MG4 EV vs Kia Niro EV: safety and reliability
Kia’s performance in the latest Driver Power owner satisfaction survey gives it edge here, though you still get a suite of safety kit as standard with both cars
We’ve yet to hear the Euro NCAP crash-test rating for the MG4, but considering its suite of standard active safety kit we expect it’ll receive a solid score. Every version of the electric family hatchback comes with the MG Pilot driver assistance suite, which on SE models includes lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, intelligent high beam assist and driver attention alert. But if you upgrade to Trophy trim you also get blind-spot monitoring and lane-change assist among other systems.
The latest Niro has also received a four-star crash safety rating – the same as the old e-Niro – but when Kia’s DriveWise safety systems are active, that score is upgraded to five stars. Standard safety kit on the Niro EV includes smart cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, lane-keeping assistance, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, front collision avoidance assistance and the usual assortment of ISOFIX points and airbags throughout the cabin. Higher-spec models come with more safety kit, too.
Neither model has been on sale long enough to get any reliability data or bring any problems to light. But Kia’s performance in the 2022 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey should reassure potential buyers. The South Korean brand’s XCeed hatchback was ranked the best car to own by those who took part, while the Rio supermini and Sportage SUV came in third and sixth place respectively. Kia was also the third highest-rated brand overall.
Unfortunately, MG and its ZS SUV didn’t come out too well in the same survey. The brand itself finished second to last on the list of the best carmarkers, while the compact SUV landed in 61st position out of 75 models on the list of the best new cars to own.
