Look out Porsche and BMW, Aussie pricing set for 375kW MG Cyberster

October 21, 2024October 21, 2024 Bruce Newton 2297 Views 0 Comments Boxster, Cyberster, mg, porsche

The 2025 MG Cyberster electric sports car has been priced from $115,000 plus on-road costs.

That pricing means the first electric two-door convertible sports car to go on-sale in Australia will go up against some pretty strong petrol-powered opposition including the BMW Z4, new Ford Mustang, Nissan Z, Toyota Supra and Porsche Boxster.

Cracking six figures also puts the Sino-British brand into new pricing territory in Australia.

Until now, the $59,990 MG4 XPower – with 300kW of power – ad been the brand’s most expensive and powerful vehicle on sale in Australia.

But the Cyberster nearly doubles the price and produces up to 375kW from its powertrain, which comprises dual motors and a 77kWh battery pack.

The claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is just 3.2 seconds. As well as a standard launch control that maximises traction off the line, there’s four levels of regenerative braking.

MG also claims the up 443km WLTP range and rapid charging capability that can power the vehicle from 10 to 80 per cent in just 40 minutes using a 150kW DC charger.

Home AC charging can be done at up to 11kW for a full charge in about nine hours, or 11.5 hours using the more common 7.4kW wallbox chargers.

Initial demand for the Cyberster had been encouraging for MG, with 30 per cent of the first shipment already accounted for by pre-orders.

That 30 per cent equates to about 50 buyers.

But big sales are not the primary point of the Cyberster for MG in Australia, which has muscled its way on to the list of top 10 selling car brands such as Toyota, Hyundai and Mazda.

MG Australia chief commercial officer Giles Belcher said the Cyberster was about shining a spotlight on the marque and showcasing the technology and design.

“It’s not a car we’re going to sell thousands of,” he said. “It’s a halo for the brand, it’s a showcase for design capability and technology capability.”

Standard equipment includes a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster flanked by two 7.0-inch screens as well as another 7.0-inch central infotainment screen.

Heated front seats and a heated Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel, smart key entry, ambient lighting, 360-degree camera and 12-months of remote smartphone connectivity via iSmart are all included.

Owners can access an AC vehicle-to-load (V2L) system for powering 230-volt household devices and almost anything with a conventional three-pin plug.

As with other MGs, the Cyberster is covered by a 10-year, 250,000km warranty.

Once launched, MG Australia says it will consider importing special edition Cybersters and versions of the MG roadster with different battery sizes which suggests it might be prepared to import the rear-drive 250kW/475Nm single-motor Trophy for a more attractive sub-$100,000 price point.

With Toby Hagon and John Mahoney