MG was long a brand associated with plucky, small British roadsters. In Australia, the MG name is now synonymous with exceptional value family cars.
Next in the ‘rags-to-riches’ story, MG is taking a leaf out of Toyota’s book, and starting a luxury arm to rival big name European carmakers like BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.
Officially known as “Intelligence in Motion (IM) Motors presented by MG”, the new company has launched with two well priced, luxurious EVs which not so subtly rival the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
IM Motors emerged in China as a joint venture between Alibaba and SAIC Motor, and boasts the world’s first production semi-solid state battery in a vehicle.
IM5
The IM5 is a full size dedicated electric sedan which chiefly rivals the $59,894 (NSW driveaway) Tesla Model 3 and $49,684 (NSW driveaway) BYD Seal. It measures 4931mm long, 1960mm wide, 1474mm tall and runs on a wheelbase of 2950mm.
Three separate grades headline the launch of the IM5, starting with the base model IM5 Premium at $60,990 driveaway. It makes use of a 75kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and 400V architecture to power a 217kW/450Nm rear mounted electric motor.
In base trim, the IM5 has a range of 490km (WLTP), and achieves a 30-80 percent rapid DC charge in 20 minutes, with a peak DC charge rate of 153kW. Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, up to 12 degrees of rear-steer, 26.3-inch infotainment screen and a 20-speaker sound system.
Stepping up a grade into the $69,990 IM5 Platinum brings larger 20-inch alloy wheels, Porsche Taycan-like 800V electronic architecture, a 100kWh ternary lithium battery, 300kW/500Nm rear mounted electric motor, and a claimed driving range of 655km (WLTP).
Peak DC for charging increases to 396kW, with a 30-80 percent charge time of about 15 minutes.
The range topping IM5 Performance utilises the same 800V system and 100kWh battery found in the Platinum. It gains all wheel drive through use of a front mounted electric motor, and delivers a combined output of 572kW/802Nm.
Impressively, acceleration from 0-100km/hr is claimed in 3.2 seconds — faster than a Porsche Macan Turbo — however, this additional power does reduce the combined range to 575km (WLTP).
IM6
Built on the same platform as the IM5, the IM6 is similar in many ways. It shares the same three trim grade offerings, same pricing structure, same power outputs between grades, and same option of 75kWh or 100kWh battery and 400V and 800V electronic architecture.
The IM6 directly rivals the $64,094 Tesla Model Y, $58,148 (DA) BYD Sealion 7, and $67,398 (all NSW driveaway) Volkswagen ID4. It measures 4904mm long, 1988mm wide, 1699mm tall, and has the same 2950mm wheelbase as the IM5.
Although equipment offerings are largely the same as the IM5, the IM6 does differ by use of 20-inch wheels on the standard Premium and 21-inch wheels for the Platinum and Performance. Range is reduced across all grades, starting at 450km (WLTP) for the base, 555km for the ‘long range’ and 505km for the range topper.
IM Motors IM5 and IM6 2025 pricing
| Variant | Price (driveaway) |
|---|---|
| IM5 Premium | 60,990 |
| IM6 Premium | 60,990 |
| IM5 Platinum | 69,990 |
| IM6 Platinum | 69,990 |
| IM5 Performance | 80,990 |
| IM6 Performance | 80,990 |
