Big & Bold: 2026 MG U9 pickup revealed, will PH get it?
MG U9 pickup truck revealed in Australia, measures 5.5 meters long
When it comes to large pickup trucks, the Philippine market gets the choice of the GWM Cannon, the Foton Tunland V7 & V9, and the Ram 1500 Rebel. Yes, there was the Ford F-150, but the Blue Oval quietly discontinued it for the Philippines and has largely stuck with the Ranger as its premier pickup truck offering.
MG Motor Philippines wants a slice of the pickup truck market, and they could bring the TRQ (called T90 in other markets) based on homologation documents from the Land Transportation Office (LTO). But what if we told you MG has an even bigger pickup truck that could dwarf other midsize offerings in the country?
Say hello to the mighty 2026 MG U9 and its massive size. Based on the Maxus Terron 9, the massive pickup recently made its debut in Australia and measures 5500mm in length, 1997mm in width, and stands at 1874mm. It also has a generous 3300mm wheelbase, which means you can easily load plenty of long items. Speaking of loading items, the U9's rear bed measures 1600mm long, 1500mm wide, and 535mm tall.
Despite its gargantuan size, the U9 has quite the on-road manners thanks to a fully independent rear suspension. This means that despite having a body-on-frame construction, the U9 could deliver a more comfortable riding experience. But this comes at a cost, as the maximum payload rating of the MG U9 is only rated up to 870 kg. However, the U9 bounces back in towing capability, as it's rated to have a braked towing capacity of 3,500 kg.
Design-wise, the U9 appears to have been inspired by Chevrolet and GMC thanks to its bold yet aggressive design. The front fascia is dominated by a massive grille with unique chrome inserts, along with distinct LED headlights. Also present on the U9 is a long and massive hood, black body cladding, stepboards, gloss black accents, and sleek LED taillights. MG also gave the U9 a special tailgate with an integrated step for easier ingress and egress from the bed.
Need to load longer items in the back, but don't want the tailgate open while driving? The MG U9 comes with a pass-through feature called the Smart Hatch. This allows users to carry and store long loads without the need for the tailgate to be open while on the move.
Hop inside, and the MG U9 welcomes occupants into a luxury SUV-like cabin. It may be a pickup truck, but the interior of the U9 is more akin to high-end vehicles. It gets a huge 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an 8-speaker sound system from JBL (6 speakers for lower variants), wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, a wireless charging pad, push-button start, front & rear center armrests, and a panoramic sunroof.
Other key amenities available inside the MG U9 include leather seats, front heated seats, power-adjustable front seats with memory function for the driver, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, rear vents, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a suede headliner, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, keyless entry, and intelligent voice control.
Under the hood, the MG U9 is powered by a 2.5L turbo-diesel engine that makes 217 PS and 520 Nm of torque. It's paired to a 4WD system courtesy of BorgWarner with an intelligent transfer case and an 8-speed automatic transmission. It comes with various drive modes, including Eco, Normal, Sport, Mud, Snow, Sand, Tow, and Custom. When the going gets tough, drivers can also activate intelligent real-time torque on demand when the need arises.
With the MG U9 already available in Australia, does this mean we can expect MG Motor Philippines to bring it here? Earlier this year, the automaker was given approval to bring a light-duty vehicle with a 2498cc diesel engine. Since the engine size matches that of the U9, it looks like MG Motor Philippines' plans to have it here are already in motion. The only question now is, when can we expect it to arrive in the country?
