1960 MG Magnette Reviews

MG's CyberX heralds a whole new range of high-end 'Cyber'-branded products

MG is again challenging the market with one of the most affordable cars on sale in Australia.

MG has announced pricing and specs for its ZS EV replacement, the S5, which is now available for pre-order.With prices commencing at a mere $500 premium over its predecessor, the S5 will be offered in four variants and two battery packs.They consist of the base 49kWh Excite ($40,490) and Essence ($42,990) variants, and the 62kWh Essence ($44,990) and Excite ($47,990) variants (all prices are drive-away).For comparison, the rival BYD Atto 3 Essential starts at $39,990, while the Chery Omoda E5 starts at $42,990 (both before on-road costs). Once drive-away pricing is factored in they are expected to exceed the S5 in price by approximately $2000 and $5000, respectively.All four S5 variants deliver an output of 125kW/250Nm, with power being sent exclusively to the rear wheels through a single electric motor. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability is also standard across the range.The Excite 49kWh kick things off with LED daytime running lights, fabric upholstery, a central 12.8-inch multimedia display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, six-way electronically-adjustable driver’s seats, MG’s 'Pilot Safety Suite' and a surround-view camera.Driving range is claimed at 415km for the Excite and Essence 49kWh variants, the latter adding synthetic leather upholstery, keyless entry, a six-speaker audio system, an electronic-powered panoramic sunroof, a wireless phone charger, a heated leather steering wheel, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats and a power tailgate with hands-free access.The same changes are reflected across the Excite and Essence variants fitted with a 62kWh battery, although driving range is longer at a claimed 515km under the NEDC cycle.Six colours are available - 'Dover White', 'Sterling Silver Metallic', 'Camden Grey Metallic', 'Champagne Gold Metallic', 'Piccadilly Blue Metallic', 'Diamond Red Metallic' and 'Black Pearl Metallic'.All S5 variants will be covered by MG’s 10-year/250,000km warranty, and for a limited time only, the first 500 buyers will receive a 7.0kW home charger valued at $1199.The first S5 examples are expected to roll into MG dealerships across the country from early May.

MG has launched a new entry-grade variant of its electric Cyberster, sneaking the car’s entry price below the $100,000 mark.

Can you have too much of a good thing? Australians love utes and in recent years we’ve seen more and more brands look to capitalise on that, but it may not be a case of the more the merrier.

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.

MG promises its upcoming ute will be suited to Australian conditions.

MG to launch boxy off-road SUV - but will it challenge GWM's Tank 300 or aim for lifestyle buyers?

The Ford Ranger is undergoing an evolution that will see Australia’s best-selling vehicle grow in size as well as scope, as it fends off the coming Toyota HiLux facelift and all-new rivals like the Kia Tasman, MG U9 and next-gen Nissan Navara. These are new niche programs and models that should shore up the current T6.2 architecture’s viability into the next decade for Australia.

MG will continue to sell the previous-generation ZST in Australia alongside the freshly launched second-gen version of the ZS small SUV.The plan is to ensure MG still captures buyers at the most affordable end of the new car market as some of its newer generation models have increased in price.The new ZS range landed in November 2024 in hybrid guise and has since expanded to include naturally aspirated (NA) petrol and turbo-petrol grades. Pricing ranges from $26,990 drive-away for the Excite up to $40,217 drive-away for the Hybrid+ Essence.At the moment, the ZST Vibe is available for just $23,888, drive-away, which makes it the most affordable SUV available in Australia right now.However, this is only temporary and the keen pricing will end by April 30.The ZST’s limited drive-away price undercuts a number of affordable small SUV rivals, including the recently launched Chery Tiggo 4 Pro which at $23,990, drive-away, was the cheapest SUV on the market from launch.It also beats the Suzuki Ignis which is $24,490, drive-away, the Kia Stonic from $25,660, before on-road costs, and the Hyundai Venue from $22,750, before on-road costs, but that’s for the manual.Given on-road costs can add up to $3000 to the cost of a car, the MG is the cheapest.Those rivals are also a size smaller than the ZST and compete in the light SUV segment. Direct small SUV competitors that can’t match the MG ZST price include the GWM Haval Jolion (from $26,990, drive-away), the Chery Omoda 5 (from $27,990, drive-away) and the recently discontinued Mitsubishi ASX (from $26,240, drive-away).This isn’t the first time MG Motor Australia has offered two versions of the same model at the same time.When the first-gen ZS facelift launched back in 2020, it was dubbed the ZST to differentiate it from the original ZS, which remained on sale all the way up until the arrival of the second-gen car late last year.Back then the ZS was the cheap and cheerful option for those that didn’t want to stretch to the ZST.When asked by CarsGuide how long the ZST would remain on sale alongside the new ZS, MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao said, “This is up to the market.”Ciao added the company adopted the same strategy as the ZS to ZST plan from a few years back, based on the principle that “people need a good, affordable priced car”.He said due to the cost of living crisis and lack of significant movement on interest rates, it was important to ensure MG still offered its buyers affordable options.The MG ZST Vibe is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine delivering 84kW/150Nm, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) driving the front wheels.It comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, six-speaker audio, 10.1-inch multimedia touchscreen with built-in sat-nav and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, manually-adjustable synthetic leather front seats, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and an extensive list of standard safety features.