New Ora Funky Cat vs MG 4 EV: practicality

The MG 4 is currently our favourite small electric car, but is its position under threat from Chinese brand Ora’s new contender?...

Will Nightingale

Published20 March 2023

Space and practicality

Front space, rear space, seating flexibility, boot

Since it's the slightly smaller car, you might expect the Ora Funky Cat to be more cramped inside than the MG 4 EV, but for the most part that isn't the case. Granted, the MG 4 is slightly more generous when it comes to front head and leg room, but a pair of six-footers can fit comfortably in the front of the Funky Cat too.

It's in the back where the Funky Cat shines, having plenty of knee room for even the tallest of your friends and plenty of space under the front seats for their feet to rest. It's not that the MG 4 is cramped in the back; it has more rear space than the Renault Megane E-Tech, for example. It's just beaten soundly here.

The problem is that you and your passengers will have to pack very light if you're going on a journey in the Funky Cat, because its boot is tiny. We managed to squeeze just four carry-on suitcases under the parcel shelf, and we had to remove one of the charging cables to achieve this. There is a small underfloor storage area, but you can't fit both the three-pin and Type 2 cables in there. What's more, there's no additional luggage space under the bonnet.

The MG 4 is far better at carrying luggage, thanks to a larger boot and a smaller lip to lift items over. Only one extra suitcase can under its parcel shelf, but that doesn't tell the whole story, because no encouragement is needed to get them all in and there's even some space left over for smaller items. It's a shame there's again no under-bonnet storage, though.

You can boost the luggage space in both of our contenders by splitting the rear seatbacks 60/40 and folding one or both parts down, although this leaves an annoying step in the floor of the Funky Cat's extended load bay. The MG 4 has a height-adjustable boot floor to iron this out.