Scooped in Melbourne!: Here’s proof MG is planning to tackle the Tesla Model Y head-on. It’s called the IM LS6 and it’s coming in 2025

January 21, 2025January 20, 2025 Stephen Corby 313 Views 0 Comments IM LS6

First, official images of Tesla’s refreshed Model Y appear, and now a new Chinese rival lands on our shores, setting up a showdown between Elon Musk’s most popular model and MG’s most credible EV challenger yet.

It;s called the IM Motors LS6 and it has been spotted by a CarSales.com.au staff member undergoing testing in Melbourne.

That suggests a battle between Tesla and one of Australia’s fastest-growing Chinese brands is imminent. As well as Kia EV6, XPeng G6, Zeekr Xm Deepal S07 and more.

Our tip? Look out for it the LS6 to go on-sale here in the second half of 2024.

IM Motors is a partnership between SAIC – the parent of MG, one of Australia’s most popular Chinese brands – and two other partners including the Chinese online trading giant Alibaba.

The flagship of the LS6 range is a 597kW/800Nm dual motor all-wheel drive that could be priced circa-$100k to take on the Tesla Model Y Performance.

It claims a zero to 100km/h time of just 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of 252km/h. They are both Very Fast numbers for a family SUV and – conveniently – slightly better than the 3.7 sec/250km/h combo claimed by the current pre-Juniper Model Y Performance.

The IM LS6 dual motor flaghsip. Not a spy shot.

The arrival of the LS6 in Melbourne isn’t a big surprise. MG Australia chief Peter Ciao has previously forecast he was hoping to introduce the IM brand. It’s even been suggested the IM badge will be replaced by MG here.

Why not, the Cyberster sports car has already busted through the $100K barrier for MG in Australia..

But checking out the Melbourne spy pics and the official pic of the flagship LS6 embedded above, suggests the range is going to include multiple models.

Why? because the local test car doesn’t look like the full fat hotty! For a start it’s a bit under-tyred for 597kW.

In China, the LS6 also comes in three rear-wheel drive options – offering 231kW/450Nm, 250kW/450Nm and 379kW/500Nm – before you step up to the big gun.

Battery capacity starts at 71kWh and climbs through 90kWh to 100kWh. The maximum CLTC claimed range is 725km for the rear-wheel drive model with the 100kWh battery. The flagship claims 702km.

The entry-level model has 560km range and the 90kWh RWD a claimed 680km range.

So, yep, while the $100K 597kW/800Nm flagship generates plenty of headlines, it’s going to be the cheaper LS6 models that generate those all-important sales!

With Bruce Newton

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Stephen Corby

Stephen is a former editor of both Wheels and Top Gear Australia magazines and has been writing about cars since Henry Ford was a boy. Initially an EV sceptic, he has performed a 180-degree handbrake turn and is now a keen advocate for electrification and may even buy a Porsche Taycan one day, if he wins the lottery. Twice.