MG targets Mini with new supermini EV

MG said on July 9 it would unveil a compact electric hatchback at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, previewing a new B-segment electric model planned for 2027. The company did not publish a launch date, battery specification or price in its official preview materials. MG also said the car would be one of two concept debuts at Goodwood, alongside a separate “electric design vision” model. The new hatchback is the part of the reveal most closely tied to a future showroom vehicle, according to MG’s own event and media pages. ### Did MG actually say it was going after Mini? MG’s official language stopped short of naming Mini in the materials available on July 9. MG Motor UK described the car as a “new B-segment electric hatchback” and a “compact electric hatchback” that previews a future production model planned for 2027. The company said only that further details and images would follow the reveal by Global Design Vice President Jozef Kaban. (mg.co.uk) Automotive social posts and trade coverage supplied the Mini framing. The social item cited in the source brief said MG was targeting the Mini Cooper market, while Top Gear’s current Mini Cooper Electric review places the Mini in the same small EV space with UK prices starting at about 26,905 pounds. That makes the comparison plausible, but it was not stated in the MG preview copy reviewed here. (mg.co.uk) ### What did MG confirm before the reveal? MG confirmed a timetable and a segment. The company said both concept cars would be unveiled at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 9, at Goodwood, and said the hatchback previews a future production model due in 2027. It also said the car sits in the B-segment, the European class that covers superminis and other small hatchbacks. (topgear.com) Goodwood’s event runs from July 9 to July 12, and MG said its stand would also feature current electrified models including the MGS9 plug-in hybrid, MGS6 EV, MG Cyberster and the all-new MG4 EV Urban. That wider display matters because it places the new hatchback inside MG’s broader push across hybrid and battery-electric models in Europe. (mg.co.uk) ### Where would this car sit in MG’s lineup? MG’s own UK configurator shows the brand’s current electric range starting with the all-new MG4 EV Urban at 23,495 pounds and the standard MG4 EV at 29,995 pounds. A smaller B-segment EV would therefore slot beneath the MG4 in size, and potentially in price, if MG follows its current lineup structure. MG has not confirmed pricing for the concept or the eventual production model. (mg.co.uk) Autocar reported in November 2025 that MG Motor UK boss David Allison said an MG 2 EV was “the obvious area of the market that’s next to happen” and that the brand would “absolutely be in there.” Autocar also reported that Allison pointed to a 2027 arrival and said the car would focus on value rather than simply being the cheapest option. (mg.co.uk) ### Why is Europe the key market for this launch? MG’s official description of the car as a B-segment hatchback points directly at Europe, where superminis remain a core class even as many automakers have shifted toward crossovers. The Mini Cooper Electric, Renault 5, Peugeot e-208 and Fiat 500e are among the established or revived nameplates competing for buyers who want a smaller EV with urban appeal. (autocar.co.uk) Top Gear lists the Mini Cooper Electric from 26,905 pounds in the UK. Autocar reported that MG saw the small-EV market as increasingly important as Europe’s transition to electric vehicles pushes demand toward more affordable models. That assessment was attributed to Allison, who said the Renault 5 had made the task “much more important.” ### What should readers watch for next? (topgear.com) MG said on July 9 that more details and images would be released after Kaban’s 11:00 a.m. unveiling at Goodwood. The company’s official Goodwood event page says the festival runs through July 12, and MG executives including Kaban, Design Director Carl Gotham and product chief David Allison were listed as available for interviews on July 9. (mg.co.uk) (autocar.co.uk)