MG4 EV Urban vs Smart #3

The Smart #3 costs £10,465 more than the MG MG4 EV Urban. For that premium it adds 68 kW faster peak rapid charging, 90 kW more power and a 3.8s quicker 0-62mph time. The MG MG4 EV Urban is not just cheaper - it also offers 207 litres more boot space and lower energy use, 155 versus 172 Wh/km. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the MG MG4 EV Urban comes out ahead overall.

The MG MG4 EV Urban is £10,465 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £168 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the MG MG4 EV Urban comes out roughly £10,585 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 140 miles for the MG MG4 EV Urban and 189 miles for the Smart #3 - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Smart #3 goes roughly 49 miles further between charging stops. Both rapid-charge to 80% in a similar time, around 28-30 minutes.

The two are within 2 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 558 mm of total clearance for the MG MG4 EV Urban and about 556 mm of total clearance for the Smart #3.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 90% battery health for the MG MG4 EV Urban and 84% for the Smart #3. That gives the MG MG4 EV Urban a modest edge in retained real-world range. The MG MG4 EV Urban's LFP-type pack tolerates daily 100% charging, while the Smart #3's NMC-type pack lasts longest kept to about 80% for everyday use. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.