3. MG 4 EV
Previous picks not affordable enough? Try this. The MG 4 EV is an important moment in the development of MG Motor as a serious car maker. Since the British brand’s relaunch under the ownership of the Chinese giant SAIC, it has always played the budget end of the market. With the MG 4, it still does, but with a car that is genuinely impressive in its own right.
Being a physically smaller car than the previous two, it’s not quite as spacious, but not by much. Its rear-drive layout lets it serve up some real handling thrills while its soft but controlled ride means it’s well suited to rough British roads. It has a very competitive range and charging figures too, and all for £26,995 for the SE model or £29,495 for the Long Range SE. There’s an Extended Range and a bonkers-fast 429bhp XPower model, but we wouldn’t bother.
You can see some of the cost savings in the low-grade interior materials and slightly haphazard infotainment and driver assistance features, but none of it is egregious enough to seriously detract from how much value for money the MG 4 offers.
Price £26,995 (Standard), £29,495 (Long Range), £36,495 (Extended Range, XPower) Range 218 miles (Standard), 281 miles (Long Range), 323 miles (Extended Range), 239 miles (XPower)