Another plug-in hybrid ute is on the way to Australia, with MG's U9 set for petrol-electric power in a few years to combat the Ford Ranger, GWM Cannon Alpha, and BYD Shark 6.
MG Australia is set to enter the plug-in hybrid ute market with a new version of its U9 from mid-2027.
Speaking to media at the launch of the U9, initially offered with a diesel engine, MG Australia boss Peter Ciao said it will be around two years before the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version arrives in showrooms.
“We already have the plan [for PHEV], I think it’s mid-2027,” Ciao said.
“I will develop a PHEV and I will catch up [to market competition]. And in the future, let the customer make the decision – do you like PHEV or diesel?”
By then, the plug-in hybrid JAC T9 will also be available, and it is expected that Nissan and Mitsubishi will have electrified versions of the Navara and Triton, respectively, either already in showrooms, or around the corner.
It is yet to be confirmed if the MG U9 PHEV will spawn a similar variant of its LDV Terron 9 relative, given both models share underpinnings, diesel engines, and SAIC Motor parent company.
However, exactly what the U9’s plug-in powertrain will look like is still unclear, but it is likely targeting a beefy output to keep pace with the competition.
The Shark 6 quotes a 321kW/650Nm output from a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors, while the Cannon Alpha PHEV packs a 300kW/750Nm punch from a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and single electric motor.
The Ranger PHEV is the least powerful of the current trio, with 207kW/697Nm at its disposal by teaming a 2.3-litre turbo-petrol engine with a single electric motor.
However, JAC could outmuscle them all, with its T9 Hunter PHEV claiming a 385kW/1000Nm output from a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors when it debuted at the Melbourne Motor Show earlier this year.
The current diesel-powered U9 is fitted with a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine quoting 160kW/520Nm, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
No PHEV version has been shown overseas, but there is an all-electric version of the LDV ute sold abroad as the Maxus eTerron 9 that could point the way for the hybrid U9.
Featuring dual electric motors with a combined 325kW output, and a 102kWh battery for a claimed 430km WLTP-certified driving range, the U9 could borrow technologies from its tailpipe emissions-free cousin.
Speaking on an electric version of the U9 – based on the eTerron 9 – Ciao said it will also come to local showrooms, but a date had not been set for Australia.
“Full EV, we’ve considered that,” Ciao said.
“We have a pure EV technology and a platform, so it’s just a business decision, and when and how to launch in Australia.”
Competition in the all-electric ute space is more sparse, with the Terron 9-preceding LDV eT60 the first to be made available in Australia, followed by the imported and locally converted Ford F-150 Lightnting.
Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
