New 2022 MG 4 electric hatchback primed to rival VW ID 3

MG has previewed a new addition to its range ahead of an unveiling in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The brand has given few details of the new car and a preview video leaves much to the imagination, but it will be all-electric, measure 4300mm in length and "is developed with the UK consumer in mind".

Based on those headline specifications, and clues given in the teaser video, the new model is set to be positioned as a value alternative to electric family hatchbacks such as the Volkswagen ID 3 and Kia e-Niro.

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MG has given hints that the new arrival will feature radical design cues that mark it out from the brand's current EV models, the MG ZS EV and MG 5 EV.

Visible in the teaser is a striking wraparound light bar, new wheel designs and wing mirrors, and heavily sculpted side panels that suggest a more design-led billing than has been employed by MG models since the brand was revived by Chinese company SAIC in 2007.

Its size places it neatly between the current MG 3 – which is set to be replaced in the coming months by an all-new electric supermini – and the 5 estate, which makes it likely this new car will be called the 4. Indeed, a link posted to MG's Twitter feed redirects to a URL containing the phrase 'MG 4 tease'.

MG is also planning to introduce a new family of youth-focused EVs under the 'Cyber' banner, with the eventual production version of the Cyberster roadster serving as a flagship. It is possible that the 4 will form part of this roll-out.

As for the focus on UK buyers, it remains to be seen how the car will be more directly targeted at this market than other models in the MG line-up. One possibility is that various design cues will play off the brand's previous life as a Midlands-based sports car manufacturer. The Cyberster concept had Union Jack-shaped rear light clusters, for example.