MG is looking to take on Tesla more directly in Australia, and it’s only fitting one of its new electric vehicles (EVs) has been caught on camera by a Tesla.
The Chinese brand is set to introduce a pair of new electric SUVs: the more mainstream Marvel R, which is expected to take on the Tesla Model Y directly; and the LS6, an electric SUV that’s closer to the now-defunct (in Australia) Tesla Model X in size.
They’ll join the upcoming MGS5, a replacement for the small ZS EV, as well as the popular MG 4 hatchback and the halo Cyberster roadster.
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This LS6 was spied in Sydney by a CarExpert reader, with what appears to be a camera or sensor array on the roof.
The large electric SUV has previously been spied in Australia, and is shaping as one of two vehicles from the IM Motors brand that will come to Australia. The other is expected to be the L6 sedan.
These will be among a glut of new vehicles MG Australia is rolling out this year and into the first half of next year. The brand is set to reveal multiple new vehicles in Melbourne early this April, though it has yet to announce which.
IM Motors is a premium electric vehicle (EV) brand that, like MG, falls under the umbrella of Chinese giant SAIC Motor.
In its least powerful rear-wheel drive guise, the LS6 produces 216kW and 450Nm, and completes the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 6.4 seconds; in top-spec dual-motor all-wheel drive guise, it’s said to hit 100km/h in just 3.48 seconds thanks to outputs of 579kW and 800Nm.
Inside, there are 26.3-inch and 10.5-inch touchscreens, plus an available 15.5-inch passenger display.
Available equipment includes air suspension, a tank turn function, 20-speaker sound system and heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, plus pet and camping modes.
MG hasn’t given any indication it plans to launch IM Motors as a standalone brand, which means the LS6 and L6 are expected to wear the familiar octagon badge.
Earlier in 2024, MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao confirmed the company was plugging gaps in its lineup while also rolling out more premium vehicles.
“From MG 3 to Cyberster… each $10,000 I will put one model there [by 2027],” Mr Ciao told CarExpert in June 2024.
“That means from 20 to 30, from 30 to 40, 40 to 50, and even 60 to 70, 70 to 80, 80 to 90 – all the segments – I will have a model launch for that.”
It’s aiming to become a top five brand in Australia by 2027, and is aiming for the top three between 2028 and 2030.
MORE: MG’s ambitious plan to be a top-three brand in Australia
