MG MGU9 EV electric ute goes on sale in Australia from $78,990

Local launch confirmed

MG Motor Australia has put its first battery-electric dual-cab ute on sale, with the 2027 MGU9 EV launched locally from $78,990 before on-road costs. CarSauce reports that Australian sales began on October 29, 2026, with the ute arriving at MG dealerships nationwide and Australia becoming the first market globally to launch the MGU9 EV. ¹

4X4 Australia confirms the October 29, 2026 on-sale date and the $78,990 plus on-road costs price, noting the launch marks the first global sale of the fully electric version of MG's existing diesel-powered U9. The vehicle had been previewed earlier in the year, with MG confirming Australian pricing and Q4 2026 sales timing in September, according to RACQ and GoAuto coverage. ²⁴⁵

The MGU9 EV is offered initially in a single high-specification grade, GoAuto reported in September 2026 when pricing was confirmed, positioning it between equivalent Toyota HiLux BEV grades. ⁵

"The MGU9 EV gives customers another option to consider, combining the capability they need with lower running costs," MG Motor Australia marketing director Dimitri Andreatidis said at the launch, as quoted by CarSauce. 4X4 Australia carries fuller remarks from the same executive, in which he said the initial response had been "really encouraging" and that ute buyers had "never been against electric", only "against compromise". ¹²

Powertrain, battery and charging

The MGU9 EV pairs a 102.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery with dual electric motors driving all four wheels. GoAuto lists a combined output of 325kW and 700Nm, good for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.8 seconds, alongside 430km of claimed WLTP range and rated energy consumption of 26.7kWh/100km. ³²

Charging is quoted at up to 11kW from an AC source and a comparatively modest 115kW peak on DC, with MG estimating about 42 minutes to replenish the battery from 20 to 80 per cent under suitable conditions, according to GoAuto. Vehicle-to-load capability is standard, delivering up to 6.6kW externally and 2.2kW inside the cabin, and GoAuto adds that the frunk itself carries a 2.2kW power outlet. ⁵³

For comparison context, RACQ notes the diesel U9 produces 160kW/520Nm from its 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, while the Toyota HiLux BEV uses dual motors of 144kW/468Nm, a 59.2kWh lithium-ion battery, 315km of NEDC range and a 2000kg braked tow rating. ⁴⁵

Capability and the payload trade-off

Braked towing is rated at 3500kg, the figure GoAuto describes as the segment benchmark and which matches many diesel dual-cabs and plug-in hybrid rivals, including the BYD Shark 6 Performance. Unbraked towing is 750kg, with a gross vehicle mass of 3500kg and a gross combination mass of 6500kg, per GoAuto. ³⁵

The trade-off comes in payload. GoAuto reports 685kg, well below the tonne-or-thereabouts expected of traditional workhorse utes; RACQ notes a diesel HiLux 4x4 dual-cab manages 1105kg. GoAuto also highlights that the U9 EV's tub is integrated with the body's semi-monocoque construction, meaning it cannot be removed and replaced with a steel or alloy tray, which may deter some commercial buyers. ⁵³

Load-related dimensions and equipment are generous on paper: GoAuto details a tub 1600mm long at the floor and 1230mm between the wheel arches, able to take a standard Australian pallet, plus a power-opening 236-litre frunk, a slide rail with hook, painted tub liner, two LED tub lights and two 2.2kW V2L outlets in the tub. Off-road angles are listed at 29 degrees approach, 25 degrees departure and 22.5 degrees maximum climbing, with 230mm ground clearance unladen and 550mm wading depth. ³

MG has not detailed how heavily towing or payload will affect the headline 430km WLTP range, a significant consideration for buyers intending longer-distance caravan or boat towing, GoAuto reported in September 2026. CarExpert separately reported in late October that MG is confident the Australian charging network can support long-distance towing but has not revealed a range-under-load figure. ⁵⁶

Equipment, suspension and pricing context

Standard equipment spans 20-inch alloy wheels, a full-size spare, roof rails and a lift-assisted tailgate, while inside there are dual 12.3-inch displays, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an eight-speaker JBL sound system, wireless phone charging, 64-colour ambient lighting and a heated microfibre steering wheel, according to GoAuto. The driver's seat is heated, ventilated, eight-way electrically adjustable and massaging, with a heated front passenger seat. ³²

The MGU9 EV introduces full-function four-wheel electronic air suspension with selectable Normal, Eco, Sport, Snow, Tow, Off-road and Custom drive modes, separating it mechanically from the diesel U9, which uses independent multi-link rear suspension rather than leaf springs, GoAuto reports. MG claims the U9 EV is the only sub-$100,000 ute with four-wheel air suspension; GoAuto notes the final Australian calibration remained to be assessed at launch. ³⁵

Safety equipment includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree camera, a driver monitoring system and rear cross-traffic alert, and the MGU9 EV has been awarded a five-star ANCAP rating, GoAuto reports. Warranty is seven years when servicing is completed at an MG dealership, with a seven-year/150,000km battery warranty, and servicing is due every two years or 30,000km at $434-$629 per visit, $2755 across the first five services, per GoAuto. ³

On price, GoAuto positions the MGU9 EV $2500 above the HiLux SR pick-up ($76,490 plus ORCs) and $4000 below the HiLux SR5 pick-up ($82,990 plus ORCs), while the KGM Musso EV is cheaper at $60,000-$64,700 drive-away with 1800-2300kg towing. GoAuto cautions that comparison with MG's own diesel U9 range, advertised from $52,990 to $60,990 drive-away, is complicated because the EV price excludes on-road costs while the diesel prices are national drive-away. An optional powered mid-gate on the broader U9 range can extend load length to 2.4 metres, but MG had not detailed whether it will be offered on the EV, per GoAuto. ⁵

Optional Thule accessories are offered, including roof boxes, cargo bags, bike and kayak carriers, roof racks, a rooftop tent and an awning, CarSauce reports, with Thule Outdoor Australia channel manager Diego Steininger quoted on the accessory range's practical intent. GoAuto separately reported on October 27 that a more extensive Thule accessories rollout is coming to MG dealerships. ¹³²

Market backdrop and first-drive impressions

MG is entering a segment in which electric utes have so far struggled. CarExpert reports that utes accounted for 157,531 deliveries to September, 17 per cent of the new-vehicle market, but just over 300 KGM Musso EV examples have been delivered since launch and Toyota recorded roughly 300 HiLux BEV sales between May and early July, fewer than 10 of them to private buyers. CarExpert also notes Isuzu cancelled its D-Max EV plans for Australia, and the U9 EV's twin, the LDV eTerron 9, has not materialised locally despite earlier confirmation. ⁶

MG's local executives remain optimistic about demand. "It's a vehicle that customers here in Australia have been yearning for," marketing director Dimitri Andreatidis told CarExpert, with product planning manager Kevin Kou adding that customers have specifically asked for an EV ute after the vehicle's Melbourne motor show and Everything Electric appearances. MG has pitched the U9 EV primarily as a lifestyle model targeting tradies with lifestyle wants, families that might otherwise consider an SUV, and fleet operators, GoAuto reports. ⁶⁵³

GoAuto sampled the MGU9 EV at its Australian media launch in Leets Vale, NSW, in a limited drive that included brief on-road, off-road and light towing stints. The publication found refinement and ride quality closer to an SUV than a ute, praised the power-opening frunk and air-suspension lowering for loading, and noted the vehicle handled a small rock crawl with ease. It also flagged imperfections: a delayed throttle response, a spongy-feeling brake pedal, some scratchy cabin plastics and a flimsy-feeling gear selector. ³

Efficiency on those short drives varied widely, with trip computers returning 35.6kWh/100km and 19.6kWh/100km across two roughly 23km stints in two cars, the latter showing MG's claimed figure is achievable, GoAuto reported, though it stressed longer real-world testing is needed for a representative figure. Towing assessment was limited to a trailer just under a tonne around a field, with the MG pulling strongly; GoAuto says real-world towing testing will be needed to establish the ute's true merit. ³