MG U9 ute prototype driven
A cut-and-paste ute from an unusual source could make a big splash with Australia’s pick-up loving drivers, for one main reason.
MG was so keen to launch a ute in the Australian market it didn’t even wait to create one of its own.
With grand aspirations to become one of this country’s most popular car brands as quickly as possible, MG knew it needed a ute – the staple of Aussie roads.
Thankfully for the local MG bosses, they didn’t have to invest millions of dollars and dedicate years of research to building an all-new ute from scratch.
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Instead, MG knocked on the door of LDV, the commercial vehicles brand of Chinese automotive giant, SAIC, which also owns MG, and borrowed one of its already-built utes – the Terron 9.
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The net result is the MG U9.
It arrived in Australia last week, only months after it was first announced at the 2025 Melbourne Motor Show. It has a very clear goal – win over the hearts (and wallets) of Australian ute buyers.
So, can it?
Well, despite copying someone else’s homework, MG has done a good job of ticking the boxes Aussie ute buyers seem to prefer.
The U9 is big and boxy, casting an imposing presence, even when sitting still. The huge grille and vertical headlights give the MG a bold first impression as you approach it – even if it is odd to see an ‘MG’ badge on such a huge vehicle.
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The copycat U9 is a unique Chinese-specific size of ute, measuring 5.5m long and nearly 2m wide, it is bigger than a Ford Ranger but smaller than the super-sized, US-built Ford F-150.
But while MG has opted for a bigger, unconventional size, it has stuck with the tried and tested formula for power.
While there is a lot of discussion about hybrid utes these days, MG stuck with a turbo diesel.
The 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit makes 160kW of power and 520Nm of torque, which is enough for the U9 to tow up to 3500kg, enough to match the likes of the Ranger and HiLux.
That is a critical number for utes to achieve, not because every ute buyer needs to tow 3.5-tonnes but because that’s what it should be capable of.
However, MG did make a radical departure from what people do expect from a ute, and that’s in the suspension. Instead of using a conventional leaf spring rear end, the U9 has a more complex multi-link independent rear suspension setup.
This is what you’d find in a typical SUV, not a ute, but MG has used it so it provides a more comfortable ride.
MG has clearly aimed the U9 at the ‘urban’ audience, the type of ute buyer that uses it to transport their family rather than take the sheep to market.
The ute has become the new family car in Australia, which is why MG is so desperate to ensure it can take a piece of the action.
Unfortunately a limited, off-road-only test drive didn’t give us any insight on how the U9 will ride and handle on the road. But it did showcase that the U9 has good off-road manners and has the kind of capability buyers will expect if they want to go and play in the mud or splash through creeks.
Perhaps the area where MG stands its best chance of winning buyers isn’t via strong diesel engine, refined manners or even its spacious cabin, but instead its traditional strength in the Australian new car market – price.
MG has priced the U9 from just $52,990 drive-away, undercutting not only the Terron 9, but also the vast majority of its other ute rivals, specifically the Ranger and HiLux.
The Ranger and HiLux remain the undisputed Australian favourites when it comes to utes, but the success of the BYD Shark 6, a plug-in hybrid ute from China and our 2024 Car of the Year, shows Australians have become more pragmatic with their choices.
MG will hope that continues.
2025 MG U9
PRICE: From $52,990 drive-away
ENGINE: 2.5-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 160kW and 520Nm
WARRANTY: 10-year, 250,000km
THIRST: 7.9L/100km
TOWING: 3500kg
SPARE: Full size
Originally published as MG U9 ute prototype driven
