Top three for MG? Chinese giant aims to take on Mazda, Ford and Hyundai with its Ford Ranger rivalling 2025 MG U9 ute, Toyota Kluger rivalling QS SUV and more hybrid models

MG might have only been a popular mainstream brand for a few years, but the bullish carmaker is intent on being a top-three brand in Australia quite soon.

The formerly British, now Chinese-owned marque has gone from strength to strength on the sales charts since its most recent relaunch.

After a false start in 2013 under a private importer, MG’s owner SAIC Motor set up shop Down Under in 2016 with cheap and middling offerings like the MG GS.

Since then it has ushered in significant improvements with every new-generation model and it now has a solid hybrid and electric car range alongside its petrol offerings.

After reaching the top-10 best-sellers list in 2021 and remaining there ever since, MG has entrenched itself as a bona fide mainstream brand.

In 2024 MG sold 50,592 cars in Australia, a 13.3 per cent drop on its 2023 results but enough to secure seventh place. In the first quarter of 2025, MG has found 11,405 homes for its cars, which is 8.2 per cent down on the same period last year.

This year will be a pivotal one for MG, with a number of important models arriving, although almost all of them will land in the second half. The exception is the MGS5 EV, arriving in the first half of 2025 to replace the ZS EV.

The new range will expand to include the new QS, a Toyota Kluger seven-seat family SUV rival, hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the HS medium SUV and two new luxury electric models under the ‘IM by MG’ brand - the IM5 sedan and IM6 SUV.

The biggest new-model launch for MG, however, will be the U9 pick-up that had its global debut at the recent Melbourne Motor Show.

Speaking with CarsGuide at an MG event recently, MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao revealed the brand’s sales target for this year.

“2025 for MG is also a challenging year, because our many major models are coming after June, so major new models are coming in the second half year, not a full year. But the new model is of greater value,” he said.

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“So our sales plan is we are expecting more than about 60,000”.

If it hits this target, MG probably won’t lift above seventh place, going by last year’s sales figures, but it would edge closer to sixth which was held by Hyundai in 2024 on 71,664 units.

But MG has bigger ambitions beyond its 2025 end-of-year tally.

The company is targeting a top five placing in its 2027 sales, and then its bolder ambition is to be a top three brand in Australia by 2030.

That would see the Chinese giant potentially outsell brands like Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi and even Mazda.

Ciao says MG is focused on offering a wide range of models and powertrain options to its customers, and he ruled out MG becoming a hybrid/electric brand only, stating that he always wants customers to have choice.

Asked if the Federal Government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) will impact MG’s model rollout, Ciao said, “For me, no impact. Actually, I welcome it, I support [it]. I sold lots of petrol vehicles, but I also have a massive model range for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, super hybrid and pure electric. So I don't worry about that.”