Articles by Tom White

What does MG need to take on Ford and Mitsubishi? Here's what the brand could pull from overseas to flesh out its line-up.

Why the Model Y Performance might be a little too much of a good thing.

The LS500 offers some serious Japanese old world charm, but perhaps to a fault.

MG is now a major mainstream automaker in Australia and is taking the challenge to its more established rivals through very competitive warranty and servicing terms.MG offers seven years of capped-price servicing on its range, which now includes the MG3 light hatch, ZS and ZST small SUVs, and HS mid-size SUV to go with its existing seven-year and unlimited kilometre warranty.It also offers roadside assistance for the entire warranty period, provided the vehicle is serviced on time and with an MG dealer.However, for the electric ZS EV, which requires servicing half as often (once every 24 months or 40,000km), the schedule extends out to 280,000km or 14 years. The EV also scores a separate seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty for its high-voltage battery pack.Prices for the capped-price servicing program are mostly competitive, with particularly reasonable pricing for the ZS and MG3 range, however there are some surprises in the form of unusually high servicing costs for the ZS EV and a particularly expensive visit for all grades of the HS mid-sizer at the five-year/60,000km mark.In summary: MG has structured its ownership promise to compete with major rivals, offering a long warranty, included roadside assist, and competitive capped-price servicing. Make sure to check the full schedule at MG’s website to avoid surprises, however, as prices can vary significantly between models and individual intervals. 8/10If you want to find out more about a specific manufacturer's capped price servicing, please see below:

Mini does not offer a schedule of capped-price servicing in the traditional sense, but covers its entire range with two tiers of simple cover packages for the first five years of ownership.Like its BMW parent company, Mini has now moved to a five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty from its previous three-year promise, and includes roadside assistance for the first three years for its mainline combustion range.Mini electric vehicles have a separate eight-year/100,000km warranty and matching roadside assist plan for the high-voltage battery, while plug-in hybrids have a six-year/100,000km warranty for their high-voltage battery as well as a matching roadside assist program.All current combustion Mini vehicles, which includes the three- and five-door versions of the Cooper hatch, the Countryman SUV, and Clubman wagon, can be covered by the ‘Mini Service Inclusive’ package which costs $2020 regardless of model and covers the first five years or 80,000km of servicing.The same coverage lasts up to six years for the Cooper SE electric hatch, costing just $1450 for the entire period.Like BMW, Minis have computer-calculated condition-based service intervals, so the number of visits in that period will be determined by the car.The basic package covers oil and filter changes, vehicle checks, as well as brake fluid and spark plug replacements where required.The 'plus' cover package which is less transparent on price, includes some expirable items that are not usually included in capped-price service programs like brake pads, wiper blades, and clutch discs and plates.Interestingly, the packs can also be purchased for used vehicles, with coverage starting from $3410 for a car with the standard engine option, or $3795 for a JCW package car, covering six years or 80,000km.The 'plus' cover is model and location dependent, so it is hard to determine how it compares to rivals, although Mini says the packs carry a 20 - 25 per cent discount compared to servicingn as-you-go.In summary: Mini’s service packs are a welcome peace of mind for buyers to match its now more competitive warranty terms. There is still a question mark over the total cost of ownership for vehicles on a pay-as-you-go scheme, obfuscated further by the condition-based service intervals, although points must also be awarded for the ability to buy service packs for used cars and the relative affordability of owning the electric Cooper. 7/10*Basic cover pack onlyIf you want to find out more about a specific manufacturer's capped price servicing, please see below:

The MG3 is one of MG's strongest models, but now that it's 12 years old, is a replacement finally on the way?

MG has detailed specs for its incoming MG4 hatch, which debuts new tech, styling, and features for MG in Australia.

MG has revealed pricing for its new long-range version of the ZS EV small SUV.Wearing a price-tag of $55,990 before on-road costs for the single Essence variant, the ZS EV Long Range will become available to Australian buyers in April. It still undercuts its key Tesla Model 3 rival (from $64,300), but is significantly more expensive than the BYD Atto 3 Extended Range (from $51,011).The new variant has a 72kWh battery pack good for a WLTP-certified combined driving range of 440km.This is a significant improvement on the existing ZS EV standard range variant, which has a 50.3kWh battery pack good for a 320km range.The Long Range ZS EV gives MG an improved range offering to better position it against its key electric rival, the BYD Atto 3.Expect the main specification to stay the same as the standard range Essence, with very little, even visually, to distinguish between the two grades.The ZS Long Range continues to be available with the same 130kW/280Nm electric motor as the standard version, with the same 80kW charging capability via its Type 2 CCS charging port.This allows charge times between 40 - 63 minutes depending on the speed of the connected DC charger at a fast charging location. It also maintains the 11kW charging speed of the standard version, suggesting a charging time from 10 per cent in around five hours.The new ZS EV Long Range variant will be joined by the fully electric MG4 hatch in the second half of 2023, which debuts a new platform and new technology for the brand.Thanks to sufficient supply and keen pricing across much of its range, MG has had a stratospheric rise in Australia over the last 18 months, now ranked seventh, behind Mitsubishi, but ahead of Subaru in the local sales charts.

Ram Trucks are imported as left-hand drive vehicles to Australia by Ateco (the same import group behind Renault and LDV) under the auspices of American Special Vehicles and are then converted to right-hand drive in Melbourne. The Ram Trucks brand does not currently offer a capped-price service program for any of its models, although indicative pricing can be found through the ‘book a service’ section of its website.Ram’s range of utes, which currently includes five variants of the 1500, or either a 2500 or 3500 Laramie Crew Cab, are all covered by a three-year/100,000km warranty in Australia, behind the more commonly accepted five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty offered by most manufacturers in the industry. On the upswing, the entire warranty period includes 24/7 roadside assistance.While there is no capped-price service program on any of the brand’s models, indicative pricing, which will vary by location, can be seen through the brand’s book-a-service feature.Servicing is not cheap. Using a Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab equipped with a 5.7-litre V8 engine based in Sydney as an example, service pricing ranges (at the time of publishing) from $508.97 to $1251.96 in the first five years per 12 monthly, 12,000km visit intervals. The most expensive service in the calculator is a whopping $4101.38 due at 10 years or 120,000km. The calculator reaches to 14 years or 168,000km.In summary: With a short limited warranty and no capped price service program, Ram owners are left without a clear picture of the total cost of ownership. The current indicative service pricing suggests it will be high. 4/10*Based on indicative pricing from the calculator for a vehicle located in Sydney and not including the six month/6,000km 'severe duty' service for vehicles which are frequently towing, used off-road, or for fleet duties.If you want to find out more about a specific manufacturer's capped price servicing, please see below:

Manufactured in China by the same company that builds MGs - SAIC Motor - the LDV brand is not factory-backed in Australia, but imported by distributor, Ateco Automotive.This means the commercial-focused LDV does not have uniform warranty and service terms with its passenger car sister brand, and currently the only vehicle in its catalog with a capped-price servicing program is the Deliver 9 large van.The Deliver 9 is covered by a three-year, 95,000km service schedule, covering the first four services. The first visit is due in just six months or 5000km, the second is due at 12, but the remaining two are due in yearly 30,000km intervals.Pricing isn’t as cheap as some rivals, but still in the realm of reality, with the average cost per visit for the manual coming it at $473.75, or $490.50 for the automatic.A capped-price program is not available on any of the brand’s other products, including its popular T60 ute, D90 SUV, Mifa people mover, or the G10 or V80 vans.Warranty is also not standardised across LDV’s line-up. The combustion versions of the T60 ute and Mifa people mover, for example, are covered by an impressive seven-year/200,000km warranty, while the electric versions, the eT60 and Mifa 9, are covered by a more standard five year/160,000km warranty. Confusingly, the D90 SUV is covered by a slightly different five year/130,000km warranty.Down the bottom of the pile are the brand’s commercial offerings, the G10, V80, and Deliver 9, which are only covered by a behind-the-pace three-year/160,000km warranty.In summary: LDV’s lack of transparency around its service pricing and inconsistent warranty terms make it frustrating to compare its products with those from other brands which have more or less standardised these terms. While the seven-year warranty offered on the T60 and Mifa seems impressive, it still leaves owners unable to build a view of all but the Deliver 9’s total cost of ownership. 4/10If you want to find out more about a specific manufacturer's capped price servicing, please see below: