MG-owned IM Motors locked-in for Australia in 2025 with IM5 electric saloon and IM6 SUV
Following in the tyre tracks of Toyota with Lexus and Nissan with the ill-fated Infiniti brand, MG Motor has announced it is launching its own a high-end spin-off to Australia.
The IM Motors luxury electric car brand will rival the likes of Tesla, Audi, BMW and Mercedes when it introduces an all-new mid-size sedan and SUV later this year.
Announcing that both will be sold through its existing MG dealerships in Australia, the Chinese brand’s local outfit has confirmed it will import the advanced IM Motors L6 sedan and LS6 SUV already sold in China.
Down Under, both will be renamed, with the BMW i5-sized EV rebadged the IM5, while the big BMW X5 rival SUV will be called the IM6 SUV.
Perhaps confusingly, the two new EVs will be sold under the ‘IM Presented by MG Motor’ banner.
It’s not known if all the tech wizardry will be available in Australia but in China the IM5 gets a pioneering 123.7kWh semi-solid-state battery that provides for a range of 1002km on the Chinese CLTC test cycle.
The BMW i4 rival also gets a state-of-the-art 900-volt electrical architecture that allows for ultra-fast charging, with a 12-minute top-up adding as much as 400km of range.
Despite measuring in at 4931mm long, 1960mm wide and standing 1473mm tall the new luxury EV sedan is expected to be priced in line with smaller vehicles like the BMW i4, while offering segment-leading levels of space.
Featuring smooth fastback styling that slashes drag for the benefit of range, the IM5 gets hidden door handles and petal-shaped alloy wheel covers, plus a subtle ducktail spoiler.
Within, the sedan sports an impressive 26.3-inch widescreen display that is combined with a 10.5-inch infotainment screen in the centre stack.
We’re not so convinced by the unusual half-moon shaped yoke-style steering wheel, but at least it’s been designed to ensure the low-mounted screen is not obscured.
Driving the IM5 is either a single rear-mounted e-motor that produces between 216-300kW, or a dual-motor version that pumps out an astonishing 579kW of power for an incredible 2.7 second 0-100km/h sprint.
The IM6 SUV, meanwhile, has already been spotted driving around Melbourne.
It’s set to be positioned as both a rival for the latest Audi Q6 e-tron and next year’s BMW iX3, plus the cheaper Tesla Model Y Performance.
The new mid-to-large SUV (it’s 4.9m long) will also come with some of the headline tech that features with the IM5 sedan, although base and mid-spec models only come with 400-volt hardware.
The powerful 900-volt electrical architecture is reserved for the flagship versions with the biggest 100kWh battery and dual-motors.
In China, the IM6 SUV also comes in three rear-wheel drive options – offering 231kW/450Nm, 250kW/450Nm and 379kW/500Nm.
Battery capacity starts at 71kWh, there’s also a mid-spec 90kWh powerpack and the large 100kWh battery for the range-topping versions.
The entry-level model has 560km range and the 90kWh RWD a claimed 680km range.
The maximum CLTC claimed range is 725km for the rear-wheel drive model with the 100kWh battery. The flagship claims 702km.
Like the sedan, the most powerful IM6 SUV comes with up to 579kW/800Nm enabling a supercar-troubling 0-100km/h dash of just 3.5 seconds, plus a 252km/h top speed.
Officially, MG Australia has not released pricing but in China the IM5 sedan costs between 219,900 to 345,900 Chinese yuan ($A48,000 to $A74,000).
In Australia those prices could translate into a range that starts from around $70,000 and stretches to $95,000.
We expect the IMG SUV to be positioned from $75,000 to $90,000.
Exact timings for both models will be released soon, possibly following the IM5 sedan and IM6 SUV’s debut next month at the Melbourne motor show.
