5 days ago
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High-end cars from MG's luxury sibling IM Motors will be sold in Australia as the 'IM Presented by MG Motor', offering an electric sedan and SUV.
MG is set to launch some of its most ambitious new models yet, a pair of high-end luxury-priced electric cars – which may cost close to $100,000 – under a new sub-brand.
The MG sibling brand – the IM5 sedan and IM6 SUV, known overseas as the L6 and LS6 respectively – is known elsewhere as IM Motors, but in Australia will be marketed under the less snappy 'IM Presented by MG Motor' name.
They follow the MG Cyberster roadster launched last year as the car maker's move into more expensive price territory, after finding its feet with cut-price hatchbacks and SUVs.
IM, said to be short for 'Intelligence in Motion', is a joint venture between "Chinese automobile manufacturer SAIC Motor" – the parent company of MG – and firms including Chinese tech giant Alibaba.
The IM5 and IM6 are the local names for the IM L6 sedan and IM LS6 SUV respectively, and are circa-five-metre-long vehicles similar in size to a BMW 5 Series or X5 – a size class larger than a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y.
Prices are yet to be confirmed, but in China, the sedan ranges from ¥219,900 to ¥345,900 ($AU48,000 to $AU74,000), while the SUV spans ¥239,900 to ¥302,900 ($AU51,000 to $AU64,000).
They are unlikely to be as competitively priced locally, given Australian models will likely pack in more equipment as standard.
Given a mid-grade MG 4 costs ¥163,800 ($AU36,000) in China – compared to about $45,000 in Australia – the IM5 may range from about $70,000 to $95,000, while the SUV could span $75,000 to $90,000.
Flagship variants offer up to 579kW from dual electric motors – good for 0-100km/h in a claimed 2.74 seconds in the sedan, or 3.48sec in the SUV – while a 100kWh battery is available, running at 900 volts.
Driving ranges of up to 850km in CLTC lab testing are claimed with the 100kWh models, and there is an even-larger semi-solid-state battery available with a circa-1000km claimed range.
Both vehicles are due in "Australian MG dealerships this year" – with exact timing still to be announced – indicating they will be sold in the same showrooms as $22,000 MG 3 hatchbacks, despite premium prices.
"MG is proud to offer an EV for everyone. We have our best-selling all-electric MG4, our electric SUV the ZS EV which will soon be replaced with the MGS5 EV and our first all-electric roadster, the Cyberster," MG Australia chief operating officer Giles Belcher said in a media statement.
"With the introduction of IM Presented by MG Motor we now bring a new premium range of EVs to the Australian market with the IM5 and IM6."
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
