The 5.2-metre-long, seven-seater luxury electric MPV, which will be locally assembled at the Halol plant in Gujarat, will mark JSW MG Motor India’s foray into the premium EV segment in India and will be retailed from the dedicated MG Select luxury brand retail network. The company is targeting high net-worth individuals and the hospitality industry with the M9 and claims to have received a high level of pre-bookings.
11 Jul 2025 | 24892 Views | By Mayank Dhingra
Gurugram-headquartered JSW MG Motor India, which is gearing up to launch its latest all-electric model – the MG M9 EV – is betting big on the product’s capabilities to carve out a slice for itself in the fast-growing luxury MPV segment in the country. According to sources, the company aims ...
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Gurugram-headquartered JSW MG Motor India, which is gearing up to launch its latest all-electric model – the MG M9 EV – is betting big on the product’s capabilities to carve out a slice for itself in the fast-growing luxury MPV segment in the country. According to sources, the company aims to achieve the 1,000-unit sales milestone in the first year itself, and is confident that it can take on the segment leader, the uber-luxurious Toyota Vellfire which clocked wholesales of 1,155 units in FY2025, registering stellar 189% year-on-year growth (FY2024: 400 units).
The MG M9 will also compete with similar luxury vans such as the Kia Carnival, Kia EV9, and the Lexus LM, albeit with a major differentiation in the form of an EV-only drivetrain. With nearly 70% of JSW MG Motor India's volumes being contributed by EVs, the company has a distinct advantage over its peers, when it comes to understanding the nuances of this zero-tailpipe-emission technology, which has the backing of its parent – SAIC Motor.
According to JSW MG Motor India, the company is venturing into India's luxury MPV segment with a vision to redefine the category, and with a fully-electric offering in the MG M9, it will blend its commitment to EVs with its core philosophy of meeting the sustainability mission.
With the M9, the company is foraying into the country's luxury car category, which is on an upswing and driven by rising consumer aspirations, growing incomes, and an overall trend of premiumisation in India’s passenger vehicle market. The luxury car segment recorded moderate 6% year-on-year growth in FY2025, after registering three successive years of double-digit growth.
Leveraging its proven track record of introducing advanced, fully-electric offerings like the MG Windsor, Comet, and ZS EV, the company will differentiate itself from its key competitors in the luxury car segment with an EV-only gameplan at the onset, wherein the MG M9 and MG Cyberster which is a two-seater all-electric sports coupe, will kickstart its new innings in the Indian market.
The seven-seater MG M9 is the longest luxury MPV in India with a focus on absolute space, comfort, and a premium experience. The M9 is 5.2 metres long and 2 metres wide, bigger than the Toyota Vellfire, which measures 5.05 metres and 1.85 metres, respectively. MG’s latest MPV also features a segment-best wheelbase of 3.2 metres, whereas the Toyota’s stands at being 3-metre long.
In terms of design, the MG M9 bears the shape of a typical large van with a tall roof, and large windows. MG says it has focused on a minimalist design language, with most body panels bearing clean lines that are accentuated with highlights such as large chrome door handles, subtle chrome touches, sleek LED headlights, and multi-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels. The car also features waterfall-styled large LED tail lamps, whereas there is a monoblock face upfront, giving it a characteristic EV signature. MG will offer the M9 in three distinct colour options: Metal Black, Concrete Grey, and Pearl Lustre White.
One-touch sliding rear doors, twin sunroofs, three-zone climate control, a 12.23-inch infotainment system, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, and memory seats are some of the premium features that aim to enhance the occupant experience inside the M9’s cabin.
Powering the M9 is a 90kWh NMC battery pack that supports up to 160kW DC fast charging to gain 30-80% charge in under 30 minutes. The MPV is driven by a 245hp, 350Nm electric motor that powers the front wheels to pull the M9 with brisk acceleration despite its heavy kerb weight. Despite its size, the MPV feels extremely composed at speeds, with the suspension tuned to offer a pliant ride quality. However, some more suppleness to the back-seat ride quality could have made the drive plusher, that is further complemented by the creature comforts such as the massage seats, panoramic sunroof, and JBL sound system . . . all best experienced in a chauffeur-driven mode.
The MG M9 also scores high on safety with a suite of active and passive safety technologies such as Level-2 ADAS with adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot detection system. There are seven airbags that come standard, and along with high- and ultra-high-strength steel construction, has scored five stars under the Euro and Australian NCAP tests.
Premium Retail Network
This next phase of growth for the MG brand in India will be marked by the emergence of a brand-new retail channel – MG Select – catering solely to the premium segment with state-of-the-art standalone outlets. The company had already showcased its premium showroom concept at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo earlier this year, and will initially target 13 cities in the country.
The new MG Select outlets, based on a minimalist theme, will aim to highlight the product, while focusing on offering a premium retail experience to customers who will also get to indulge in curated fine art. The company will open MG Select showrooms in Delhi, Gurugram, Chandigarh, Surat, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Bengaluru, Cochin, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata with the launch of the MG M9, which will be soon followed by the MG Cyberster. The entire exercise will be completed by September 2025.
In its quest to ensure a premium, and top-notch customer experience, JSW MG Motor India is also giving new dealer principals such as Jubilant, an opportunity to make a mark in the automotive retail business by investing into MG Select outlets. According to the company, new dealer principals are likely to be more committed to quality, as well as customer service to gain reputation and future business.
Bullish on domestic market demand
With a differentiated product and targeted audience, JSW MG Motor India is confident about the M9’s opportunity in the market which has already showcased strong demand for luxury MPVs. The company is eyeing high net-worth individuals such as business owners, CXOs, and filmstars as its potential clientele for MG Select and the M9.
The company also sees strong potential in the hospitality industry, wherein five- and seven-star hotels promise good demand for the M9 MPV to ferry business travellers as well as tourists to and from the airport. JSW MG Motor India, which has commenced pre-bookings for the M9, claims to have received a robust order pipeline already for the luxury MPV that will be locally assembled in India under the semi-knocked down or SKD format.
While a separate assembly zone has been created at its plant in Halol, Gujarat, JSW MG Motor India is keen to ensure the highest standards of assembly quality to dispatch a flawless vehicle to its customers. Therefore, the company foresees rising wait times becoming an inadvertent challenge in the future once it launches the M9, at an expectedly aggressive price tag that could be in the range of Rs 70 lakh to Rs 80 lakh, ex-showroom.
According to company sources, the M9 also remains unaffected by the rare-earth material shortage impacting the broader Indian automotive industry in general, as the company is importing most of the electronics and high-voltage components from China in a completely-built form rather than in raw materials, and then locally manufacturing in India.
JSW MG Motor India is realising strong hopes from the M9 MPV which will mark the next chapter in the company’s highly successful journey in India, where it has already become a household name, and is aspiring for a 33% EV market share by 2030, with an aggressive gameplan of launching one new product every six months.
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