MG ute: early details and analysis

MG Australia has announced it’s developing a ute, and with a bunch of new utes coming to the Australian market in 2025, here’s what you need to know about MG’s first dual-cab pick-up…

MG’s new ute will probably be a winner in terms of value-for-money, but there’s more to buying a dual-cab ute than just price. You only have to look at the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux to confirm this fact.

If you’re in the market for a dual-cab ute in the next few years, this report aims to give you what we know about the MG ute, what you can reasonably expect it will be equipped with, and for what sort of price - all in the context of the growing, popular ute market.

MG Australia is a factory-owned importer here in Australia and its vehicles are manufactured by the Shanghai Automotive Investment Corporation. They currently sell the HS medium SUV, the ZS small SUV and its EV derivative, the MG3 hatch, and the MG4 fully battery-electric vehicle.

But the need for a diesel dual-cab ute in the brand’s line-up is painfully obvious given their immense popularity and their proportional profitability.

If the budget-conscious ute buyer didn’t already have enough options in the LDV T60 and the GWM Cannon, the MG ute certainly will tempt consumers like you to, at the very least, shortlist it.

It’s expected the LDV Terron 9 might be the base platform for both LDV’s next ute but also the MG equivalent. This has got LDV doing the development work for its sister brand, kind of like if Hyundai did all the R&D for the Kia Tasman.

With LDV and MG part of the SAIC motor company, sharing parts, platforms and development is par for the course.

Judging by the rapid pace of improved build quality from Chinese brands over the last 5-10 years, it could be worth your while waiting for the MG ute to arrive.

Given the moderate sales success of the mediocre utes like the T60, the Cannon, and to a much lesser extent the Mazda BT-50 and Isuzu D-Max, another model in there absorbing some of those low-budget sales is going to have a greater affect on the cheaper utes moreso than the bigger-name and bigger-selling models like Triton, Ranger and Hilux.

Complicating the MG ute’s sales will be the arrival in 2025 of the Kia Tasman, the GWM Cannon which has been updated yet again, and the substantial popularity of the yet-to-go-on-sale BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid.

Sales of the LDV T60 in 2024 finished at over 6000 units, and the GWM Cannon managed about 10,000 units which is the long-term stability benchmark a brand wants to clear in order to make it into ‘safe’ commercial territory. That should show you how serious the Chinese brands are about supplanting themselves in the market. Seems like they aren’t going anywhere soon.

If the MG ute is to be successful, it will need to catch up to these already years-in brands with their models that have already started drawing the eye of potential mainstream Japanese branded utes like Triton, BT-50, D-Max and Navara. The MG will also increase the sales dips being experienced by the other Chinese brands.

Navara sales for 2024 were up 17 per cent, but BT-50 is down 13 per cent, LDV T60 is down 29 per cent, the GWM Cannon is down 13 per cent and even Toyota Hilux is down, although only by 3 per cent as they prepare to launch a new one in 2025.

It’s taken GWM two arrivals of the brand into the Aussie market (the first one in the late 2000s/early 2010s, and the second back in 2017), and the best part of 20 years to reach 10,000 sales. So with the imminent local arrival of the Kia Tasman diluting the market even further in 2025, it could take MG several years to make a significant milestone.

However, the popularity of Chinese brands today and of MG in particular already (thanks to its passenger SUVs) could bring an accelerated sales growth. Australia does love utes, after all.

FEATURES & PRICING

Don’t expect the MG ute to be up there in terms of costs with trophy trucks like the Ford Ranger Platinum or the Hilux GR Sport. This will most likely be a very affordable dual-cab ute with pricing around the $55-65K mark to compete with the likes of Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and Mazda BT-50.

As we’ve seen over the years from MG’s passenger SUVs, it’s fair to presume the ute will have a fairly simple three-tier model range as well.

There’ll be a base model for the fleets and tight-budget consumers who just need something bare-bones and cheap to replace their decrepit old barge. That’ll be around the $48-50K mark with a rear-wheel drive only version at around $48,000 and a 4X4 version at the $50-52K pricepoint.

Then there’ll be a value option with a mid-spec version ideal for a mix of duties, but without all the toys and chrome. You’ll get a few niceties like rear A/C vents, heated seats and full LED lights (and more, obviously) for about $55-57,000.

Then of course, there will be a top-spec model with the full body kit, the chrome and gloss black wheels, the tonneau cover and the leather interior; a trophy truck for about $62-63,000 driveaway to undercut the incredible value already offered by the Triton GSR (because it’s 13-20K cheaper than a Ranger Wildtrak).

Having speculated on that, don’t be surprised if MG offers, like its LDV sister brand, a wide-body version that offers a wider tray than the primary three-tier range. The current LDV T60 has an extra 275mm of length in the tub, for a total of 1840mm, which is an extra $1500. That’ll be the case too if MG does bigger-tub version.

INTERIOR

The cabin of a typical LDV T60, GWM Cannon or a current-day MG is quite acceptably up to par, especially compared to the Japanese utes.

But it’s more than just big LCD touchscreens, which are everywhere these days and take very little imagination to design.

It’s easy for a carmaker to slap a big touchscreen onto their dashboard, but do they provide some kind of shroud or binnacle to shade it from the long afternoon sunsets? Let’s hope the MG ute does…

While it’s very easy to get swept away and be impressed by a snazzy new interior, which MG will probably give its as-yet unnamed ute, what’s more important is figuring out how the ute will function for you.

Do the doors open wide enough, is there enough storage for your bits and bobs, and can you sync your phone easily while also finding your way around the various buttons, screens and menus? And to assist in this process, when it eventually gets here, you’ll want to take note of what you don’t like, in person, so you can weigh your options and make as informed a decision as possible.

If this is going to be a tool in your arsenal, it needs to work as you need it to, with minimal adaptability from you. Having said that, you’re probably also quite good at familiarising yourself with new equipment and find a way to make it work.

Expect the pure glory of cloth seats in the base model, most likely some kind of ‘premium’ cloth/faux leather hybrid in the mid-spec version, and full leather front and rear seats for the top-spec model.

Do you plan to use this notional dual-cab ute to transport your family around? Does that mean the rear seats need to have some vestigial level of comfort to their design? Or will the MG ute just get the same flat planks we see in most budget dual-cab utes?

In terms of storage, some under-seat compartments for some of your more expensive tools like laser levels, remote cameras and scanning tools would be nice.

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ENGINE

Under the bonnet of the LDV T60 is a bi-turbo 2.0 diesel Euro 5 diesel engine that delivers an aggressive 160kW of peak power for a peak torque output of 500Nm - that’s a lot of mumbo from such a tiny unit.

The fact it makes the same amount of power as a Triton from 20 per cent less cylinder capacity, suggests the LDV has a more highly strung engine. More power means more heat, more heat, unless properly managed, can lead to increase wear and ealier failure rates.

The T60 Max makes 160kW but has to spin up to 4000RPM to make that peak power. That’s pretty high revs for a modern turbo diesel. Triton uses a bi-turbo arrangement as well, but produces 150kW at 3500 revs, with the peak torque (low RPM power) available between 1500-2750 RPM. The T60 is offering its peak torque between 1500 and 2400 revs, meaning it will pull harder than the Triton - evidenced by the better power-to-weight ratio with the T60.

If MG manages to get that same 2-litre engine into its ute, it’ll have the potential to outclass some established rivals in the light-duty use. But once you start adding moderately heavy trailers, lots of payload and big kilometres, it remains to be seen if this high output little engine has the durability. Although this remains to be seen.

If however, the reliability has been improved in R&D after accelerated life testing, then the MG ute, which will share the same powertrain as the LDV T60, will likely be a winner.

TRANSMISSION

With the economic rationality that goes on in the development of a ute, it’s fair to say the ZF 8-speed transmission and 4x4 driveline in the existing LDV T60 will probably be carried over and made standard across the range of MG’s ute.

There’s an on-demand rear differential lock on the T60 Luxe and Plus variants for more difficult terrain and you can expect that to absolutely be the case for the MG. It would be commercially stupid to contend the dual-cab 4X4 market and not offer a rear diff-lock to compete on technical parameters with Ranger, Triton, D-Max/BT-50, Hilux and the rest and not offer one.

What remains to be seen is if MG/LDV will develop a 4-High system that allows the vehicle to be driven on high-traction surfaces in the manner of Mitsubishi Triton and Ford Ranger. This is one of the key technical advantages of buying a Triton, which uses a dedicated, lockable centre differential that can be engaged at speeds up to 100km/h and used on roads where traction is typically high, but in conditions where grip is low.

This might include sudden heavy downpours, well-maintained gravel roads, broken off-camber backroads with steep ascents/descents, or simply icey or slippery conditions such as mud or moss - even more so while towing in this conditions. Having all four wheels driving the vehicle is much more dynamically stable than the rears.

If MG can manage to offer a system such as this, it could really twist the knife on Triton and Ranger which offer such a capability, but at a notionally higher cost than the MG would be.

TOWING

Being quoted as able to tow up to 3.5 tonnes is really just a marketing gimmick. They want to sell you the 3.5-tonne towing dream with that heroic shot of the butch ute pulling some dirty big boat out of the water. It’s all very macho.

But the fact is towing 3500kg with a ute weighing about 2000kg is a dangerous undertaking. No doubt LDV and MG will go for the 3500kg braked towing capacity rating, because that’s what sells.

Depending on which model variant you get of a current LDV T60, payload ranges from 730kg to 950kg, which is very good.

But towball download is currently the biggest limiting factor on an LDV T60 because it’s limited to just 120kg. That’s only 4 per cent of the potential 3000kg towing combination borne by the T60 and doesn’t lend itself to being the most dynamically balanced setup.

This in-development LDV Terron 9 is clearly carrying some kind of payload given the raised front wheelarch and reduced rear arch clearances, but how will it handle towing?

The MG ute needs to be able to take more than 120kg of towball download if it’s to compete with the mainstream utes on dynamic towing stability credentials, especially with a trailer of over 2500kg.

FUNCTIONALITY

The ability for a dual-cab ute to take you into the bush while carrying a load of camping gear, food and recovery gear is as important as its ability to also get work done during the week. That’s their biggest appeal, because you can also bring the family along with you.

At its best, the LDV T60 has a 27-degree approach angle, a 19-degree breakover angle, and a 24-degree departure angle when traversing gnarly terrain. But the Terron 9 looks like it will be a bigger overall vehicle than the T60, meaning those angles, comparable with (but slightly down on) the Triton GSR and Ranger Wildtrak, might increase to level with them if the ground clearance also increases from the 220mm currently.

The tray width between the wheelarches is currently 1131mm on a T60, which is damn-near the same as a Triton, but would want to increase to compete with the 1217mm on a Ranger. Judging by the pre-production images of the Terron 9, that ultra-square tub design looks like it might achieve that width, while offering a nice, high tub wall to restrain loads, especially bulk cargo like mulch, soil or sand.

Build quality remains the biggest long-term hurdle for MG and LDV’s engineers to qualify the next vehicle with. Ute prices are relatively expensive and owners will not take a risk on some strange new unknown ute that won’t last.

Down-time is not something small and medium businesses cannot afford when it comes to loading up their work vehicles. Reliability will be the key determining factor to whether the MG ute takes off in sales to become a big player, or remains just another cheap ute.

Built quality doesn’t just apply to the powertrain either. It’s things like electronics, touchscreens, interior components, and of course external hardware. Will the paint flake and the body rust in the manner of previous LDVs? Tailgates and bumper steps and side steps and trims and mirrors, these all need to be able to stand the test of time… and typical tradie abuse.

DRAWBACKS

The first iteration of any new vehicle is the one you don’t want to buy until the carmaker has found all the problems and rendered fixes for those faults. This is where the electrical gremlins need to be picked up and a service bulletin issued.

We simply won’t know if the MG ute, like the new LDV Terron 9, is actually any good, until this first 6-12 months of in-service on-road experiment is run and we have meaningful sales data to draw a conclusion.

The primary concern is, from a drawbacks perspective, whether they continue to use the highly-strung 2-litre bi-turbo to make 160 kilowatts and tow a notional 3-3.5 tonnes. In Australia’s humid north and dry south and west, that’s a recipe for early engine component failure.

Will MG go for the big tablet glued to the dashboard, or will they try to integrate it into the dashboard with some kind of binnacle to protect it from searing direct sunlight?

Is this going to be yet another HVAC system operated purely by the LCD screen in order to cheapen out on buttons?

Will the so-called driver assist features be so woefully developed (yet again) that they become infuriatingly intrusive and distracting? Will they also be impossibly difficult to deactivate?

All these questions need to be answered, and many more, before the MG ute gets the green light.

Fortunately, we have seen MG become a fully-fledged brand here in Australia, so the commercial likelihood of the brand hanging around for the duration of your ownership period is quite high these days. It doesn’t appear like MG is going anywhere with its 46,000+ sales that have eclipsed Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen.

MAIN COMPETITORS

What’s really interesting here when you compare the cold hard specs between each of these budget utes, presume that the MG will have something very similar to the T60 and Cannon, and then look at the Mitsubishi Triton - you can really see the actual tangible value the Triton has over the notionally cheaper utes.

The Triton is a much better all-round ute in every respect, despite being a few kilos or millimetres than what the Chinese brand utes can offer.

What Triton lacks in outright power compared with the highly-strung T60, it makes up for in kerb weight to balance a heavy trailer. Triton is superior in terms of platform towing capability.

Then if you move to payload, Triton GSR boasts a much higher safe working load limit, but more importantly: the axle load limit on Triton is A) quoted by Mitsubishi Australia; and B) it’s 365kg more than the notionally more powerful T60. Try pitting the Triton against the T60 on kilos in the tray and the LDV will break long before the Mitsubishi.

The Cannon might have a better departure angle, but how often is that likely to be tested compared with the actual operable length of the vehicle? Because Triton has a long tray, which is supremely more helpful for doing actual work around the joint, it just compromises the departure angle slightly.

Triton might have the more mediocre power-to-weight ratio, but that’s met with the greater reliability of its engine which has been in service for over 15 years.

LDV T60 Max Plus | $50,500 approx. driveaway

Engine: 2-litre bi-turbo diesel 4-cylinder | Power-weight ratio: 73 kW/t

Power: 160kW @ 4000 RPM | Torque: 500 Nm @ 1500-2400 RPM | Combined fuel econ.: 8.9 L/100km

Weight: 2220kg (kerb) | Turning circle: 12.7 metres | Ground clearance: 220 | Payload: 830kg

Towing capacity: 3000kg (braked) | Towball download: 120kg | GVM: 3050kg | GCM: 6050kg

Approach/Departure/Breakover angles: 27 degrees / 24 degrees / 19 degrees

Length: 5395 mm | Wheelbase: 31750mm | Rear axle limit: 1675 kg

Tray: Length: 1525 mm | Width: 1510 mm | Height: Not quoted | Wheelarches: 1131mm

GWM Cannon Vanta | $41,500 approx. driveaway

Engine: 2-litre turbo-diesel 4-cylinder | Power-weight ratio: 59 kW/t

Power: 120 kW @ 3600 RPM | Peak Torque: 400Nm @ 1500-2500 RPM | Combined fuel econ.: 9.4 L/100km

Weight: 2090kg (kerb) | Turning circle: 13.1 metres | Ground clearance: 194mm (Cannon Vanta) | Payload: 995kg

Towing capacity: 3200kg (braked) | Towball download: 320kg | GVM: 3085kg | GCM: 5830kg

Approach/Departure/Breakover angles: 27 degrees / 25 degrees / 21 degrees

Length: 5410 mm | Wheelbase: 3230mm | Rear axle limit: 2050 kg

Tray: Length: 1520 mm | Width: 1520 mm | Height: Not quoted | Wheelarches: Not quoted

Mitsubishi Triton GSR | $65,000 approx. driveaway

Engine: 2.4-litre turbo-diesel 4-cylinder | Power-weight ratio: 70 kW/t

Power: 150 kW @ 1500 RPM | Peak Torque: 470Nm @ 1500-2750 RPM | Combined fuel econ.: 7.7 L/100km

Weight: 2170kg (kerb) | Turning circle: 12.7 metres | Ground clearance: 228mm | Payload: 1030kg

Towing capacity: 3500kg (braked) | Towball download: 350kg | GVM: 3200kg | GCM: 6250kg

Approach/Departure/Breakover angles: 30 degrees / 22 degrees / 23 degrees

Length: 5320 mm | Wheelbase: 3130mm | Rear axle limit: 2040 kg

Tray: Length: 1555 mm | Width: 1545 mm | Height: 525 mm | Wheelarches: 1135 mm

CONCLUSION

Overall, we simply don’t know enough facts about the MG ute other than the likelihood it’ll share powertrain development with the LDV Terron 9 and will basically be a re-clothed version of it.

MG Australia is a wholly brand-run subsidiary of the SAIC corporation and generally does a better job of customer support of its products here in Australia, whereas LDV is one of many brands brought in and sold under the Ateco Group’s umbrella operation that is usually quite slack on the customer care front.

What the MG ute will offer, without a doubt, is value. It will most likely have some key engineering compromises in order to justify its alluring pricetag, which is typical of any ute, even from established brands.

There’s no such thing as the perfect ute, but the MG/LDV collaboration will absolutely prove a worthy adversary in the sales race, especially as the Kia Tasman launches in the first half of 2025 to further muddy the waters and offer consumers even more choice. This report will be updated in due course as more information comes to light, so that you can, hopefully, make an informed choice at that.

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