MG Australia slashes MG4 price

[glend14]

As of today, MG Australia has slashed $10,000 off of the price of the base MG4 (51kw) model. This price reduction is effective for all existing stock (2024, and 2023). This will significantly undercut BYD and Ora models. In addition there are $6000 in extras available on all the higher end MG4s including the Xpower. Locally the Warranty is 10 years now. I will try to post a link to the news article.

Here is the link.

Meet the new cheapest electric car in Australia: Huge $10,000 price cut for 2024 MG4 to massively undercut the BYD Dolphin, GWM Ora plus incoming Hyundai Inster and Kia EV3 - Car News

The electric car price war might be coming to an end, and MG has won. The Chinese brand has ripped about $10,000 off the price of its cheapest MG4 electric car with a new national drive-away price of $30,990. This represents a drop of about 25 per cent for the MG4 51 Excite.

www.carsguide.com.au

On today's exchange rate that is a price cut of 5123 British Pounds.

Moderator: This large price cut is only until the end of the month and quarter, i.e. only 11 days total. There is no indication of what the prices will be at the start of October.

 

[tsedge]

Wow, though not that surprising. The cost to build the car is vastly less than what they charge in Europe and Australia/NZ, so plenty of room for cuts - however, most of the profits come from these regions, so it will hurt for them to do it.

 

[Bricktop X PWR]

Wow, though not that surprising. The cost to build the car is vastly less than what they charge in Europe and Australia/NZ, so plenty of room for cuts - however, most of the profits come from these regions, so it will hurt for them to do it.

And significantly less cost to transport to our Antipodean friends I would have thought?

 

[tsedge]

And significantly less cost to transport to our Antipodean friends I would have thought?

Roughly half the cost, my 5 minute research tells me.

 

[Tuareg]

Much larger volumes are shipped to Europe and that will attract a much lower price per unit as a shipping contract.

 

[AdeMcG]

just did a quick search on AT and its happening here (in the UK) ...74 plate 64kWh trophy for immediate delivery £22,990.

 

[Coulomb]

74 plate 64kWh trophy for immediate delivery £22,990.

Is it like Australia, also only for existing stock and only until the end of the quarter in ten days or so?

[ Edit: It seems that the $8000 factory bonus is valid to the end of September, but the 51kWh model is reduced until the end of October. ]

It looks to me that MG is trying to move some inventory this quarter, possibly ahead of the looming mid cycle refresh (facelift model). I suspect that these low prices will only hold until at least one of the Chinese manufacturers goes out of business. Or maybe when some FUDsters run out of Big Oil payments, and things get back to relatively normal.

Tesla's Robotaxi / Cybercab launch in a few weeks, if it doesn't get delayed again, may have an influence on longer term EV prices too. I can't predict how that will affect things. I'm leaning towards the thought that most people will still want to drive their own cars, with the possible exception of regular commutes: work, shopping, and school /college / university. Then again, that might be 90% of the driving that people do.

 

[leonkernan]

According to Riz at The Driven:

The pricing is effective from today until 31 October 2024.

MG slashes price of most popular EV again, testing $30,000 mark for first time

MG slashes price of one of its best selling MG4 variants to just $30,990 drive away - the lowest price ever for a new electric car in Australia.

thedriven.io

edit: Also at Carsales as Oct 31st:

MG MG4 prices slashed - carsales.com.au

Promo pricing sees the MG4 temporarily become Australia’s cheapest EV

www.carsales.com.au

 

[wattmatters]

According to Riz at The Driven:

It's not consistent with their website though:

 

[Coulomb]

I think that the 51kWh model may be on sale until the end of October, but the factory bonus of $8000 for the higher spec models is only to the end of September. Perhaps because the 51kWh model missed out on earlier discounts, so they may have more stock to move.

Edit : But you are right, that doesn't agree with the above.

 

[leonkernan]

The MG homepage today "Must end October 31"
I don't know how much more you need.

 

[wattmatters]

The MG homepage today "Must end October 31"
I don't know how much more you need.

Except that this is in conflict with the terms and conditions - see the page I posted a few posts up.

Anyway I hope it is until end-October. MG Australia need to get their webshite sorted.

Also it's "while stocks last" so there no guarantee it will still be on offer through to end-October.

Killer deal though for anyone on the fence and is looking at a new car.

 

[Coulomb]

I talked to a dealer at Motorama MG Moorooka today. He says that as far as he knows, from that the dealers were told last Friday (!), both deals (Excite 51 $30 990 drive away and the factory bonuses for the other MG4 models) are valid till the end of October. Note that there is very limited stock at the dealerships (two MG4s at Moorooka), but all Motorama dealers in the area have access to a pool of vehicles at a warehouse. Stock there is limited, e.g. only two MG4 64 Essence in white, there were some Camden grey and some silver. They have a volcanic orange on order, whatever that means. It can take 2-3 weeks for that stock to arrive at the dealership once one is earmarked. That means that if you want one from stock that hasn't been sat in my the great unwashed and baking in the sun, you need to order it by say 10th October at the latest.

The other big thing is that (at least at this dealership), the $8000 factory bonus only applies to 2023 models; 2024 models (same car, according to the salesman) only get a $5000 reduction. They do say "up to $8000 off" or similar on the web page. I got the impression that this pricing may be dealer dependent. So there might be some wiggle room for 2024 models, or any that don't have the full $8000 taken off the regular price.

I think he said that the Excite 51 will go to about $36 000 (± $1000, sorry, I didn't pay much attention as I'm eyeing the 64 kWh Essence model).

It sounds to me that the stock might sell out fairly soon.

I didn't ask whether the warehouse is exclusively for Motorama, or whether other dealership franchises access the same pool (i.e. is the warehouse owned by Motorama or by MG Australia; my guess would be the latter).

And damn it, I can comfortably get into an MG4 with my very stiff neck! If I didn't fit (like I didn't comfortably fit into a petrol Chery Omoda 5, they had no stock of the electric E5s yet), then I could safely ignore this sale. We'd probably keep the ZS EV and trade in the Leaf, making us a two MG family.

 

[wattmatters]

Someone on the MG4 FB page posted this deal on a new XPower:

 

[leonkernan]

Except that this is in conflict with the terms and conditions - see the page I posted a few posts up.

I think the thing that's confusing people is that they're looking at the page with September offers.

I have this funny feeling that on the 1st of October that will become the October offers page and have the same deal from the 1st to the 31st of October.

 

[glend14]

Talking to my MG dealer Sales Mgr, when I was considering swapping my new MG3 Hybrid for the MG4 51kWh special offer, he advised it would just require a paid deposit to secure a car at the advertised price. It applies to both 2023 and 2024 build plate MG4 51kWh, still in stock. He indicated he had fielded a few calls from pissed off MG4 owners that had just seen their car values plummet.
As to trading my MG3 Hybrid for the MG4 offer, I decided against it for a few reasons:
1. They treat my 2 month old MG3 Hybrid as a used car, and despite my Hybrid costing more than the MG4 offer, I would not get equivalent value.
2. The cars are not comparable on features, for example my MG3 Hybrid has a nice sunroof, and surround cameras with look down function (neither available on the MG4 51kWh).
So I am not bothered chasing the MG4 offer. I suspect the 2025 MG4 will rise in price again and possibly they will need to increase feature sets on the models. Recent press concerning other Chinese manufacturers releasing EVs in Australia late this year and in 2025, means more competition. Geely, Zeeker, Xpeng, and others are already taking online orders for Australian delivery. Exciting times.

 

[FrancisM]

MG UK are not advertising discounted prices officially (yet), but it looks like dealers are clearing out old MG4 stock. I bought one here in the UK at the start of the month with a large discount not knowing it was made in Jan 2023. It seems I jumped too soon because the dealer is now advertising even better deals. I should have waited to the end of the month.

I wonder if there is an expiration date on selling new unregistered cars that were made a number of years previously. Probably not, just a case of buyer beware. It wasn't a question I thought to ask.

I read something about new MG4s being built in Taiwan (which is nearer Aus) with marginally smaller LFP batteries, a larger infotainment screen and presumably new software. This might be a way to avoid increased EU tariffs. Any news on that front?

 

[glend14]

I would be surprised if a Chinese government owned car builder, which SAIC (the MG builder is), was building anything in Taiwan (their arch enemy). Taiwan is only a hundred kilometres from mainland China anyway. This argument that shipping costs have anything to do with a 25% reduction in Sale price is not logical, as shipping costs are the same for all the vehicles loaded onto a SAIC transporter, which means LDV, etc. Whatever pricing strategy is used in the UK is probably more likely based on what they think they can sell it for, and competition in that segment.

 

[glend14]

Keep in mind as well, that Australia Quarantine regulations require every imported vehicle to be fumigated prior to accepted for off loading for sale. There are major fumigation companies that do this for each inbound ship, and failure to certify the fumigation means ships must return to port of origin. This fumigation service has a cost. I have no idea if the UK has similar arrangements.

 

[tsedge]

I don't think we do. I remember going to Australia in the 90s and people spraying the inside of the whole plane before we could exit. I have never experienced anything like that returning to the UK, ever.