MG U9 EV lands in Australia from $78,990 as 2027 model year launch nears

Pricing and launch timing confirmed

MG Motor Australia has confirmed pricing and specifications for its flagship electric dual-cab, the 2027 MG U9 EV, at $78,990 before on-road costs. According to reporting on the announcement, customer deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026 (October to December), with registrations of interest open on MG's local website. Australia will serve as the global launch market for the model, and MG Motor Australia marketing director Dimitri Andreatidis said being the first market globally to launch the U9 EV "reflects the importance of Australia to our business". ²³⁶

The single, fully loaded dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant is positioned directly against the Toyota HiLux BEV, which is priced at $76,490 plus on-roads in SR form and $82,990 plus ORCs for the flagship SR5. CarExpert notes the smaller, car-based KGM Musso EV undercuts both, with drive-away pricing ranging from $60,000 to $64,000. The electric model also carries a steep premium over its diesel sibling: CarExpert reports the diesel MG U9 range currently tops out at $59,990 drive-away, making the EV around $22,000 dearer than the flagship diesel U9 Explore Pro before on-roads, while yecar's reporting frames the gap as approximately a $25,000 jump in total on-the-road expenditure. ¹²³

The U9 EV's local arrival followed earlier milestones. CarExpert reports the ute made its in-person Australian debut at an event back in April, and had already been shown in Nepal with pricing announced there before MG detailed the model for this market, where pricing had yet to be announced at that earlier stage. ⁶

Powertrain, battery and capability

The U9 EV pairs dual electric motors producing a combined 325kW and 700Nm with a 102.2kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, delivering a claimed 430km of range on the WLTP cycle and a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.8 seconds. CarExpert's specification listing gives claimed energy consumption of 26.7kWh/100km, which the outlet recorded at 26.5kWh/100km in its own testing, and lists the kerb weight at 2815kg with a gross combination mass of 6500kg against a 3500kg gross vehicle mass. MG claims DC fast-charging at up to 115kW, with a 20-to-80 per cent recharge in 42 minutes, and AC charging at up to 11kW. Vehicle-to-load output is rated at up to 6.6kW via the external port and up to 2.2kW through each of three internal outlets. ¹²³⁵

Braked towing capacity is 3500kg (750kg unbraked), which CarExpert reports makes the U9 EV the only electric ute rated to tow 3.5 tonnes, exceeding the HiLux BEV's 2000kg and the Musso EV's 1800-2300kg while matching the top-selling diesel Ford Ranger and HiLux. The trade-off is payload: at 685kg, CarExpert notes a 350kg towball download alone would consume more than half of it, leaving occupants, luggage and cargo limited headroom against the 3500kg gross vehicle mass. The diesel HiLux 4x4 dual-cab, by comparison, offers a 1105kg payload according to RACQ's reporting. ¹²³⁵

Charging pace is one of the model's weaker numbers. CarExpert points out the HiLux BEV (150kW) can complete a 20-to-80 per cent charge in roughly half the MG's 42 minutes under optimal conditions, and that the U9 EV falls well short of diesel and plug-in hybrid utes in endurance, some of which can travel more than 800km between stops. MG has not published a towing range figure; CarExpert's own analysis suggests a heavy caravan could theoretically limit the U9 EV to approximately 200km between charges. ¹³

Ownership is covered by MG's seven-year vehicle warranty, which applies when the vehicle is serviced within the authorised national MG dealer network, according to yecar's report on the specification announcement. ²

Semi-monocoque platform, suspension and equipment

Parent company SAIC Motor describes the U9 EV and its LDV/Maxus eTerron 9 twin as using "semi-monocoque" construction, sitting between the body-on-frame Toyota HiLux BEV and the unibody KGM Musso EV, with CarExpert attributing the engineering approach to a balance of load stiffness and road-car refinement. The 2027 U9 EV measures 5500mm long, 1997mm wide and 1860mm tall on a 3300mm wheelbase, making it 180mm longer than the dual-cab HiLux BEV on a 215mm longer wheelbase. ²³⁶

Unlike its diesel sibling, the U9 EV features four-wheel electronic air suspension with five ride-height settings, able to raise the body by up to 75mm or lower it by 40mm, including automatic self-levelling under load. CarExpert reports it is a unique selling point among sub-$100,000 utes. Off-road dimensions include 230mm unladen ground clearance, a 29-degree approach angle, 25-degree departure angle, 20-degree breakover angle and 550mm wading depth. MG appears to have declined to bring the single-motor rear-wheel-drive variant offered overseas, per CarExpert. ¹²³

Standard equipment includes 20-inch alloy wheels, a full-size spare, LED headlights with auto high-beam, a hands-free power tailgate, leather-trimmed front seats with a heated, ventilated and massaging eight-way power driver's seat, a heated front passenger seat and steering wheel, dual 12.3-inch displays, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 15W wireless phone charger, an eight-speaker JBL sound system and a surround-view camera. Over-the-air software updates are supported, and the U9 EV supports wireless smartphone mirroring as standard, according to CarExpert's review. ¹²⁵

Practicality is helped by a 1200-litre tub that can carry a standard Australian pallet and a 236-litre frunk under the power-operated bonnet. CarExpert notes the EV drops the diesel U9's Smart Hatch midgate option, rear outboard seat heating and a rear folding armrest, and that the higher rear floor imposed by the underfloor battery leaves limited foot room under the front seats, though three adults still fit across the second row. ¹³⁵

A small and stubbornly slow electric ute market

MG is launching into a segment that barely exists by sales volume. CarExpert reports utes accounted for 157,531 deliveries to September this year, or 17 per cent of the Australian new-vehicle market, with electric utes below one per cent of ute sales: just over 300 KGM Musso EVs delivered since launch late last year, and roughly 300 HiLux BEV sales between May and early July, fewer than 10 of them to private buyers. ⁴

MG is nonetheless confident of untapped demand. "It's a vehicle that customers here in Australia have been yearning for," MG Australia marketing director Dimitri Andreatidis told CarExpert, with product planning manager Kevin Kou adding that prospective buyers shown the vehicle at the Melbourne motor show and Everything Electric have "specifically" asked for an EV ute, drawn by home charging costs and relief from fuel prices. Isuzu Ute Australia, by contrast, has cancelled its D-Max EV launch locally, with executive general manager Rod Caldwell telling CarExpert that customers "don't want it" and pointing to HiLux BEV sales of about 30 a month. ⁴

The U9 EV's LDV twin remains absent. The eTerron 9 was confirmed for Australia in November 2024 for a launch in early 2025, received Australian Design Rule certification and was spied testing locally, but has yet to reach showrooms. "We continue to work with the factory on the LDV eTerron 9," an LDV Australia spokesperson told CarExpert, meaning the MG-badged version will beat its sibling to market. ³⁴⁶

First-drive impressions and an unresolved safety rating

CarExpert sampled the U9 EV on a curated first drive in rural New South Wales covering country roads, light off-roading and towing, and judged it the best of the electric utes, with effortless performance in line with the Ranger Raptor and dual-motor BYD Shark 6, a plush cabin and practical tub and frunk. The verdict carries caveats: it is much pricier than plug-in hybrid rivals such as the BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha and Ford Ranger Hybrid, DC fast-charging is slow relative to rivals, and payload restrictions limit its work credentials. ¹

On the road, CarExpert found the 2.8-tonne ute nearly as wide in the body as a Ford F-150, with slow steering and pronounced body roll, and ride quality from the air suspension that bobble over smooth surfaces despite the premium positioning. Off-road on a purpose-built launch course it was "cautiously" impressive, using terrain modes and adjustable ride height rather than the diesel's low-range transfer case and diff locks. CarExpert cautions its ability on rugged, uncontrived terrain and heavy towing remains unproven. ¹

The safety-rating picture warrants care. RACQ's report states the U9 EV receives a five-star ANCAP rating, but CarExpert's news reports note ANCAP has yet to publish any local testing data, with the claim instead extrapolated from Euro NCAP's five-star assessment, date-stamped 2024, of the related Maxus eTerron 9. Buyers should treat the ANCAP claim as pending publication rather than an independently published local result. ²³⁵⁶