Cupra Born vs MG4: What salary sacrifice EV should I lease?

Pitting two of the best EV hatchbacks against one another

The Cupra Born and the MG4 are two of the best fully electric cars on the market and a salary sacrifice scheme allows you to drive away in one for a fraction of the price.

If you’re considering a salary sacrifice car and want to get behind the wheel of one of the most in-demand EVs around, these two both promise a competitive electric range, stylish good looks and impressive day-to-day practicality.

A salary sacrifice scheme is an employee benefit that allows you to drive a brand-new car, saving money month by month. By sacrificing a portion of your gross salary, you can make substantial savings on your income tax and national insurance contributions when leasing one of these two cars.

While you do make huge savings each month, you do have to pay a small Benefit in Kind tax, a charge placed on goods and services provided to employees as 'benefits'.

Using the Corparison salary sacrifice calculator, we’ve compared the MG4 150kW Trophy EV Long Range 64kWh 5dr Auto against the Cupra Born 150kW V1 58kWh 5dr Auto to see who comes out on top.

Cost

We’re comparing the entry-level 58kWh battery-powered V1 Born. It is the most affordable option in the range, but still provides fantastic value with a generous kit list and competitive performance.

Pitting it against the top-of-the-range Trophy trim MG4 draws the closest comparison in monthly cost, but if you are looking for greater savings, the entry-level MG4 SE and SE Long Range are equally impressive.

It’s a testament to the value of the MG4 that you can splash out on the top-of-the-range spec and still come in under the monthly cost of the lower-spec Born.

Based on a 36 month lease deal with 10,000 miles per annum, both EVs are over £100 a month cheaper when leased through Corparison's salary sacrifice scheme. The biggest savings come for those in the 40% tax bracket, who can save well over £250 a month on the Born and £230 a month against a standard personal contract hire (PCH) lease on the MG4.

Both have fixed 2% Benefit in Kind (BiK) rates, but the MG4’s monthly charge is marginally lower. The Cupra Born has the potential for greater total savings, relative to its higher list price, both in the 20% and 40% tax brackets.

Drive

Both cars are fun to drive. They have the enticing instant torque and punchy acceleration speeds that make EVs so much fun to drive.

Choose the MG4 as your salary sacrifice electric car and you will enjoy a quiet and controlled driving experience. Its steering is responsive, and the ride comfort is more than good enough, even with a slightly firmer suspension.

The MG4 will thrive on those inner city commutes, but it will be equally capable on those longer motorway journeys.

You might get hot hatch looks from the Born’s appearance, but its performance is far more mature. To drive, it’s refined, dependable and so easy to get to grips with.

Like so many VW products, you know what you’re getting once you’re behind the wheel. Smooth handling, composed performance and impressive comfort levels – it’s a very well-rounded car.

Design

The MG4 and Cupra Born are two of the bravest EV designs to hit the market. Stylistically they’re very different, but both promise to turn heads.

Compared to the Born, the MG4 has a little more road presence thanks to its increased ride height. There’s bold styling through its well-placed creases and curves. Sharp LED headlights add a touch of flair that is more fitting of something at the premium end of the EV market.

The Born provides more intricate detailing for those wanting to drive something sportier. Its modern design is a little more aggressive and in your face, but equally stylish at the same time.

Copper finishes to the interior and neat stitching provide an additional layer of class that the MG cannot match in its design.

By no means is the MG4 poor quality inside, but the Born does feature higher quality materials in the cabin, where soft-touch finishes and a mixture of fabrics create a comfortable and inviting place to be.

Range & Charging

The MG4 comes in two battery sizes and it’s the larger 64kWh option we’re paying particular attention to today. There’s a smaller 51kWh battery, but it’s the former that makes the MG4 incredible value - a big battery without the big price tag.

From that MG promise a claimed range of up to 281 miles and using a 150kW public rapid charger, it will recharge from 10 to 80% in just 35 minutes. If you’re charging at home on a 7kW wall box, this will take around eight hours to go from empty to full, perfect for an overnight charge.

Like the MG4, the Born is also available with the choice of two batteries – a 58kWh pack or the bigger 77kWh option.

With the smaller battery option that we’re looking at today, Cupra say it will travel up to 264 miles on a single charge.

If you’re looking for more performance, you will need to consider the more expensive 77kWh battery, where you can get a claimed range of up to 343 miles.

To charge at a DC 120kW rapid charger, you’re going to charge from 5-80% in a similar 35 minutes, or around nine hours with a 7kW home charger.

Practicality

The MG4 excels well beyond the everyday commute and is a very handy family car. In the boot, there’s 363L of storage, as well as underfloor space to hide away charging cables.

Meanwhile, passengers in the back will be pleased with more than ample head and legroom for a vehicle of this size. 

There isn’t much between the two, but the Born does narrowly edge it in everyday practicality terms, with a 385L boot – or the equivalent of one extra carry case for you and I.

Both vehicles scored five stars in their respective Euro NCAP safety tests and are awash with intuitive safety features as standard, including adaptive cruise control, driver alert recognition and traffic sign recognition.

Technology

For one of the more affordable EVs on the market, the MG4 does not disappoint with its technology. It’s one of the more simplified systems you’ll find in the electric hatchback sector, but that’s no bad thing. The menus are well laid out, clearly labelled (more on that later) and easy to use while driving.

You might not get all the bells and whistles that you can find in more premium options, but a 10.25” touchscreen and a 7” digital drivers display offer a crisp and clear image, with all the information you'll need well within reach.

The infotainment system available in the Born divides opinions. The VW group have opted for a system that is devoid of physical buttons, creating an increased reliance on smaller sensitive sliders.

No backlighting on the sliders can make them difficult to use in low lighting and menus are not always clearly labelled – it’s a system you have to learn over time.

Neither of the two are class-leading, don’t expect Tesla levels of tech. However, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both available as standard, and you have everything you need day to day.

Verdict

Both EVs have their strengths and the one you choose should depend on the needs of your next car lease.

If you need something that doubles up as an everyday commuter but also a suitable family hatchback for the weekends, the additional cargo space and range of the Born lends itself to those demands.

Between the Trophy and the V1 Born, there’s not much to split them when it comes to range, but you will need to explore the higher trim levels of the latter if you want to surpass the 300-mile mark.

The MG4 strikes a perfect balance of being perfect for those new to the world of EVs, but also an incredibly efficient, cost-effective option if you’re looking to switch out of a petrol or diesel car and reduce your CO2 emissions.