Car news today: MG QS seven-seater pricing, Nissan faces uncertain future, and more – 14 May 2025
Lukas Foyle
Contributor
Every important car news story breaking today, one convenient read
Thanks for joining us this Wednesday, May 14th 2025. Notably in car news today: pricing for the anticipated MG QS seven-seat SUV lobs, Nissan to let 20,000 workers go after a AUD$7 Billion loss for FY24.
Heavily anticipated MG QS seven-seater SUV pricing revealed!
MG Australia has priced its heavily anticipated QS seven-seater SUV at a highly competitive starting price of $46,990 drive-away for the base 2WD Excite variant.
The MG QS is currently available in two variants, the aforementioned Excite as well as the range-topping AWD Essence currently priced at $50,990 drive-away.
MG’s current drive-away prices, which undercut rivals such as the $62,410 (MSRP) Toyota Kluger and $53,000 (MSRP) Hyundai Santa Fe by more than $15,000 and $6000 respectively, are strictly limited as an introductory offer. The discounts will end on the 31st of May 2025.
MG has provided standard drive-away pricing for the two variants, starting from $53,703 for the Excite, and $60,003 for the Essence. Both will be powered by a two-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder and nine-speed automatic.
Nissan on the ropes: $7 billion net loss reported for FY24
Nissan has detailed its financial results for fiscal year 2024, which reveals a staggering net loss of 670.9 billion yen($7.05 billion AUD).
The shocking result comes after several economic woes for the brand, including a failed multi-billion dollar merger with Mitsubishi and Honda (resulting in then CEO Makoto Uchida stepping down from the company), and huge profit cuts from recent US imposed tariffs.
Nissan has announced it will be closing seven manufacturing plans by FY27 to recuperate losses, leaving just 10 factories operating globally. No official statement has been made regarding which factories will shut shop.
Nissan will cut an additional 11,000 jobs in a huge restructuring plan aiming to restore company profits. This brings the total expected job losses within Nissan to 20,000 – about 15 percent of Nissan Global’s entire workforce.
Toyota backing internal combustion and e-fuels for its future
Toyota President and CEO, Koji Sato, has doubled down on his company’s commitment to internal combustion moving forward as part of the industry’s growing trend toward broad powertrain diversification at an official press conference this week.
“Although we are in a period of visible slowdown in the shift to battery EVs, there is a need for wide-ranging means of achieving carbon neutrality,” Sato said, according to Toyotatimes.jp. “Approaching decarbonisation from the fuel side, including e-fuels and biofuels, will be a crucial point.”
Kato went on to say that Toyota will “accelerate the creation of practical solutions with carbon-neutral fuels, centered around hybrid vehicles and PHEVs.”
“Toyota is working tirelessly to develop technologies that will contribute to further advances in internal combustion engines,” Sato explained. “[Toyota will] make these engines and systems more compact, more efficient and more powerful.”
General Motors announces battery development partnership with LG
General Motors (GM) has issued a press release outlining the details of a new partnership with electronics company LG, which could result in a next-generation battery ready for sale in 2028.
The partnership aims to develop and commercialise lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic battery cells for use in future GM EV utes and large SUVs. GM claims LMR batteries are 33 percent more energy density compared to lithium iron phosphate (LFP).
LMR also looks to be cheaper to produce, utilising fewer rare earth metals such as cobalt and nickel. GM promises its future electric ute will be capable of a 640 kilometre range using LMR technology, matching the outgoing Silverado LT “while achieving significant battery pack cost savings”.
The Chevrolet Silverado LT EV ute currently starts at US$73,100 (AUD$113,000). If LMR technology reduces cost of production significantly, there might be a future for electric pick-ups in Oz. Currently, only the LDV eT60 electric ute is available Down Under, with a starting price of $92,990 (list) and a range of 325km (WLTP).
2025 John Cooper Works Mini range reviewed
Chasing Cars senior contributor Iain Curry’s road test of the complete 2025 John Cooper Works (JCW) Mini range was published, outlining his thoughts on the JCW Aceman, Countryman, Mini Electric, Mini Petrol, and Mini Convertible.
Curry praises Mini for continuing to stick to a “go-kart handling” design brief, which has been pivotal to the design of JCW’s since its inception. He was happy to report on rapid acceleration, solid handling and well-rounded balance across the JCW range.
Harkening to the days of its forebears, Curry was disappointed that Mini does not offer a manual transmission to round off an otherwise driver-focused range. He questioned the large, cumbersome body of the “Mini” Countryman JCW ALL4, stating that its body roll and blunted turn-in are tell-tale signs of the “SUV curse”.
All five JCW Mini models still make the cut as well-rounded drivers’ cars. Curry determines that for the purest JCW experience, the JCW Mini three-door petrol provides great dynamics, speed, and fun for the cheapest list price ($57,990).
