What Car? runs the Renault 5, MG4 Urban, and Hyundai Inster through two days of city driving in Oxford, motorway runs, interior tests, a drag race, and real-world range calculations. The Renault 5 Techno Plus costs £23,945 after the £3,750 government grant, hits 252 miles WLTP, and pulled hardest at the fast charger. The Hyundai Inster long range costs £23,255 after Hyundai's own matched grant, has the best rear headroom and sliding rear seats, and returned the highest potential real-world range at 190 miles. The MG4 Urban long range premium starts at the highest list price but costs £344 per month on PCP, just a few pounds more than the Renault.
It is also more efficient, more practical, better equipped, and the only one with a five-star Euro NCAP rating. The Renault 5 lost its crown.
On city driving, the Renault 5 has the tightest turning circle of the three, while the Inster has the widest but still maneuverable. The MG4 Urban sits between them and deals best with speed bumps. The Inster has a high floor in the rear and limited foot space, but incredible headroom and the unique sliding and reclining rear seat feature, available on O2 trim. The MG4 Urban has the biggest boot by any meaningful measure, at 577 litres measured to the roof with two carry-on cases fitting under the boot floor. The Renault 5 has 277 litres and no adjustable boot floor.
On a country road, the Renault 5 is sportiest, the Inster softest, and the MG4 Urban falls between the two. The MG does suffer from more suspension noise over rough surfaces. At 100 kW peak, the Renault 5 charged fastest. In the drag race on a slight uphill runway, the Renault 5 won with a quarter mile in 16.6 seconds and 0-60 in 8.2 seconds. The MG4 Urban came in at 8.4 seconds and 16.8 seconds, and the Inster took 10.2 seconds to 60. The MG4 Urban returned the best real-world range in testing at a potential 207 miles, despite being the largest car.