Nov 20, 2024 by admin

No, your eyes don’t deceive you. This sleek, scissor-doored electric roadster is an MG!

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The MG Cyberster is the new performance flagship for the Chinese carmaker that has ambitions to not only expand beyond the mainstream car and SUV market segments locally, but also to become a top-three auto brand in Australia.

It is also the most expensive MG vehicle ever sold in Australia. At $115,000 before on-road costs, the Cyberster surpasses the Ford V8-powered ZT 260 four-door sedan, which was priced at $89,990 plus on-roads back in 2004.

At launch in Australia only a single, range-topping version of the Cyberster is being offered. Powered by a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain producing no less than 375kW of power and 725Nm of torque, it’s fed by a 77kWh ternary lithium-ion battery pack.

MG has a long history of creating sporty convertibles, dating back to 1959 when the MG A was released in Australia. But it’s been almost 20 years since the MG TF was axed locally, so the once-British brand has been without a convertible for a while now.

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Although some claim the Cyberster is the first electric convertible to ever be sold in Australia, that title actually goes to the first-generation Tesla Roadster (essentially an electric version of the Lotus Elise sold locally between 2011 and 2012).

Nevertheless, it is the first electric convertible to go on sale in Australia in over a decade. But while the Cyberster may now fly the flag for the MG brand in Australia, is it more than just a fast EV? Read on to find out.

How much does the MG Cyberster cost?

Just one variant of the MG Cyberster is being offered in Australia for now.

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Model	Price before on-road costs
2025 MG Cyberster	$115,000

To see how the MG Cyberster stacks up against its rivals, check out our comparison tool

What is the MG Cyberster like on the inside?

Put bluntly, this is unlike any MG I’ve experienced before.

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Walking up, you’re smacked in the face with the electric scissor doors. They look pretty special and offer plenty of wow factor, but after a while they could be viewed as a bit kitschy.

Also, if you’re unfamiliar with how they work it can be tricky to find the button that actually opens and closes them. Thankfully, there are multiple options, ranging from pressing a button on the key, on the door itself, or on the centre console.

A benefit of scissor doors is that they make it easy to get in and out, though you need to be careful how closely you park next to other cars and/or objects. The doors will stop opening if the ultrasonic sensors in them detect they’re going to collide with something, requiring you to contort your body to get in or out.

Once you’re in, the driver’s seat looks and feels sporty thanks to cutouts on the backrests. It’s also surprisingly comfy, offering plenty of support, though for longer drives I was looking for some more thigh support.

Both front seats offer electrical adjustment via physical buttons, however, if you want to adjust the lumbar support you need to use one of the touchscreens.

Something to note with the Cyberster’s driving position is that it’s a little higher than I’d like in such a sporty grand tourer. This is due to the large battery pack’s placement. It’s hard to escape this in EVs.

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I’m a leggy 182cm tall and you also wouldn’t want to be much taller than me to fit nicely in the driver’s seat. My head almost touches the roof, though you can alleviate this problem by folding that away.

Ahead of the driver is a tight cockpit filled with screens and buttons. It’s overtly driver-centric, which makes the Cyberster feel sporty and special.

There’s a flat-bottomed steering wheel that looks and feels high-end. That said, like in a lot of other MGs the buttons don’t have labels on them. Instead there are generic icons, which unless you’ve already driven another MG you’re unlikely to understand.

Behind the steering wheel there are paddle shifters that feel disappointingly plasticky and a little cheap. The left one is to change the regenerative braking mode, and the right one is to change the drive mode.

One other notable button on the steering wheel is the large ‘Super Sport’ button that activates the sportiest drive mode. It’s pretty prominent and begs to be pressed.

Now for the screens… All up there are four of them scattered around the cabin and it can be a little overwhelming when you first hop in.

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The digital instrument cluster ahead of the driver is dark with bright, colourful graphics. It can be customised to show different content and layouts, which is pretty common.

There are two touchscreens flanking the digital driver’s display and both are obscured by the steering wheel. In order to see them you have to lean over, which is frustrating.

Both are bright and have crispy screen resolution, plus there appears to be plenty of processing power, meaning you can open new applications and pages quickly.

The right touchscreen controls certain parts of the infotainment settings, and shows additional telemetry information. The left touchscreen on the other hand is for the satellite navigation or smartphone mirroring.

Speaking of smartphone mirroring, the Cyberster only comes with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is disappointing in what is an expensive flagship model for the Chinese brand.

What makes this even more frustrating is you either need to smoosh your cabled phone into the tiny centre console box, or have it sit on the centre console, ruining the clean design.

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Below the left touchscreen there’s an additional touchscreen for the climate controls. It’s also used to change vehicle settings, which is a little confusing because there’s already another screen for infotainment settings.

This climate control/vehicle settings screen is hard to see in direct sunlight, especially with the convertible roof down, unless you’ve got the brightness cranked all the way up. It also gets scratched really easily. Our tester only had a few thousand kilometres on the clock and it was already marked up.

Around the cabin there are plenty of soft-touch and suede finishes. It’s the most I’ve ever seen in an MG. This does feel reflective of the price tag, however, and that’s what counts.

Our tester was equipped with a red and black interior, which contrasts against the white exterior paint colour nicely. A white and black interior option is also available, but in my opinion it’s a little drab.

While there are lots of soft touches, there are also some glossy black buttons that look a little gross and fingerprinty after a few touches. This is annoying because the door buttons and convertible roof switches, which you interact with often, are glossy black.

As standard, the Cyberster comes with an electrically-operated fabric convertible roof, which in our tester was red like the interior. It operates at speeds of up to 50km/h and when open allows plenty of sunlight to shine in.

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In terms of storage, there’s a small glovebox and space behind the two seats with netted sections. This is a sporty convertible after all, so don’t go expecting oodles of stowage space.

Around the back of the car the boot is opened and closed manually. This is surprising given the asking price.

There’s 249 litres of boot volume, which is pretty decent for a convertible but not class-leading. It’s a pretty useable space, though I needed to lay my work backpack down to fit it in with the boot lid closed. There’s also no extra storage under the boot floor.

As to be expected, there’s no spare wheel of any type and only a tyre repair kit in the Cyberster. Disappointingly, there’s also no front boot, but this makes sense given there’s an electric motor under the bonnet.

Dimensions	MG Cyberster
Length	4535mm
Width	1913mm
Height	1329mm
Wheelbase	2690mm
Cargo capacity	249L

To see how the MG Cyberster stacks up against its rivals, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The MG Cyberster is currently only available with a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain in Australia. A single-motor rear-wheel drive powertrain is available in other markets.

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Specifications	MG Cyberster
Drivetrain	Dual-electric motor
Battery	77kWh ternary li-ion
Power	375kW
Torque	725Nm
Driven wheels	AWD
Weight	1985kg (kerb)
0-100km/h (claimed)	3.2 seconds
Energy consumption (claimed)	19.1kWh/100km
Energy consumption (as tested)	19.0kWh/100km (135km)
Claimed range	443km (WLTP)
Max AC charge rate	11kW
Max DC charge rate	144kW

To see how the MG Cyberster stacks up against its rivals, check out our comparison tool

How does the MG Cyberster drive?

Like a few EVs on sale in Australia, including the MG 4 hatchback, the Cyberster doesn’t actually have a start button. Instead, you just unlock the car, sit on the driver’s seat, and press the brake pedal for the car to switch on.

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This can be a little annoying because the car doesn’t turn off when you come to a stop and hop out. It’ll only properly turn off when it is locked.

Before setting off you need to first get your head around the gear selector. It’s conveniently located on the centre stack, but depending on whether you select park, reverse or drive, you need to either push or pull the button.

Once you get used to it there aren’t any issues, but it’s not instantly intuitive like other gear selectors are.

On the move, the car typically defaults to the ‘Comfort’ drive mode, which only uses the rear electric motor. It produces 250kW and 475Nm alone, and provides linear acceleration that doesn’t feel like it’s going to rip your face off.

In Comfort, the Cyberster is a comfortable cruiser that is capable of eating up kilometres. But there are a range of other drive modes that completely alter the car’s character.

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‘Sport’ mode engages the front electric motor and stiffens up the steering a bit. Overall, it feels sharper and more balanced, which is sometimes appreciated on twistier roads.

Then there’s ‘Super Sport’, which feels special every time you activate it. It’s similar to the feeling you get when you activate N mode in a Hyundai N vehicle.

In this drive mode it unlocks the full 375kW and 725Nm, but unlike other EVs it doesn’t unleash it all at once. Instead, it delivers linear acceleration that builds in intensity.

Don’t be thinking the Cyberster is docile, however. It’s properly rapid when pushed and will win the traffic light grand prix against almost any other car you line it up against.

But the Cyberster doesn’t feel like it’s in its sweet spot when pushed hard in Super Sport mode. It can occasionally scramble for front-wheel traction, which is something the MG 4 XPower hot hatch also suffers from.

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There are a range of different regenerative braking modes, most importantly including a single-pedal driving mode. For the majority of my testing I stuck to the latter as it felt the most natural way to drive the car.

Unlike many EVs and even hybrids, the Cyberster’s transition from regen braking to proper friction braking is rather seamless. This makes stopping feel progressive and not jerky.

There are also Brembo front brakes on hand if you require quicker stopping, unlike the MG 4 XPower which just has brightly coloured caliper covers to make it look like it has a high-end brake system.

Regardless of the drive mode, the steering in the Cyberster is on the firmer side. This makes sense given the car’s sporty vibe, but it also makes the car feel darty and direct.

Even on regular, mundane roads this electric convertible is fun to chuck around, though it feels more settled and comfortable on sweeping bends, like a lot of grand tourers.

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A surprising aspect about this car is the suspension is more supple than you’d expect given it’s a sports car and it rides on large 20-inch alloy wheels as standard. It handles pot-holed roads and speed bumps without too much fuss.

As standard, the Cyberster comes with front and rear parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera. Vision from the latter is displayed on the right-hand touchscreen, which is a little confusing because I instinctively look to the middle of the centre console when reversing.

You’ve waited long enough. It’s time to talk about the convertible roof. With the top down, the Cyberster experience is a little conflicting.

Sure, you get the rush of open-air driving, but pretty much every convertible I’ve driven has been all about hearing the engine. This isn’t something the MG Cyberster has, so it feels a little bizarre.

There are two different propulsion sounds you can choose from but, unlike the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, neither of them are very exciting. Instead, for the most part I opted for no propulsion noises. That said, there are still some muted electric motor whines, which is unconventional but thrilling nonetheless.

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Out on the open road with the roof down, however, pretty much all you can hear above the wind is the engine and tyre noise of other cars, especially in traffic. This makes driving along cluttered highways and freeways seem a little unnatural. Thankfully, you can crank up your music on the great Bose sound system to drown this out.

It’s very easy to pick up speed in this car, though the silent high-speed progression does lack a bit of character. It’s still a comfortable vehicle at higher speeds though, and it’s very satisfying to link up sweeping corners in.

On the safety front, the adaptive cruise control system works well, though at times it can brake a little heavily when cars cut in front. But it’s far from the worst system I’ve encountered to date.

The lane-keep assist system doesn’t intervene until it’s absolutely required, which is how it should be. Also, the lane centring when activated in conjunction with adaptive cruise is surprising good, unlike in other MGs.

This car comes with a driver attention monitor, but during my admittedly brief loan it didn’t go off once. Something worth noting is it couldn’t recognise my eyes when I was wearing my sunglasses.

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Another safety feature this car has is intelligent speed limit assist, which bings and bongs when you go above the sign-posted speed limit. It’s a little annoying, but not as intrusive as Hyundai-Kia vehicles, although like them it needs to be turned off every time you drive it via the settings menu.

Lastly, the Cyberster comes with bright LED headlights. These are great when you’re driving along dimly lit roads, and the auto high-beam features makes it easier to focus on driving.

What do you get?

The single top-shelf MG Cyberster variant available in Australia for now comes pretty well equipped as standard.

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MG Cyberster highlights:

• 20-inch wheels
• Tyre repair kit
• Brembo front brake calipers
• LED headlights, daytime running lights and tail lights
• Automatic headlights
• Nappa leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Six-way power-adjustable front sports seats with two-way lumbar support, heating
• Alcantara and artificial leather upholstery
• Synthesised engine sounds
• Metal pedals
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster (Sport and Classic modes)
• 2 x 7.0-inch auxiliary screens
• 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• DAB radio
• 2 x USB ports (1 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C)
• Satellite navigation
• Dual-zone climate control
• One-pedal drive mode
• Four drive modes (Comfort, Sport, Custom, Super Sport)
• Four regenerative braking modes
• Launch control

Is the MG Cyberster safe?

The MG Cyberster is yet to be tested by Euro NCAP or ANCAP.

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Standard safety equipment includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Driver monitor status
• Emergency lane keep assist
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Hill start assist
• Intelligent cruise assist
• Intelligent speed limit assist
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Pedestrian warning sound
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Safe exit warning 
• Surround-view camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring system

How much does the MG Cyberster cost to run?

The MG Cyberster is backed by a long 10-year, 250,000km warranty. It’s also covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre anti-perforation and paint warranty.

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Running costs	MG Cyberster
Warranty	10 years, 250,000km 7 years, unlimited kilometres (anti-perforation and paint)
Roadside assistance	10 years
Service intervals	12 months, 25,000km
Capped-price servicing	10 years, 250,000km
Total capped-price servicing cost	$5034

While that total capped-price servicing cost may seem rather high at first glance, it’s worth keeping in mind that this covers the car for the duration of the generous decade-long warranty period.

It’s arguably pretty competitive against the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which notably only requires servicing every 24 months or 30,000km, but most of those services cost $625 each. That adds up quickly.

To see how the MG Cyberster stacks up against its rivals, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the MG Cyberster

The MG Cyberster is a fitting flagship vehicle for the ambitious Chinese car brand, and it’s currently without any notable rivals in the Australian market, though after experiencing it I came away feeling a little conflicted.

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At surface level, it has all the glitz and glam thanks to the electric scissor doors, premium interior, and top-down thrills. It’s also got oodles of power thanks to the high-output dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain.

In practice, however, while the Cyberster is fast and fun to drive, like many EVs it feels a little soulless. Pretty much every convertible I’ve driven has been all about engine noises and this one just doesn’t have that.

Sure, there are the two synthesised engine notes, but they’re not really great substitutes.

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If you’re after an EV that makes you feel exhilarated, the accessible benchmarks are currently the Porsche Taycan and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. I’m well aware they’re both completely different types of cars, but the latter costs around the same as the Cyberster.

Last thing: I wonder how much of a market there is in Australia for this type of car. Perhaps there’s a reason why the the electric convertible is a rare species.

Regardless, it’s exciting to see a carmaker like MG experiment with a unique model like this. With a few others like it coming from premium brands such as Maserati and Porsche, perhaps the Cyberster will soon look like a bargain.

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Interested in buying an MG Cyberster? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here

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