MG to target Tesla and Mercedes-Benz with new premium push: Chinese car maker confident it can offer $100k EVs to Australian buyers

Are you ready to pay more than $100,000 for an MG? The Chinese-owned British brand certainly hopes so, with plans for a premium expansion underway for the current price-led player.

While MG has established itself with its affordable models, such as the compact MG3 and ZS SUV, its next models after the upcoming MG5 small sedan will be a major departure. First up will be the MG4 XPower electric hot hatch, which will pack 320kW of power and a price tag of more than $70,000, pitting it against the Honda Civic Type R.

Following that will be the all-electric Cyberster sports convertible, which is likely to be the first MG in Australia with a six-figure price. MG Australia boss, Peter Ciao, wouldn’t confirm the price but hinted that it would be $100,000 or more. And he made it clear he has no concerns about Australian customers baulking at that figure.

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“MG brand is [a] premium brand, this is a very good sport brand, so the price range I trust very, very wide,” Ciao said. "It is very easy to get over $100,000.”

He added: “I don’t think that’s our challenge.”

Which is good news, because he also spoke about plans to add a range of new, larger and more luxurious EVs to its line-up to sit well above the MG4 and ZS EV and actually challenge the likes of the Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. 

The cars will come from IM Motors, a new brand from MG’s parent company, SAIC Motors. It is also part-owned by Chinese e-commerce website, Alibaba, and the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park; a Shanghai industrial zone that features a range of technology operations.

IM Motors was established to directly compete against Tesla in the Chinese market, so the products are more premium than MG’s mainstream offerings. But Ciao indicated they will wear the MG badge locally in order to benefit from the already-established operations.

MG Australia had previously indicated it was considering three models for Australia from IM Motors, the L7 large sedan, LS7 large SUV and the mid-size LS6. The latter is now the front-runner, according to Ciao.

“I'm still working on [bringing those models], and today I can't give you a clear answer,” Ciao told Australia media. “But I plan to import one, middle-size SUV - the LS6. I have three options, but I'm aiming for the LS6 first.”

The LS6 is a coupe-style SUV with a dual-motor powertrain including a range-topper that packs a 200kW front motor and 379kW rear motor. IM Motors claims it takes just 3.5 seconds to run 0-100km/h and has a top speed of more than 250km/h.

While Ciao said his priority is the LS6, the L7 and LS7 are on the agenda but no timing for any of the three has been confirmed for the trio to arrive in Australia.