MG heads upmarket! New IM5 sedan and IM6 SUV arriving in Australia in 2025 to take on Tesla Model 3, XPeng G6 and BYD Sealion 7 electric cars

MG will take another swipe at Tesla and XPeng by launching the IM electric car sub-brand in Australia this year.

The brand is known as IM in international markets like China and Thailand and it stands for ‘Intelligence in Motion’, however in Australia it will be marketed as ‘IM Presented by MG Motor’.

IM is a joint venture between MG parent company SAIC Motor and Chinese tech companies Zhangjiang Hi-Tech and Alibaba Group. IM exclusively produces electric cars.

MG Motor Australia said it will launch two IM models in Australia this year, but more specific timing has not been confirmed.

CarsGuide reported in January that IM models were close to a local launch after a reader spied a pair of IMs in a carpark.

The two models are the IM5 sedan (known as the IM L6 in China) and the IM6 SUV (known as the IM LS6 in China) and they are expected to attract more of a price premium than mainstream MG models.

Pricing is yet to be locked in but the IM6 SUV could compete with the growing number of medium electric SUVs, mostly hailing from China, which have landed in Australia in the past few months.

Those potential rivals include the freshly launched BYD Sealion 7 (from $54,990 before on-road costs), Deepal S07 ($53,990 BOC), XPeng G6 ($54,800 BOC), Geely EX5 ($40,990 BOC) and Leapmotor C10 ($45,888 BOC).

Other competitors include the refreshed Tesla Model Y ($58,900 BOC), the Kia EV5 ($56,770 BOC) and Cupra’s new Tavascan ($60,990 BOC).

If MG decides to position it even further upmarket, it could rival the likes of Audi’s Q4 e-tron ($88,300 BOC).

The IM5 looks to be a rival for the Tesla Model 3, BYD Seal, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Polestar 2 and more premium fare like the BMW i4.

It's unclear what grades of each model MG will launch in Australia, but there are several on offer in China.

The IM6 is available in rear or all-wheel drive with battery capacity ranging from 71 to 100kWh, and driving range stretching from 560km to 725km, depending on the grade. Note these numbers are to the more lenient CLTC standard.

The two new models will make their debut at the returning Melbourne Motor Show which will be held on April 5 and 6.

This will bring MG’s EV model count in Australia to five - it already offers the MG4 electric hatch and the Cyberster roadster, while the ZS EV SUV is about to be replaced by the MGS5 EV.