MGU9 PHEV under study

A plug-in hybrid version of the U9 is currently under study according to MG Motor Australia’s head of product Meng Chen. However, no concrete plans have been locked in to bring such a model to Australia just yet.

Plug-in hybrid utes – most notably the BYD Shark 6 – have garnered considerable sales success Down Under.

Last year, the Shark 6 was Australia’s 18th best-selling vehicle, and the fifth-best-selling ute model regardless of powertrain. With 18,073 examples delivered locally according to VFACTS data, it trailed the Mitsubishi Triton by some 827 units.

BYD isn’t the only manufacturer to take the PHEV ute plunge – although so far it's been the most successful – with Ford, GWM, and JAC each fielding plug-in hybrid challengers.

As of the end of Q2 2026, more than 10 per cent of all utes sold locally were a plug-in hybrid according to the Australian Automobile Association Electric Vehicle Index. Furthermore, more than 22 per cent of PHEVs delivered during the same period were utes.

A major factor in the rise of plug-in hybrid ute sales has been the 2026 fuel crisis…

Throughout 2025, plug-in hybrid ute sales averaged 5146 deliveries per quarter. In the second quarter of this year, 7411 PHEV utes were delivered locally, marking the single highest-selling quarter for plug-in hybrid utes in Australia.

However, regardless of global factors, this still marks a considerable market impact considering no plug-in hybrid ute models were available locally until late-2024, and it’s a trend that MG – which has just launched its battery electric U9 EV ute – has clearly noticed.

GoAuto has previously reported on the possibility of a PHEV-powered U9, and according to Mr Chen such a model is currently under study.

“As you can see, the PHEV powertrain has been playing a big role in terms of Australia’s EV transition,” he said while speaking with GoAuto at the U9 EV’s Australian launch.

“It's an intermediate step for traditional, conventional engine (buyers) getting to fully electrified vehicles. PHEV sometimes suits certain customers better in terms of their lifestyle.

 
“They still demand access to the traditional fossil fuel, rather than just pure electricity, and a PHEV version of U9 is also under our radar for study.”

Mr Chen would not confirm an Australian arrival time for a PHEV-powered U9 but said it’s under consideration and would be launched at the “right time.”

“At this moment, I can't confirm a concrete plan for you, but just rest assured that this is under our radar, and we are considering the product and we are considering launching the product at the right time,” he said.

While no concrete details have been confirmed, it seems likely that a PHEV-powered version of U9 would sit between the diesel ($51,990 - $59,990 drive away as of the time of writing) and battery electric ($78,990 before on-road costs) versions of MG’s ute model as far as pricing is concerned.

Should it be priced somewhere between $60,000 and $70,000 it would find itself in direct competition with the Ford Ranger Hybrid (which starts at $61,000 + ORCs), BYD Shark 6 Performance ($62,900 + ORCs), and the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV Ultra ($64,490 drive-away as of the time of writing).

A PHEV-powered version of the closely-related LDV Terron 9 is also reportedly a possibility for Australia, although this model is yet to be officially confirmed.

Currently, MG sells only a single plug-in hybrid model in Australia, that being the mid-size HS SUV in Super Hybrid form.

That model’s powertrain comprises a front-wheel 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain produces 220kW and 350Nm, with a claimed combined fuel economy of 0.7L/100km. Its 24.7kWh battery allows for an electric-only range of 120km on the WLTP cycle.