MG Reviews

EVs have come a long way in a short time. Many electric cars have price parity with petrol cars, and now electric utes can go stride for stride with diesel workhorses… at least in some areas. MG’s new U9 electric ute is easily the most capable zero-emissions dual-cab on the market, and even goes toe-to-toe with some of Australia’s favourite machines. On paper it has the razzle to get your attention and on the showroom floor it has the dazzle to get you to sign on the dotted line. There is only one variant to choose from, priced at $78,990 (before-on road costs), which is about the same as the new electric Toyota HiLux BEV. The U9 EV sits on a rugged ladder-frame chassis, which is the same type of underpinnings used by the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and more. A max towing capacity of 3500kg is something no other electric ute can do and showcases its diesel-matching capability. The HiLux BEV can only muster 2000kg, and even the standard plug-in hybrid BYD Shark 6 can only pull up to 2500kg. Payload is underwhelming at just 685kg, which means there isn’t much load-lugging capacity if you have a full complement of passengers on board. At its heart is an enormous 102kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of up to 430km, according to the benchmark WLTP test cycle. It can absorb up to 115kW via a DC connector, which isn’t express and will take 42 minutes to fill the battery from 20 to 80 per cent. It can suck up a max 11kW of AC juice, which will take about 12 hours to fully recharge. Four-wheel-drive grip comes from two electric motors that pump out a combined 325kW and 700Nm. This is good enough to propel it from 0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds, which puts it in Ranger Raptor territory. There are no diff locks, high and low gears and it can only wade up to just 550mm. It does have good ground clearance at 230mm, which can be increased via plush air suspension. Approach and departure angles are 29- and 25-degrees, which is ok. MG claims the U9 EV is a lifestyle vehicle, which is code for a vehicle that won’t tackle the harshest off-road tracks but feels more at home around town and on light adventure duties on weekends. So it fits the brief. On the road it is a capable performer, with a groundswell of torque delivering urgent shove when called upon. The U9 EV has ditched the leaf springs found in conventional load luggers for a more sophisticated multilink set-up that helps it feel more SUV like on the road. Steering is well weighted and direct, again it feels more like an SUV to steer than a ute. One thing the U9 EV can’t hide is its bulk. It feels enormous on the road, more so than even super-sized American utes. There is good seat and steering wheel adjustment to help you find a comfy driving position. Vision is compromised out the front, with it hard to see over the giant square bonnet. It made traversing bumpy ground and short descents difficult. Luckily it has an array of sensors and cameras to help you navigate tight spots and rough terrain. It barely cracked a sweat doing a short tow test with a light caravan weighing under a tonne. As with many Chinese electric cars, safety tech is overbearing with plenty of beeps and bongs. It isn’t the worst I’ve experienced but still not ideal. The U9 EV is plenty practical, with several 220-volt powerpoints in the tray to help you charge your tools, power appliances and campsite. A front cargo space (or frunk) under the bonnet holds up to 236L, which means ute owners finally have a spot to put their shopping that won’t scramble the eggs on the way home. And a full-size spare is standard. Step inside and the cabin is not too shabby, either. The first thing you notice is there are actually buttons and dials on the dashboard and steering wheel, giving you tactile control over climate, multimedia and driving assist functions, which is a welcome break from the minimalist interior craze of the past few years. Passengers are greeted by leather-wrapped seats up front that are power adjustable, heated, with the driver’s seat ventilated and offering a massage function. The steering wheel is heated and the rear seats are covered in synthetic leather. There's a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a driver display of the same size. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, sat-nav and an eight-speaker JBL stereo are all standard. There is LED lighting front and back, 64-colour ambient lighting inside, dual-zone air conditioning, wireless device charger, two USB-A and USB-C charging ports and over-the-air update capabilities. The U9 EV is a commercial vehicle so isn’t eligible for MG’s conditional 10-year warranty. Instead it can bump its standard five-year guarantee up to seven years/160,000km if serviced with an MG dealer every scheduled workshop visit. A service is due every 24 months/30,000km and the price for 10 years of logbook services is $2755. Safety is comprehensive with all the boxes ticked, including: Auto emergency braking Adaptive cruise control Lane keep assist Lane departure warning Blind spot warning Rear cross-traffic alert Rear collision warning Door opening warning Driver monitoring system 7 airbags 360 degree camera Front and rear parking sensors

The MG U9 Explore Pro is the top-shelf variant in MG’s ute line-up. It has plenty of onboard features, as well as a variety of drive modes and – most importantly if you’re a keen off-roader – it has front and rear diff locks as standard. But, how does this MG ute perform off-road? 

As more manufacturers chase buyers looking for an accessible entry into EV ownership, the challenge is no longer simply getting the price down. It's finding an electric car that doesn't make too many compromises along the way. That's what the updated MG4 Essence 64 is promising. But does it deliver?

MG’s latest SUV shows just how much Australia’s car market has changed in the past five years, and it is only a good thing for buyers. The new S6 is an electric mid-size SUV that goes head-to-head with some of the heaviest hitters in the country, including the BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y. Just five years ago there were literally no affordable electric vehicles in this category, now the S6 is just the latest arrival in a long line of cut-price, zero-emission vehicles with a family bent. This influx of models has driven lower prices and more choice, two things putting buyers in the driver’s seat. MG’s S6 line-up consists of just two variants. Both are the Essence grade — MG speak for fully-loaded — with buyers simply choosing between a single rear motor or dual motor set-up. Prices kick off at $49,990, drive-away, for the rear-wheel drive version and step-up to $56,990 for the all-wheel drive version we are testing. This is a decent chunk cheaper than its two big-selling rivals, with single-motor versions of the Model Y starting at $58,900 (before on-road costs) and the Sealion 7 kicking off at $54,990, drive-away. It is pretty much the same price as the entry-level Toyota RAV4 hybrid. The S6 only has two optional extras, $700 for metallic paint and Grey Ivory with Nordic Ashwood faux wood interior trim for $500. You get plenty of standard kit for that low outlay, with 20-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting front and back and roof rails as standard. Step inside and front seat passengers are greeted by power-adjustable seats wrapped in synthetic leather and synthetic suede trim. There is a heating and ventilation function. The rear window seats are heated, too. This is joined by a chunky, flat-bottomed and leather-wrapped steering wheel with heating function. An average-sized 12.8-inch central multimedia screen is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and has in-built sat nav and there is a solid 11-speaker stereo. A slim 10.25-inch digital driver display keeps it simple with vital information and not much else. This is supplemented by a head-up display that projects vital information such as travelling, speed, prevailing speed limit and safety warnings onto the windscreen in front of the driver. MG ticks all the safety tech boxes with plenty of active driver aids and solid crash test scores. At its heart the S6 uses a 77kWh Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC) battery that delivers a claimed WLTP driving range of up to 530km in the single motor variant and 485km in dual motor examples. That’s par for the course for mid-size electric SUV, where 500km is the ballpark most aim for. The S6 uses 400-volt electrical architecture, which means it forgoes top-end charging speed. It maxes out at 144kW when connected to a compatible DC charger, which puts it in the same ballpark as the BYD Sealion 7 and Kia EV5 but behind the Tesla Model Y and more premium EVs such as the Zeekr 7X. MG reckons it can top it up from 10 to 80 per cent in 38 minutes. Single motor variants pump out 180kW and 350Nm to the rear wheels, with dual motor examples upping the ante to 266kW and 540Nm combined with all-paw grip. That’s plenty of grunt for a family-focused SUV, but less than other more performance leaning dual motor rivals. The interior is massive, with plenty of room for small and big kids. I had two child seats fitted in the back row, one forward and one rear facing, with plenty of room left for front seat passenger adjustment. The panoramic sunroof is pleasant in winter, and a proper shade will make it bearable in summer. The windows are large, which helps smaller kids in the back see out and helps reduce car sickness. The back pew also has its own air conditioning vents and USB-C charging ports. There are plenty of storage options throughout for knick-knacks, phones and bottles. The boot is a decent size at 581 litres, but the lack of any spare tyre is the chink in every EV’s armour. A fiddly tyre repair kit is a bad result for drivers. Unlike some other rivals, the S6 actually has a few buttons and dials in the centre console for basic controls. The steering wheel mounted buttons are clear and well placed, showing balance is returning to car cabins after years of touchscreen domination. The safety tech is overbearing, and the speed sign recognition routinely picks up the wrong signs. I often had a 35km/h speed warning going off when there is no such speed limit in NSW. MG’s electric vehicles are, in my opinion, the better cars to drive in its range.  The S6 is no different. Despite its dual-motor power it isn’t particularly fast, and that’s okay. Moderate pace suits a sensible family car better, and it has the added benefit of not being an excessive drain on the battery. It has no problem bounding up steep hills or overtaking at motorway speeds. The S6 isn’t the biggest mid-size SUV but it feels large on the road and in underground car parks, luckily an array of sensors and cameras help in tight situations. It feels heavy, and at circa-2000kg, it is hefty. You experience it more acutely at low speeds, where it can feel lumpy and bumpy, especially over our pockmarked roads. This is accentuated by firm, heavy steering that makes driving feel harder than it should. A mega turning circle doesn’t help the experience, either. On the motorway it is a quality cruiser, eating up the kays with ease and in comfort. It has good insulation that keeps the world at bay and adaptive cruise control works well. Sadly, the safety tech is intrusive, loud and a constant distraction. The MG driving range is solid, and judging by our test you can expect to land in the ballpark of the company’s claim. A 10-year/250,000km conditional warranty is the biggest ace up this MG's sleeve. You’ll need to attend a MG dealer every logbook service to keep that warranty period, otherwise it reverts to a seven year/unlimited km guarantee. Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 25,000km, and will cost you $1376 and $1987 for a five- or seven-year plan for the AWD grade, with the RWD version being slightly cheaper.

The new MG4 EV Urban offers an affordable entry point to electric car ownership but does it have the right mix of price, practicality and performance to be a standout for small car shoppers in the BEV market?

Being a mid-size SUV means the MG HS Super Hybrid is placed in one of Australia’s most competitive segments. But does it do enough to earn a spot on your shortlist?

The MGS6 AWD Essence is the Chinese brand's new rival to the likes of the Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7. Priced from $56,990, drive-away, this range-topping model comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, wireless smartphone charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an 11-speaker sound system, a combination of synthetic leather and synthetic suede trim plus a panoramic glass roof. The AWD Essence has two electric motors, one on each axle, which combine to make a healthy 266kW of power. The motors are powered by a 77kWh NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) battery, which MG claims is enough to provide 485km of driving range between charging. The MGS6 is well-equipped with all the usual passive and active safety features you’d expect in this day and age. These include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree parking camera view. MG offers a standard seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with the option to extend to 10 years/250,000km if you get all your servicing done at an MG dealer. Servicing intervals are every 12-months or 25,000km, whichever comes first. The five year service plan totals $1376 and the seven year plan $1987.

The MGS6 RWD Essence is the brand’s new mid-size electric SUV offering, sitting above the MGS5. Priced from $49,990, drive-away, it comes well-equipped with 20-inch alloy wheels, wireless smartphone charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an 11-speaker sound system and a combination of synthetic leather and synthetic suede trim. The MGS6 RWD has a single electric motor, mounted on the rear axle, which makes 180kW of power. With its 77kWh battery, MG claims it has a driving range of up to 530km. The MGS6 is fitted with all the usual passive and active safety features you’d expect in this day and age. These include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree parking camera. MG offers a standard seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with the option to extend to 10 years/250,000km if you get all your servicing done at an MG dealer. Servicing intervals are every 12-months or 25,000km, whichever comes first. For the RWD model the five year service plan totals $1321 and $1877 for the seven year plan.

MG is looking to bounce back from a tough 2026 with an important new model - the MGS6. This is the brand's crucial new rival to the likes of the BYD Sealion 7, Tesla Model Y and a raft of other electric and hybrid powered family SUVs. We drive the new MGS6 to assess its performance, practicality, safety and more and find out if it has what it takes to get MG headed in the right direction again.

MG’s getting rather good at building cars that don’t feel so… cheap. For some time after Chinese state-owned manufacturer SAIC Motor took over the historically British brand, MG’s passenger cars seemed destined to be driven into the ground and replaced, but that’s not the case now. Not only has the brand’s formerly ‘cheap and barely cheerful’ MG3 become a decent hatchback, MG has started building properly good electric cars. The 2026 MG S5 EV, as much as Audi might have an issue with that name, is one of them. The small electric SUV is not only affordable when you consider what you get (as in many such cases with Chinese cars), but it’s also quite a decent drive. For $48,990 drive-away, you can have the car pictured, the top-of-the-range S5 EV Essence 62. It’s named as such because, you guessed it, it has a 62kWh battery rather than the smaller 49kWh unit also available in either this or the lower-grade Excite. That’s four grades all up, but we’re sticking at the top. That means the S5 is approaching the price of one of CarsGuide’s favourite electric cars, the Kia EV3 – even if it’s the base EV3 and the features list is somewhat shorter. The Essence 62 has a claimed WLTP rated range of 425km, which isn’t groundbreaking considering similar-sized electric SUVs have been doing this for the better part of a decade – the Hyundai Kona Electric had it beat five years ago with a similarly-sized battery. The Essence 62 also gets the same extensive list of features as the Essence 49, aside from the (90km) longer range. Inside, there’s a 10.25-inch driver display and a 12.8-inch multimedia touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a six-speaker sound system, a wireless phone charger, surround-view parking camera, heated front seats and steering wheel, V2L capability, keyless entry and start and rain-sensing window wipers. It’s a practical space inside that still retains physical controls for the climate along with buttons on the steering wheel, while the native operating system within the touchscreen is clear and easy to navigate. Its LED daytime running lights, 18-inch alloys, power tailgate, a panoramic sunroof and tinted privacy glass are all giveaways from the exterior, but they’re not my biggest point about the S5’s exterior. Yes, the big thing that very much turns me off the S5 EV is its design. MG’s design language has struck me as a little hodge-podge for a while, and the S5 feels like one of the best examples of why. It has these soft curves and lines that, in a lot of ways, are fairly restrained. There isn’t a lot of unnecessary trim or just lines for the sake of breaking things up. But then there’s the face. The DRLs and headlights create these sharp, angular eyes and an almost war-paint-like shape underneath. Why does this small, family-friendly SUV look so aggressive from the front? It’s got 125kW and 250Nm. Fortunately, it doesn’t feel aggressive from behind the wheel. Those 125kW and 250Nm are put to better use than you might think, but the delivery is progressive and still gives you that little shove as you put your foot down, which you’ll be familiar with if you’re an EV person. It doesn’t feel incredibly urgent and you won’t be spinning the rear wheels (yes, it’s rear-wheel drive!) unless it’s pouring rain… and oil, perhaps.  Its steering is arguably too light and lacks communication, but it’s accurate enough and once you’re used to it becomes a bit of a non-issue. The suspension, similarly, is nothing necessarily to write home about, but it’s a big improvement on where your expectations from previous MGs might land. It can be unsettled at times, usually during fast cornering on rough roads, but you wouldn’t expect most people to be doing this in a small electric SUV anyway. It wafts a little after big bumps or undulations in the road, but collects itself quickly enough to not feel sickening as some EVs are prone to. At the same time, it’s not too stiff. Comfortable, practical, a relatively well-judged setup overall. Practicality continues post-purchase, MG’s 10-year/250,000-kilometre warranty includes the battery and you shouldn’t really be worried by that distance limitation. You do need to service with MG to keep the warranty going, though. There’s also a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2025, plus seven airbags and a long list of active driver-assistance tech that actually seems rather well-calibrated given the overbearing nature of many systems, particularly those from Chinese brands.