What the Limited Edition Brings
The Auto Focus Pre-Christmas Test Drive Festival at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds has been giving drivers a free, air-conditioned dress rehearsal for the next two weeks. On its final day, November 15, it handed MG Motor Philippines its most exclusive EV offer yet: the MG4 Urban EV Limited Edition.
Only 80 units will be sold in the Philippines, and each car carries its own number, like a numbered lottery ticket. MG calls the global run 5,000 units and the local run 80. The local version is badged in Diamond Red with a gloss black roof, plus a limited-edition emblem and a badge sewn into the floor matting.
At P1,198,888, the Limited Edition puts a genuinely good city EV within reach of the middle-income household without asking you to compromise on range.
The Spec Sheet
| Specification | MG4 Urban EV Limited Edition (PH) |
|---|---|
| Motor | Permanent-magnet synchronous, front-wheel drive |
| Power / torque | 148 hp (110 kW) / 250 Nm |
| Battery | 43.2 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) |
| Range | Up to 403 km (NEDC) |
| Charging speed | DC up to 82 kW, 20–80% in about 35 min (Top Gear PH); AC Type 2 |
| Dimensions | 4,395 mm long × 1,842 mm wide × 1,549 mm high; 2,750 mm wheelbase |
| Ground clearance | 130 mm (international AU spec; PH figure not published) |
| Kerb weight | 1,460 kg |
| Boot space | 480 L + 98 L underfloor; 1,364 L with rear seats folded |
| Warranties | 5 yr / 100,000 km vehicle; 8 yr / 160,000 km battery |
| Extras | 7 kW home wall charger, 3 kW portable charger, free 6th-month PMS service |
The battery is a cell-to-body design, which integrates the LFP pack into the monocoque. Top Gear PH reported the chassis as stiffer and the car as tipping the lightest at 1,460 kg among full EVs of this size. The combination of a flat floor and a rigid cabin makes this a comfortable car to drive, not just a cheap one to buy.
What Others Are Saying
Top Gear Philippines reviewed the base MG4 Urban in November and came away favorably: the 148 hp motor felt “peppy and light on its wheels” in city driving, the 403 km NEDC range held up on expressway miles, and a sub-35-minute 20–80 percent charge time was a genuine plus for a four-door hatch of this size. The reviewer also praised the 1,460 kg kerb weight as light for a full EV.
CarGuide PH’s preview of the Limited Edition added the details that matter at launch: numbered badges for each of the 80 units, the Diamond Red body with gloss black roof, a special emblem, and a badge sewn into the floor matting. Every buyer also receives a 7 kW home wall charger and a 3 kW portable charger, a five-year or 100,000-kilometer vehicle warranty, an eight-year or 160,000-kilometer battery warranty, three years of roadside assistance, and a free preventive maintenance service in the sixth month.
Charging and a Manila-Baguio Run
Top Gear PH put the MG4’s 82 kW charger to a real-world test. Twenty to 80 percent took about 35 minutes, and the onboard computer recorded 12.8 kWh per 100 km with the air-con held at 19°C. In a 36–38°C Filipino summer, the aircon load will push consumption up, so expect closer to 300–320 km of real-world range on a warm day.
That still clears Manila–Baguio, which runs about 250 km through the North Luzon Expressway and the Santiago–Cordova toll road. One moderate charging stop around Subic is all it takes, and the car is more than happy to get you there. The 403 km NEDC figure is what you achieve on a steady, cool-weather cruise; the shorter figure is what you get when the AC is fighting the heat and you are driving at 100 kph with a passenger.
EDSA City Driving
The MG4 is not a sports car, but 148 hp of instant torque makes EDSA stop-start tolerable, and the 1,460 kg weight keeps it planted through a lane change. Top Gear PH described the driving feel as “peppy and light on its wheels.” It is a car that rewards a relaxed drive and punishes neither the driver nor the clutch — because there is no clutch.
Parking is the practical question. At 4,395 mm long and 1,842 mm wide, the MG4 fits a standard Philippine parking bay, and the 984 mm front headroom plus 1,067 mm front legroom give the cabin a practical, no-fuss feel. My search turned up no published PH turning-circle figure for the MG4, so I cannot confirm how the rear seats swing in a narrow, camera-free alley in Makati. If that matters to you, ask the dealer for a test in a tight area before you reserve.
Floods, Heat, and the LFP Battery
Lithium-iron-phosphate chemistry is the comfortable choice in 36–38°C heat. It is thermally stable, and the MG4’s liquid-cooled pack handles long runs without the thermal throttling you see on some NMC rivals. That is the same chemistry behind the BYD Blade cells and the cheaper Seagull and BYD Atto 2 batteries, and it is why I would rather keep an LFP city EV in a ventilated shed than under a sun-baked concrete roof.
Ground clearance is the open question. The 130 mm figure comes from the Australian MG4 Urban spec (CarsGuide and CarExpert both list 130 mm); a PH-specific ground-clearance figure has not been published. Until it is, treat flooded streets the same way you would any compact car: if it looks deep, it is deep. The battery is sealed and sits low under a flat floor, which removes the hydrolock risk of a petrol car, but a wading car is still a car that can be damaged.
Where It Sits on Price
At P1,198,888, the Limited Edition sits just above the MG4 Urban standard intro of P1,148,888, which carried a free 7 kW wall box for the first 100 buyers. The delta buys the numbered Badge, the Diamond Red color, and the premium accessories. It is not a cheap car — the Wuling Macaron (P663,000), the BYD Seagull (P898,000), and the BYD Atto 2 EV (P1,338,000), and the MG S5 EV all sit lower — but it is the best “proper car” MG has to offer an entry-level EV buyer in the Philippines.
For perspective, the Dongfeng Mage EV launched today at P1,398,000 with a 530 km CLTC range, while the Kia EV3 sits at P1,898,000. The MG4 is the middle child: less range than either, but a better city car and a fraction of the price. but the Geely EX2, with roughly P938,000 and around 395 km of NEDC range, sits below this tier entirely and is the pick for the true budget buyer.
Should You Wait?
If you have been waiting for a limited-run EV in the Philippines, this is your kind of scarcity. The 80-unit cap means a reservation is a reservation, and each car is numbered. If you are buying for your first EV and your daily driver is an EDSA commute with occasional provincial trips, the 403 km NEDC range plus a single top-up on a long run makes this one of the more sensible entries in the market today.
Buying advice from someone who has spent too many hours in gridlocked traffic: the best EV for you is the one you can actually charge at home. The MG4 ships with a 7 kW wall box and a 3 kW portable charger, which cover the home-charging case, if your housing arrangement allows it.
Bottom line, and it is a simple one: the MG4 Urban EV Limited Edition is an honest, well-priced, 80-unit PH-only run of a genuinely good city EV. If you can reserve one, treat it as the collectible it is. If not, the standard MG4 Urban remains the sensible, range-tested alternative, and it is easier on the wallet to wait for a better offer.