MG gets serious about hard-core off-road: Boxy 2026 MG Cyber X is an electric 4×4 rival for Land Rover, Toyota, Jeep and even Mercedes-Benz
MG has stunned showgoers at the Shanghai motor show with its all-new 2026 MG Cyber X concept.
Essentially, a battery-powered 4×4 rival for the likes of the Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender, it could be on sale in less than two years.
It also shapes as the first proper rival for the 2026 Mercedes-Benz baby g-Class that the German brand is currently putting the finishing touches to.
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Essentially, the g-Class is the little electric brother of the G-Wagen we recently tested.
But the Cyber X will also have a heap of local rivals to contend with as Chinese brands become more and more interested in the 4×4 segment.
Among them we’re talking vehicles like the Geely Galaxy Cruiser, the Fangchengbao Bao 5 and Deepal G318, all of which are expected to go on-sale in Australia.
They all pose a threat to the orthodox diesel 4x4s – most of them from Toyota – that currently dominate the segment in Australia.
The second member of MG’s youthful Cyber sub-brand, the Cyber X follows on from the genre-defining battery-electric Cyberster roadster.
But in the flesh the two look completely unrelated.
That’s because the upright boxy looks and ultra-short overhangs are signals that MG is serious about making this the most capable electric 4×4 yet.
To do that the new Cyber X is also the Chinese-owned Brit brand’s most advanced EV ever.
It is the first vehicle to be based on parent SAIC Motor’s E3 all-electric architecture and it will be the first MG to benefit from cell-to-body (CTB) construction.
That means it uses the battery as a structural component, ensuring it’s lighter than other equivalent EVs while maximising ground clearance and boosting interior space.
Next-generation torque vectoring and perhaps even new 4×4 mechanical hardware is tipped to ensure the rugged Cyber X will be among the most capable entrants in the emerging all-electric 4×4 class.
What we haven’t seen is what’s happening inside, but expect traditional 4×4 grab handles, durable fabric and hose down surfaces to be blended with the latest large screens and in-car tech.
Unconfirmed for a launch Down Under, it’s thought our love of all things SUV should stack up a decent case fort the Cyber X’s introduction in Australia.
It would definitely help the brand, along with the U9 mid-size ute, seven-seat QS SUV and premium IM brand, fulfill its aim of becoming one of the top three best-selling brands locally.
