The first teaser for a compact electric car to kick off MG’s EV range has been revealed.

The new small car will make its first appearance in concept guise at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. A somewhat unusual choice for a car that won’t be particularly focused on performance.

The production version of the new model, which looks set to adopt the MG2 name, will join a wave of new compact Chinese rivals like the BYD Atto 1, GAC Aion UT, and Geely EX2.

The first teaser images reveal a front end that doesn’t stray too far from the soft curves and friendly face motifs of its Geely and GAC rivals. In concept form, the MG2 features a new LED lighting signature for the brand, and pixel-like main headlights.

The rear shows a largely conventional hatchback shape with a large rear spoiler and a curved taillight form that, again, lines up with the organic forms found on its Chinese rivals. The new hatch also carries an MG badge on its C-pillar.

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The concept will serve as a near-production-ready preview of a production model that is already under development, adding an electric alternative to sell alongside the existing MG3 petrol and hybrid range.

In an interview with the UK’s Auto Express, MG’s global design president, Jozef Kaban, suggested that the design for the new compact hatch was the work of MG’s UK-based design team. “Even when we are talking about an international brand with international design teams in different places, here we know that we want to deliver something that is not just global, but maybe a bit more British,” he said.

Rather than taking cues from the sharper design of models like the MG4 and S6 EV, with their pointed headlights and angular front intakes, the MG2 appears to be an evolution of the softer design language from the MG4 Urban (below).

Kaban referred to the new model as “the cute baby in the family.”

Specifications for the new model are as yet unknown, but it’s likely to utilise a downsized version of the front-wheel-drive ‘E3’ architecture from the MG4 Urban, equipped with a torsion beam rear end.

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The small end of the EV market in Europe has seen a rush of activity with cars like the Renault 5 and its related Nissan Micra sibling, and new models on the horizon, including the Volkswagen ID. Polo and Cupra Raval.

The MG2 concept will debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, alongside another ‘electric design vision’ concept from the brand, and is expected to reach production by early 2027.