2026 MG U9 ute revealed, coming to Australia this year with diesel power

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MG will take the fight to the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux from later this year with its first ute, the 2026 MG U9, due in showrooms with diesel power in November or December 2025 ahead of a plug-in hybrid in 2026.

And as predicted, it is a rebranded version of sister brand LDV's upcoming Terron 9, with which many examples of the MG ute will share the forecourts of multi-franchise dealerships.

Styling differences between the U9 – which will be sold in China as the P9 – are limited to a chrome front grille, new wheels and different badges, with the same body panels, and the same core platform and structure.

The first examples to arrive will use 2.5-litre turbo-diesel power – as a dual-cab 4×4 pick-up only, with no cab-chassis option – ahead of a plug-in hybrid sometime next year.

Limited photos of the MG U9 are available at the time of publishing – these images were taken by Drive at the Melbourne motor show where the ute was unveiled tonight. This story will be updated with more images as they come to hand.

MORE: MG ute all but confirmed for Australia (published November 2024)

Prices will be confirmed closer to launch, but it is expected the U9 will target the more affordable end of the ute market – from about $40,000 to $50,000 drive-away – currently dominated by GWM and LDV's older T60.

The MG ute will be covered by the brand's 10-year/250,000km warranty and 97 dealers, under a factory-run importer.

It compares to LDV, which has a seven-year/200,00km warranty on the T60 – coverage for the Terron 9 is yet to be confirmed – about 100 dealers, and is distributed locally by an independent company.

“We’ve always committed and said we would offer the best value in the segment based on the product and technological things in the car,” MG Motor Australia chief commercial officer Giles Belcher told Drive.

MORE: MG ute caught on camera – and it's just a rebadged LDV

“So that’ll be the same with the ute. We will make sure it represents the best value in the segment that we believe, so that’s not going to change.”

The MG executive said the company is “comfortable” with the differentiation to the LDV ute, and that “we will sell it obviously backed by our warranty, our dealer network and everything else.”

MG head office has selected Australia – and the Melbourne motor show – to host the global premiere of the new ute, which will form a key model in the brand's plan to break into the Top Five selling brands locally by 2027 – and Top Three by 2030.

It will be sold in other countries – in particular Mexico – but Australia has played a key role in its inception, with MG product planner Kevin Kou telling Drive the ute program has been underway for “a number of years”.

MORE: MG hopeful for a ute in Australia, but it could make things 'awkward' with LDV

The pair’s interiors are near identical – with two large screens stretching across the dashboard – but there’s a larger gear shifter in the MG, and a different badge on the steering wheel.

Under the bonnet is a 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine shared with its LDV cousin, matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive.

It produces an identical 164kW – no torque output has been quoted – which makes it the most powerful four-cylinder in the class, ahead of the older LDV T60 (160kW/480Nm), bi-turbo Ford Ranger (154kW/500Nm) and Toyota HiLux 2.8 (150kW/500Nm).

MG is targeting a 3500kg braked towing capacity and 1000kg payload, in line with the ute class benchmarks.

Due to follow in 2026 will be a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant, joining the recent wave of externally-rechargeable utes such as the BYD Shark 6.

No details of the PHEV have been confirmed, with Belcher telling Drive “it’s under development, so we don’t have any details around that as yet.”

It is likely to use petrol power, as it is the choice of fuel for most other plug-in hybrid vehicles around the world.

Not on the cards are the electric variants LDV is set to offer in the Terron 9, with a choice of 200kW single-motor, rear-wheel-drive and 325kW dual-motor all-wheel-drive layouts.

“We’re obviously launching a lot of cars this year, so at the end of the day, I think the diesel market, the diesel powertrain in that segment probably … represents 95 per cent or 90 per cent of the volume,” Belcher said.

“So it made sense for us our first foray into the market to be the diesel, and then we’ll expand from there.”

There are no plans for a V6 diesel option to complement the four-cylinder, the MG executive said.

Under the skin, the MG U9 and LDV Terron 9 are identical, and Belcher said the MG will share the LDV’s suspension and steering tunes, rather than applying its own dynamic flavour.

It’s likely to mirror or match the LDV’s external dimensions, at 5500mm long, 1997mm wide and 1860mm tall on a 3300mm wheelbase – making it larger than a Ford Ranger, but still smaller than full-size US pick-ups.

MG says the new ute has been "made specifically for local conditions," and the car on display at the Melbourne motor show will return to testing locally after the event has concluded.

The U9 is sold in China as the P9, but MG has elected to change the name for local showrooms.

MG Australia says U stands for ‘ute’, but it appears the P9 was always off-limits as the automotive trademark on the name is held by Volvo in Australia.

It may have the side effect of preventing BYD from one day selling its Yangwang U9 locally, an electric supercar with trick suspension that allows it to jump on the spot.

The MG U9 is due to open for orders in the second half of this year, ahead of its showroom arrival in "late 2025". The related LDV Terron 9 is due in showrooms mid-year.

“It’s definitely not a concern. Is it a benefit? I’m not sure. We’ll find out,” Belcher said when asked about selling a model so close to a sibling from another brand.

“I suppose that we are confident in our dealer network, our staff within that dealer network and our ability to train them and infuse them and educate them around the product.

“So if somebody wanders into an MG dealership and then there’s an LDV one on the same site, we’re confident in the experience that particular customer will have in our showroom backed by our warranty and our dealer network and our aftersales support.

“We are confident that from our point of view, the right decision will be made. So it’ll be interesting.

“I’ve probably never been in this experience before, selling a similar product to another competitor, but like I said, it’s not unusual in other brands, but it’s the first time we’ve done it, so we’ll see how we go and it’s up to us to create that differentiation.”

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