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New MG4 EV vs used Hyundai Ioniq 5: interiors
As a new car, the incredibly well priced MG 4 is one of our favourite electric models, but would you be better off buying a used example of the plusher Hyundai Ioniq 5 for similar money?...
Interiors
Driving position, visibility, build quality
Despite being in our electric SUV category, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 doesn't resemble your typical high-rider from the outside – rather a chunky hatchback – and the inside follows a similar theme. The driving position is lofty, but it doesn't tower over traffic like a Range Rover.
Regardless, getting comfortable is a doddle. The driver’s seat has electric adjustment as standard, including for the lumbar support. There's also a good range of movement in the steering wheel.
The MG4 has an electric driver's seat with a good range of adjustment, too, although adjustable lumbar support isn't available. The pedals are slightly offset to the left – unlike in the Ioniq 5 – and that takes some getting used to.
Both cars could do with a bit more side support on the front seats.
You have good forward visibility in either car, with narrow front pillars that don't block too much of your view as you navigate tricky junctions. Rearwards visibility is good too. The MG4 gets a 360-degree camera and rear parking sensors, while the Ioniq 5 has a regular rear-view camera but has sensors at the front and rear.
At first glance, the MG4's interior seems classy enough, and the main touchpoints and switches look and feel of a decent quality. A quick poke around the rest of the interior reveals lots of scratchy, flimsy feeling plastics, though.
The Ioniq 5's textured materials appear plush, but don't feel as good as they look. Hard plastics remain the name of the game and overall build quality misses the mark. A few bits (including the centre console) even wobble when you prod them. That's a bit disappointing in a car that started life with a £40,000-plus price tag.
Infotainment systems
MG4
You get a good-sized (10.25in) touchscreen with crisp-looking graphics, but it can be fiddly to use. For example, adjusting the regenerative braking and driving modes must be done by navigating through layers of confusing menus, and we found we had to squint at the screen to read its tiny text. You get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring but neither are wireless and we often had trouble getting a mobile connected.
Hyundai Ioniq 5
The 12.3in touchscreen is supported by a few physical buttons that swap between the major menus, as well as a programmable button that’ll take you instantly to your most used screen – a plus for usability. Otherwise, the screen and graphics are good and the software is mostly slick, adding up to a superior system to the MG4's. Although, like its rival, this unit can be glitchy (Apple CarPlay repeatedly dropped out in our tests – it also has Android Auto).
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