MG Motor UK is set to hold back the launch of the second-generation MG 4 EV, opting instead for a facelifted version of the current model, which has proven highly successful here.

The decision highlights a divergence in product strategy between the UK and China for the SAIC-owned marque, which is capitalising on the established appeal and momentum of its first electric car platform in the UK.

The all-new 4, which entered the Chinese market in March, represents a significant engineering shift. It's built on a next-generation EV platform, is 100mm longer and moves from rear-wheel to front-wheel drive.

It car also features a distinct, Cyberster-inspired aesthetic and an updated cabin, aligning it with the brand's newer S5 EV crossover.

When the new car's design was registered with European legislators, expectations were that the car would, following its Europe launch, come to the UK too.

However, MG Motor UK will introduce a facelifted version of the current 4 instead, its boss David Allison has told Autocar.

“The 4 is now our oldest car, so it's due a facelift, which will happen relatively soon," he said.

“There’s another MG 4 EV in China; it’s kind of a second-generation car. The MG 4 EV as we know it has been wildly successful in Europe, particularly in the UK. But it’s a different story in the domestic market. So they have changed the car quite quickly.”

Allison indicated that the UK is positioned to eventually adopt the new car's underlying technology, however: "It's the next-generation platform, so for the next evolution or the next generation of EVs, that’s the platform we would get."

When pressed on the timeline for introducing the second-generation 4 to the UK, he said: "As with lots and lots of cars, there are plenty of cars that are sold in the domestic market that we don't take, but we have options. So if it's decided and we think that there is an opportunity for that kind of car, we will certainly take it."