be very, very good for them. And 77 is not just battery but 180kW motor and performance is different. Everything is different.

“So I trust each model will be very, very popular.”

Within days of the MG4 pricing announcement, the entry-level price for a new EV in Australia was lowered $100 by the BYD Dolphin small car, which arrives here in the fourth quarter of 2023.

A third entry-level Chinese EV launched this year, the GWM Ora, recently had its entry-level price slashed to below $40,000.

Whether either of these two EVs can upset MG’s volume plans for the MG4 remain to be seen. Combined, all three will certainly help drive up the share of EV sales in Australia, beyond their current seven per cent.

MG confirmed there have been more than 1000 pre-orders for the MG4 ahead of first customer deliveries this month.

Even before the arrival of the MG4, MG Motor Australia is on pace for record sales in Australia in 2023, with a 55,000 total in reach. It sits seventh in the annual sales race for the first seven months of the year and jumped to six for the month of July on the back of record ZS sales.

In 2024 it will launch new generations of the MG3 light car and HS medium SUV, add another as-yet-unspecified SUV and end the year with the launch of the Cyberster electric sports car.

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