MG has launched its first ute. Now there’s a sentence nobody thought they’d ever read.

Though the MG brand, now Chinese-owned, has been building hybrid and EV city cars and more recently SUVs, this is a big step into the mainstream, especially in Australasia, where 4WD double-cab utes reign supreme. It’s no small thing: Aussie 4WD ute sales top 200,000 a year.

The MGU9 has been made possible because the parent company, SAIC, also owns LDV, which showed its Terron 9 ute at New Zealand’s Fieldays farming expo this year. MG’s version adopts Terron’s chassis, running gear and overall look, but with design tweaks that make it clearly a different product.

The finalised range is the MGU9 Explore: $60,990; MGU9 Explore X: $63,990; and the range topping MGU9 Explore Pro: $68,990. The Pro gets the biggest spec, naturally, including the clever tailgate step and the cab’s advanced lowering rear bulkhead, called a Smart Hatch. The latter is likely to prove useful on those Saturday morning trips to Bunnings, enabling the ute to securely carry large, long or bulky items.

NZ4WD was invited to this month’s launch event north of Sydney which actually steals a march on LDV, as it was our first drive of either ute. The event venue was a farm off the main highway that has been transformed into an adventure park and conference venue, Glenworth Valley. Glamping, horse riding, ATV tours, bush walks – this kind of thing is big business for farms like this. It’s an hour north of the city, far enough away to completely shed any feeling of urban chic. That didn’t stop one female journo turning up in white linen trousers though.

MG put on a stack of utes for the event, many of which were pre-production and had accessories that weren’t likely to appear on the production U9s.

We got to try the utes on h/t tyres and big alloys, and also (our favourite) on 18-inch alloys and excellent Falken all-terrain treads.

There was a white U9 on static display, kitted out with an aftermarket front bumper, gear racks, recovery boards and lights, all of which will likely be popular with owners who like a bit of adventuring.

The U9 is part of a growing sub-sector in the enormous market for diesel double-cab 4WD utes: midsize-plus. It is appreciably bigger than other utes in the market, with useful increases in interior room. It is 5,500mm long (130mm more than a Ford Ranger), 1,997mm wide, 1,874mm high and rides on a 3,300mm wheelbase.

Tray dimensions are important to private and commercial users alike. Dimensions are 1,500mm wide, 1,561mm long, with four tie down points. There’s a sturdy-looking sliding rail on each side. Two work lights on either side of the high brake light illuminate the rear tray.

MG Motor Australia and New Zealand CEO, Peter Ciao says the new ute is a significant step for the brand.

“The MG success story so far has been based on smaller cars and SUVs. From today the MGU9 is our ‘big’ model step up. This ute joins our growing family of big models, like the award-winning QS 7-seater. It marks the start of a big new era for MG in Australia and New Zealand, delivering comfort and rugged capability for local drivers”.

MG says the ute has been designed and tested for down under, delivering “the robust strength of a ute, the refinement of a modern SUV, and innovation that sets MG Motor apart.”

For example, the U9’s multi-link independent rear suspension system was developed exclusively for the ute. It offers improved ride over leaf-sprung utes but retains the class-leading 3.5-tonne braked tow rating of almost all utes in the mid-size segment.

MGU9 has been awarded with an ANCAP five-star safety rating, “ensuring excellent protection for both drivers, passengers and other road users.”

With the Bosch ESP 9.3 scalable stability control system onboard, MGU9 integrates vehicle dynamic control, traction control and automatic emergency braking to improve control, stability and safety.

The drivetrain is a stand-out: SAIC’s 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine produces 160kW and 520Nm, outstripping most of the mid-size sector. The engine drives through ZF’s superb 8AT torque converter auto transmission, and the BorgWarner Super Select 4WD system has an electronically-activated low range. There are front and rear diff locks.

An innovative electric opening tailgate improves loading and unloading. At the touch of a button, the tailgate lowers, exposing the built-in drop-down step that allows safe, practical access to the rear tub.

In the cabin, there are comfort features such as front and rear heated seats and built-in driver’s seat ventilation and massage functions to reduce fatigue on long trips. A single curved dash display houses infotainment screens consisting of a 12.3” digital cluster and 12.3” central control screen. The driver’s side instruments and dashboard have been designed to be more intuitive and easier to navigate for less distraction. The infotainment panel adopts a horizontal design theme, complemented by two vertical air outlets on the sides.

MG says there are up to 32 smart storage spaces and solutions in the interior. The centre console is robust and thoughtfully designed, with a sliding storage compartment, hidden cup holders and a unique ‘aircraft-inspired’ gear selector. There’s a high resolution digital rear view mirror, a wireless charger, a USB-C and 2.0 and a power outlet up front. Rear occupants also get USB ports. The Pro models also get a panoramic sunroof.

The rear seats can be folded completely flat through MG’s MultiFold seats and Smart Hatch folding mid-gate proprietary design, enabling a seamless cabin-to-tub pass-through and transforming the interior into a versatile loading area for longer equipment. When the rear seats are lowered, the front seats can also be folded backwards, creating an extended, flat surface that provides a comfortable resting position.

In the MGU9 Explore Pro variant, the rear cabin window has been engineered to be fully retractable, providing customers with unrestricted access between the front cabin and the rear tub when the vehicle’s rear seats are in the lowered position.

Engineered as a unibody on a ladder chassis, there’s no gap between the tray and the passenger cabin meaning increased rigidity that will help driving dynamics, though it means a flat-deck tray is unlikely to be offered.

The big grille design style is a growing trend. The MG’s stablemate LDV Terron 9 has a slightly bigger version, but the trend started with GWM’s Cannon and Cannon Alpha, and continues with the likes of Toyota’s Tundra. The big pickups from Chev and Ram are in the game too.

Driven

The first of four drive experiences at the launch event was probably the best – a drive up a leafy valley system with several water crossings. The MG’s wading limit is a reasonably good 500mm, though our crossings didn’t get near that. Diff locks and low range got us into and through each crossing without fuss or drama. The torque of that big four-cylinder diesel engine clawed us up steep banks on the far side. Too easy. We brushed the flexible lower lip of the front bumper once, a reminder that a 28-degree approach angle doesn’t encourage too much wild behaviour offroad.

Next was a drive up a steep fire trail with massive diagonal water-bars to direct drainage off the trail. The MG was never scrabbling for grip, simply idled on up the hill. We scraped the tail going through one of the water bars, again a function of approach/departure angles, but the ute kept going.

Third drive was a gentle loop to demonstrate the ute’s towing ability. There was a choice of horse float or dual-axle caravan, and the U9 was unfazed by either. Big mirrors and the squared-off flanks of the ute made towing easy, and there are a range of onboard camera views if eyeballs are not sufficient.

The final drive was a longer though gentle cruise further into the farm valley, dodging a fair-sized truck at one point and a dozen excited quad riders on the return. It was a chance to settle into the big ute, to drop the rear window and check out more of the onboard tech.