Living with the MG U9 Explore Pro around Newcastle and the Hunter Valley is an exercise in quiet disbelief. Not because it’s bad, but because every time you climb into it, some deeply ingrained part of your brain still whispers, “hang on, this is an MG”.
Then you look around at the leather-look seats, panoramic glass roof and massaging driver’s chair, and that voice slowly backs away, confused and slightly offended, like a bloke who just discovered his local RSL now does deconstructed pavlova.
At $60,990 drive away for the Explore Pro before options, the U9 isn’t trying to be a budget special. MG has aimed this squarely at buyers who want a dual-cab ute that can handle real work, real distance and real life, without feeling like a you’re stuck in a penalty box.
Our test vehicle wore Highland Green paint, an option that suits the U9’s blocky proportions and looks particularly at home against Hunter Valley vineyards and sandstone cuttings. It’s a big unit too.
At 5.5m long and nearly 2.0m wide, it has genuine road presence, the sort that encourages smaller SUVs to politely move out of the way on Hunter Expressway on-ramps. Most of our driving was typical of what the average Aussie would use it for too.
Early morning runs through Newcastle traffic, long stints on the M1 Pacific Motorway, winding back roads around Pokolbin and the occasional dirt track leading to somewhere that probably didn’t need to be explored, spanned our test regime.
Power comes from a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel producing 160kW and 520Nm, paired with an 8-speed sports automatic and a dual-range four-wheel drive system. Those figures don’t leap off the page, but on the road they translate into relaxed, unbothered progress.
It’s not quick, but it never feels strained, even when overtaking road trains or climbing long motorway grades with a full load of gear on board, including the inevitable Esky you forgot was in the back.
At 110km/h, the engine settles into a low, distant hum. Wind noise is impressively lacking for something with the aerodynamic properties of a garden shed. Adaptive cruise control handles long motorway stretches without drama too.
Lane keep assistance is thankfully not the sort that wrestles the steering wheel out of your hands for glancing at a road sign. Fuel consumption over our week averaged just over 8.0-litres/100km, close enough to MG’s claimed 7.9-litres to avoid accusations of fantasy.
The 80-litre fuel tank means fewer stops between Newcastle and the upper Hunter, which is always welcome when the only servo option looks like it last saw a renovation during the Howard Government.
Ride quality is where the U9 really begins to justify itself. Thanks to independent rear suspension and electronically controlled dampers, it offers a level of composure that would have been unthinkable in a dual-cab ute not that long ago.
Unladen, it doesn’t hop, skip or pogo-stick over rough surfaces like a kangaroo on a trampoline. Instead, it flows along broken country roads with the calm assurance of something designed by people who actually drove it on Australian tarmac.
There is, inevitably, a compromise. Payload is rated at 770kg, which is lower than some leaf-sprung rivals. But MG has clearly made a deliberate trade-off here, favouring comfort and stability over maximum numbers.
The consolation prize is a 3,500kg braked towing capacity and a gross combination mass of 6,500kg, backed by trailer reversing assistance and a comprehensive suite of stability systems, for when you’re backing the boat down a ramp in front of an audience.
The standout feature of the Explore Pro is the optional $5,490 smart hatch, and crucially, it is not a gimmick. Rather than being a tailgate trick, it’s an electronically retractable rear cabin window and panel that opens up a direct connection between the cabin and the tub.
When paired with multifold rear seats, the U9 transforms into a long-load specialist that would make your mate with roof racks jealous. In this configuration, cargo capacity increases from 1,200-litres to 1,600-litres. MG claims it can accommodate items up to 2.4m long.
In the real world, that meant camera rails, tripods and awkward gear sliding straight through the cabin and into the tub without the need for roof racks, trailers, or that special Australian dialect of creative swearing reserved for IKEA furniture assembly.
You do lose the rear seats entirely in this mode, but gain genuine usability rather than a half-baked compromise. Inside, the U9 Explore Pro feels more luxury SUV than workhorse. The driver’s seat is electrically adjustable, heated, ventilated and features a massaging function.
Initially that feels absurd in a ute until you use it while crawling through roadworks north of Hexham and realised you’re inexplicably relaxed about the whole situation. It’s possibly the first time anyone has been Zen about that bottleneck.
The digital instrument display is clear and customisable, while the central touchscreen is responsive and logically laid out. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto worked reliably, and the eight-speaker sound system handled everything from talkback radio to pub rock.
Wireless phone charging meant fewer arguments about cables, delivering domestic harmony through electromagnetic induction. Rear seat space is generous thanks to the 3,300mm wheelbase, with good legroom and rear air vents.
Heated outboard rear seats are included too, which feels decadent until a cold Hunter Valley morning reminds you why they exist. It’s tat that point you realise you’ve become the sort of person who expects warm buttocks at 7am. We’ve all got to grow up sometime.
Off the beaten path, the U9 proves it hasn’t forgotten its purpose. Ground clearance sits at 220mm, approach and departure angles measure 29 and 25 degrees respectively, and wading depth is rated at 550mm. That’s deep enough to handle most situations.
It’s lower than others, and perhaps not suited that creek crossing your mate Dave insists is only ankle-deep, based on absolutely no evidence. Selectable drive modes, hill descent control and locking differentials provide confidence on muddy vineyard tracks.
Hardcore rock crawling isn’t in its nature though. Safety equipment is extensive, and includes blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, driver attention monitoring, collision avoidance and a surround-view camera system.
There are still hurdles for MG to overcome. Brand perception lingers like that one uncle who still brings up the cricket at every family gathering, and long-term resale remains a question mark. But a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty helps.
So too does 5-years roadside assistance. This isn’t a ute trying to shout its way into the conversation with bull bars and snorkels you’ll never use. It simply turns up, does the job very well, and waits for you to notice.
You can find out more on the MG Motor Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by MG Motor Australia for independent review purposes. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
