Driveaway pricing has been announced for the three-variant MG U9 ute lineup in Australia ahead of a November 2025 showroom arrival of the Chinese brand’s first pick-up for the local market.
The U9 is central to MG’s declared plan to become a top-five car manufacturer by sales volume in Australia. Based on MG’s 2024 result of seventh place, hitting fifth position would require overwhelming rivals Mitsubishi and Hyundai.
Selling thousands of U9 examples will require big demand, and to that end, MG has priced its ute relatively sharply, particularly considering the 5500mm-long U9 is a half-size larger than a Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux.
Only driveaway prices were announced at a rollicking media pre-drive of the U9, with the launch deal kicking off at $52,990 (no more to pay) for the entry-level Explore trim, with the dearest U9 pegged at $60,990 driveaway.
Those prices make the MG U9 thousands of dollars cheaper than the likes of the Ford Ranger XLT four-cylinder ($71,100 driveaway) or Toyota Hilux SR5 ($69,000 driveaway).
However, the U9 has been bullishly priced above the now commonplace GWM Cannon ($38,300-$49,990 driveaway) as well as marginally higher than the closely-related LDV Terron 9 (from $49,990 driveaway).
For now, all Australian-delivered U9s use a 2.5-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine producing 160kW of power and 520Nm of torque, running through a ZF eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission and a four-wheel drive system with BorgWarner dual-range transfer case.
Later, a plug-in hybrid is expected to join the range. A fully-electric version of the U9 was available to MG Australia but it was knocked back due to concerns that BEV utes are not yet profitable.
The styling of the U9 gives away the fact that this MG ute is in fact a badge-engineered version of the unibody LDV Terron 9, which launched in Australia in August. However, unlike the live axle LDV, the U9 has multi-link independent rear suspension with coil springs.
All variants claim fuel economy of 7.9L/100km, with an 80-litre diesel tank promising range of 1012km. A full-size spare wheel is standard, as are locking centre and rear differentials with the flagship Explore Pro grade adding a front locker.
While tare weights range from 2398kg to 2498kg depending on trim, GVM of 3320kg and GCM of 6500kg are common to all three variants with corresponding payload of 770kg-880kg. Braked towing capacity is 3500kg.
The U9 has somewhat compromised off-road capability compared to some rivals due to limited ground clearance (220mm). Key angles are 29 degrees (approach), 20 degrees (breakover), and 25 degrees (departure). Wading depth is 550mm.
Standard equipment for the base model U9 Explore ($52,990 driveaway) includes:
- 18-inch alloy wheels in 265/65 R18 tyres
- Dual-beam automatic LED headlights
- Chrome exterior trim with silver roof rails
- Side steps
- Painted tub liner
- Keyless entry (front doors) and push button start
- Microfibre leather steering wheel with tilt/telescope adjustment and paddle shifters
- Artificial leather seat upholstery
- Six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
- 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
- DAB+ / AM / FM radio
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- Six-speaker stereo
- Dual-zone climate control with rear air vents
- Water wading sensor
- Reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors
From the Explore, it is a $3000 step into the mid-tier U9 Explore X ($55,990), which looks like decent value. This grade adds:
- 19-inch alloy wheels in 275/60 R19 tyres
- Triple-beam LED headlights
- Acoustic windscreen glass
- Heated front seats
- Six-way power-adjustable passenger seat
- Vehicle connectivity (12 months of free access to the MG iSmart connectivity package)
- Integrated satellite navigation
- Wireless device charger (15W)
- Auto-dimming rear view mirror
- LED tray lighting
- Electric folding door mirrors
- Tray cargo slide rail with hook
- 360-degree parking camera
Finally, there is a $5000 jump up to the flagship U9 Explore Pro, which at $60,990 driveaway slightly undercuts the Mitsubishi Triton GSR. The top-end U9 includes:
- Locking front differential
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- Exterior black pack
- Panoramic opening glass sunroof with shade
- Leather seating upholstery
- 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat (including four-way lumbar)
- Cooled driver’s seat
- Heated outboard rear seats
- Front-folding rear seat cushions
- Eight-speaker JBL premium stereo
- Suede headliner material
- 64-colour LED interior ambient lighting
- Digital rear view mirror
- Electric opening tailgate with end gate (rear step)
- Trailer reversing assistant function
- Higher-resolution 360-degree parking camera
Safety-wise, the U9 yesterday received a five-star ANCAP safety and crash test result—but controversially, this result was based on a translation of the Euro NCAP crash test of the LDV eTerron 9, which is a battery electric vehicle with a frunk instead of a diesel engine.
Standard safety tech for the U9 range includes autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, driver monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and tyre pressure monitoring – but only Explore X and up have a 360-degree camera.
MG has altered its standard warranty arrangements for the U9. The standard warranty is five years/unlimited kilometres for private buyers and small to midsize fleets, extendable to seven years/200,000km by servicing with MG dealers.
The warranty for large fleet customers is five years/160,000km, normally used for rental companies.
Servicing the U9 costs $2395 over the first five years/70,000km, with the first five visits priced at $399, $499, $399, $499, and $599 respectively.
MG U9 2025 Australian pricing
All prices are national driveaway prices.
- MG U9 Explore: $52,990
- MG U9 Explore X: $55,990
- MG U9 Explore Pro: $60,990
