MG U9 EV revealed as an electric ute ‘designed and tested for Australia’
The MG U9 EV will join the short but growing list of electric utes on sale in Australia, beating its LDV-badged twin to local showrooms.
MG Australia is continuing to expand its local ute lineup, having last year launched the U9 turbo-diesel dual-cab, and this week announcing the electric U9 EV as its next offering.
Claimed to be “designed and tested for Australia” but with local launch timing yet to be confirmed, we will be the first market globally where the U9 EV is sold, reiterating the importance of utes to brands wanting to become best-sellers down under.
“The MG U9 EV brings together the capability and utility people expect from a ute with the comfort and benefits of an electric powertrain,” said MG Motor Australia marketing manager, Dimitri Andreatidis.
“It’s designed to be used every day, whether that’s for work during the week, the school run or getting away on the weekend.
“Being the first market globally to launch the MG U9 EV is also a significant milestone for MG and reflects the importance of Australia to our business.”
A rebadged version of the Maxus eTerron 9 available overseas, the MG U9 will be just the fourth electric ute sold in Australia, following the LDV eT60 (now defunct), the car-based KGM Musso EV, and Toyota’s HiLux BEV.
Based on the same body-on-frame platform as the MG U9 turbo-diesel, the U9 EV will be brought to Australia in all-wheel drive guise only, with the rear-wheel drive version available overseas not picked for a local berth.
Its dual electric motors produce up to 325kW and 700Nm, enabling a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.8 seconds.
Supplied by a 102.2kWh LFP battery pack, MG says the U9 EV has a WLTP lab-tested driving range of 430km, while it can be charged at up to 115kW, bringing its state of charge up from 20 to 80 per cent in 42 minutes.
With a braked towing capacity of 3500kg, the U9 EV matches its turbo-diesel twin as well as almost every other turbo-diesel and plug-in hybrid ute on the market, while eclipsing the HiLux BEV’s 2000kg figure.
It also features a 685kg payload capacity, as well as 236 litres of additional storage capacity under the bonnet where the engine would normally sit.
Standard air suspension is also fitted, setting it apart from the De-dion rear leaf spring setup in the HiLux BEV, as well as the rear coils in the turbo-diesel U9.
While LDV had initially announced it was conducting local testing of the eTerron 9 in 2024 with plans to launch it in 2025, the U9 EV’s twin is yet to arrive locally.
“We continue to work with the factory on the LDV eTerron 9,” and LDV Australia spokesperson told Torquecafe.
