An estate version of the MG 4 EV hatchback is set to go on sale later this year as a replacement for the ageing MG 5 SW EV.
The 5 was launched in the UK in 2020, but it's based on the Chinese-market Roewe i5, which dates back to 2017, so is now at a natural retirement age.
MG has previously confirmed that its new EV-specific Modular Scalable architecture, first used for the 4, will be rolled out across its line-up as it replaces its first generation of electric cars.
As it does so, an extended version of the 4 is understood to be a more logical and cost-effective successor to the 5 than an all-new model.
Switching onto the new architecture will make the new 5 rear-driven, rather than front-driven, and with vastly improved performance statistics across the board.
The current 5 cracks 0-100 km/h in 8.0sec, has a 214-mile range and can charge at 50kW. The single-motor 4, by contrast, can sprint from 0-100 km/h in 6.1sec, has a maximum range of 323 miles and boosts maximum charging speed to 150kW.
It's also, unlike the 5, available in performance-focused dual-motor guise with a huge 429bhp, although it remains to be seen whether the new estate will be offered with so much power.
Carl Gotham, advanced design director at MG’s European design centre in London, suggested the next-generation 5 and ZS and HS crossovers will become bolder and more obviously technologically advanced than their predecessors but without moving into more premium territory.
“Some of the products are coming to the end of their journey," he said, "and we're in a really strong position, especially at 100 years old, to take a confident, bold step forward with the new products: update the technology, update the image, but still make it still very affordable and accessible for people. We don’t want to alienate anybody from the brand.
“That's really MG’s advantage. It's always about offering experiences that were maybe [historically] much more inaccessible to everyday people.”
The new 5 will be sold in the UK alongside a new version of the ZS EV on the same platform, as well as a redesigned HS, the new 3 supermini and the second-generation Marvel-R SUV, which will be imported to the UK for the first time.
A £20,000 electric city car is also likely to join the ranks in 2025.
