MG’s next sleek EV spotted testing in Australia

Less than a week after MG’s parent company, SAIC’s Australian-bound upcoming IM brand’s first EV, was spotted testing locally, another model has now emerged. An IM L6 sports sedan has been seen testing at a Tesla supercharger in Sydney.

A photo was taken by GC and shared by LudicrousFeed on X of a black IM L6 sedan that was charging at a Tesla supercharger in Chatswood, Sydney.

From the photo, the sleek side view of the car, which happens to have black wheels and orange brake callipers, can be seen. 

Looking into the interior, it’s likely a right-hand drive test vehicle, given the traditional passenger side doesn’t appear to have a steering wheel or yoke present. 

In China, the IM L6 is sold with a yoke so it’s also unclear whether that would make it to the Australian variants.

Moving to the sloping roof of the car, there appears to be some sort of a radar sensor mounted onto roof racks with a cable running down towards the back of the car. 

At the rear, there is also another piece of testing equipment mounted to the boot lid of the vehicle.

This does hint towards local testing and calibration of the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). 

Not much more is known about this particular test vehicle but it’s likely to be spotted again in the wild where more details are revealed.

Last week photos of a partially covered white IM LS6 electric SUV were shared on MG4 owners Australia’s Facebook group. The photos showed a covered front and interior around the steering wheel which was also undergoing testing.

This shows that there are at least two models from the brand heading our way in the coming months, further increasing EV options on the market.

The IM L6 sedan has been out in China for 8 months now and is one of the newest models by IM. It has a starting price of $A48,500 and is competitive with the Tesla Model 3 when it comes to pricing.

When it comes to powertrains, its available in single and dual-motor options. The top-spec dual-motor variant produces 579 kW, propelling the car from 0-100 km/h in 2.74 seconds.

The entry-level single motor variant offers a 75 kWh Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) while a larger 100 kWh pack is also available on other variants, offering a range of 850 km on the CLTC cycle.

This will be closer to 600 km on the WLTP cycle, bringing it close to other long range options such as the Tesla Model 3 Long Range which uses a 79 kWh battery pack.

In December, another variant of the IM L6, called Light Year Edition, had its regulatory approval documents in China listing that the upcoming new sedan will feature a 123.7 kWh semi-solid state battery pack, allowing the car to travel 1,002 km on a single charge when measured on the CLTC cycle.

At this stage, Its unclear whether the IM brand will be launching as a new premium brand in the Australian market or if it will be coming in as an MG product. In markets such as Europe, the IM brand has been showcased at motor shows as a standalone.

More details surrounding the brand and its upcoming model lineup, pricing and specifications are expected to be released in the coming months.

The availability of new models like the L6 will add another electric sedan to the available lineup, bringing more options to the table which is traditionally dominated by the Tesla Model 3 and the BYD Seal.

We look forward to covering more developments and getting behind the wheel of one once this lands in Australia later this year.