MG Motor India is all set to begin operations of its premium retail network, MG Select, and we can confirm that the Mifa 9 MPV will be launched immediately after the Cyberster roadster, the first product to be sold via the new premium network. MG Motor India, which had previously showcased the luxury electric MPV at the 2023 Auto Expo, will show it again at the upcoming Bharat Mobility Show scheduled for January. The commercial launch is slated for March 2025, and the Mifa 9 is expected to carry a price tag of around Rs 65 lakh.
On the face of it, a luxury van might not be an obvious product for MG’s new retail network, but the choice of the Mifa 9 is well in sync with the MG Select business plan, which is to retail what it refers to as ‘New Energy Vehicles’ (NEVs) that offer ‘new-age luxury’. MG also plans to target only 12 major cities at the start of operations; thus, a premium niche offering fits well. What also bodes well is the fact that luxury MPVs have been gaining ground. Toyota sells about 100 Vellfires each month, and Kia has received orders for 3,000 Carnivals, with a planned production of 300 units per month. Thus, MG’s choice of the Mifa 9 has good potential to tap into this growing niche segment.
The Mifa 9 was showcased in India at the 2023 Auto Expo.
While sources are tight-lipped about production details, it is likely to be locally assembled, with Gaurav Gupta, chief growth officer at JSW MG Motor India, telling Autocar India in a previous interview, “We think that [local assembly] is the right way to go even if you are looking at the higher-end models at MG Select.”
Mifa 9 will be aimed at Toyota Vellfire, Kia Carnival
MG owner SAIC retails the Mifa 9 under the Maxus brand in markets like China and the UK. In Australia, it’s branded LDV, while in markets like Singapore and the Phillippines, it carries the MG badge.
The Mifa 9 was first launched in 2021 as an all-electric model and was followed by an internal combustion version called the G90. The ICE version is powered by either a 2.0-litre petrol or a 2.0-litre diesel engine coupled to a mild-hybrid system. Given MG’s focus on electrics and its plan to offer strong hybrids, the G90 isn’t likely to make its way here.
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The Mifa 9 under the Maxus brand in markets like China and the UK.
Like the G90, which utilises a front-engine front-wheel-drive layout, the electric Mifa 9 has a front-motor front-wheel-drive setup with a 90kWh lithium battery. The motor puts out 245hp and 350Nm, while the claimed WLTP range stands at 430km.
Even by luxury MPV standards, the Mifa 9 is a large vehicle, stretching the tape at 5.2 metres in length, 2 metres in width and 1.8 metres in height. That’s bigger than the Kia Carnival all around and longer and wider than even the Vellfire. Space inside is ample, too, and the Mifa 9 offers both 7- and 8-seater layouts. As with others in the segment, the Mifa 9 comes very well-loaded. There are goodies like powered front and rear seats with heating, ventilation and massage, fold-out ottoman seats, powered rear-sliding doors, twin sunroofs, and rear entertainment screens.
Rear captain’s chairs get powered ottoman and massage function.
As for the design, despite having a boxy silhouette like most MPVs, the Mifa 9 does get some striking highlights. The nose is tall and upright and features a full-width LED light bar. The headlamps are mounted on the bumper and are enclosed by a chrome garnish that goes around the entire fascia in a U-shape. The slab-sided profile gets further chrome highlights around the windows and door sills, while the rear gets vertical drop-down tail-lamps connected by a light bar, with more chrome trim surrounding it and the bumper.
High Hopes
While the Mifa 9 may be a niche segment offering, a lot is riding on it. Beyond meeting planned sales targets, the Mifa 9 will be a true test of the brand’s price elasticity and just how much the Indian buyer is willing to pay for an MG MPV. What will give a solid boost to the MG image will be the Cyberster roadster – a premium, two-seater convertible electric sportscar, which will be launched in the same time frame as the Mifa 9. The Cyberster and Mifa 9 are at opposite ends of the spectrum but will be under the same roof. The idea is to showcase the breadth and variety of premium MG models to customers.
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