MG Motor Australia has taken the opportunity of a restored Australian motor show to announce it will launch its highly anticipated U9 ute in the Australian market later in 2025.

The dual-cab, 2.5-litre turbo-diesel U9 was revealed at the Melbourne Motor Show in a milestone for the rejuvenated marque, which understands any self-respecting car brand in the Australian market must offer a commercial ute – the second-highest selling category in Australia.

Powered by a 164kW four-cylinder engine and promising toughness and durability, the U9 is expected to offer serious value in the category, which is MG’s proposition with each new product. It could also move the brand into the top echelon of carmakers in Australia if successful.

“The U9 isn’t just a new model – it’s a turning point for us,” said MG Motor Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Ciao “We’ve built our reputation on delivering unmatched value, and now we’re bringing that same promise to one of Australia’s most competitive segments. If we want to be a top-three brand in this country, we need a ute that punches above its weight – and the U9 does exactly that. It’s tough, capable, and built for the way Australians drive. We know the demand is there, and we’re ready for it.”

The U9 will also be sold under the LDV brand as the Terron 9.

It will be backed by MG’s impressive 10-year/250,000km warranty.

The ute is the headline act of a big Melbourne Motor Show for the brand, which will also unveil a number of other models, including:

  • the MGS5 EV compact rear-wheel drive SUV, the next MG model to be introduced in Australia;
  • the seven-seat QS, powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and expected to be launched as MG’s first entrant in this segment in Australia later in 2025;
  • a new MG HS HYBRID+ SUV will complete MG’s reveals at the Melbourne Motor Show, a new generation plug-in hybrid for the fuel-conscious family.

“We didn’t want to introduce a ute that was the same as everyone else’s,” MG’s Chief Commercial Officer Giles Belcher told WhichCar. ‘Visually the U9 is very striking, it ticks all the boxes you need to tick to be a player, with safety and 3.5-tonne towing, it’s got plenty of power and torque… then you add in its dimensions, it’s a car that will really stand out in the market.”

“It has great features for long drives, massage seat for the driver, heated ands ventilated seats, and a lot of flexibility in terms of cabin space,” said Kevin Kou, Product Planning Manager at MG Motor Australia. “The rear seat can fully fold down so you can put extra gear in there. The front passenger side can also fully fold down so it creates a lot of practicality to use.

“The ute will also go through extensive testing here for Australian conditions before launch – and that it’s 4X4 capabilities are well suited to the Australian conditions.”