In early 2025, MG Motor introduced two groundbreaking models in India—the luxurious M9 people mover and the sleek MG Cyberster. These launches signal MG’s strategic shift from a purely value-focused brand to one offering aspirational and premium experiences. The MG Cyberster, in particular, targets a niche segment of buyers seeking exclusivity, advanced technology, and the thrill of sports car ownership without the prohibitive cost of luxury European alternatives.
The MG Cyberster: A Global Icon Reimagined
The MG Cyberster is not just a new car; it represents the revitalization of the legendary MGB roadster—a car synonymous with accessible British motoring for decades. MG has successfully transformed this heritage into a futuristic electric roadster, bringing the iconic open-top experience to a new generation of drivers.
Overview of the MG Cyberster
The MG Cyberster is positioned as a halo model designed to boost MG’s brand image in India. It is the first vehicle sold exclusively through the MG Select range of dealerships, which are positioned as premium touchpoints for customers seeking higher-end offerings. While the M9 targets families demanding luxury and space, the Cyberster appeals to enthusiasts and those seeking an exciting, style-driven machine.
Exterior: Dramatic Design That Turns Heads
The MG Cyberster’s design is its most compelling asset. From the moment it rolls into view, it commands attention. During our test period, the car attracted numerous inquiries, often from people eager to learn about this eye-catching roadster.
Power Scissor Doors: The Ultimate Statement
Undoubtedly, the most striking feature of the Cyberster is its powered scissor doors. Opening these doors in a public setting is guaranteed to draw a crowd. Both doors open and close smoothly at the touch of a button and are equipped with safety sensors to prevent accidental closures. But the drama doesn’t stop there. The Cyberster also features a retractable fabric roof that can open or close in just 10 seconds, a process that is quiet and effortless enough to be performed while driving at speeds up to 50 km/h.
Front End: Distinctive and Aggressive
The front of the Cyberster is clean and captivating. It features narrow LED headlights flanked by distinctive petal-shaped daytime running lights. Combined with the wide grille, this design gives the car a unique smiling face that enhances its overall personality. The bonnet features bold creases that draw the eye backward, making the front appear longer and more imposing.
Side Profile: Classic Roadster Proportions
From the side, the Cyberster exhibits classic roadster proportions, sitting low to the ground and appearing wide and balanced. The roofline flows seamlessly into the rear, and the 20-inch alloy wheels fill the wheel arches perfectly, creating a visually cohesive and appealing stance. The combination of proportions, stance, and roofline makes the Cyberster feel solid, planted, and dynamic.
Rear Design: Balanced and Modern
The rear design ties the overall look together effectively. The Cyberster features a full-width LED light bar that runs across the tailgate, adding a sense of width without appearing overdone. It also includes arrow-shaped LED tail lights, which are quite eye-catching, although they might look cleaner if they were less pronounced.
Build Quality: Tight and Premium
The overall build quality is impressive. There are no noticeable panel gaps, and the doors feel robust and premium. The bonnet and boot lid feel strong and well-damped, matching the premium perception of the car.
Color Options
The Cyberster is available in four exterior colors:
Flare Red with a black roof
Nuclear Yellow with a black roof
Modern Beige with a red roof
Andes Grey with a red roof
While all color options are unique and elegant, the Nuclear Yellow and Flare Red variants are the most eye-catching.
Interior: Driver-Focused and High-Tech
If the exterior looks sporty, the cabin takes that feeling even further. It wraps around the driver like a cockpit, with all controls angled toward the driver’s position. MG has clearly focused on delivering a driver-centric experience, and from a design standpoint, there is little to fault.
Dashboard: Triple-Screen Layout
You sit low in the driver’s seat, and the dashboard sits high, with a triple-screen layout that curves inward to keep all essential information easily visible. The screens are crisp and easy to read in most conditions. However, when the roof is down in bright sunlight, the brightness may feel insufficient, making information difficult to discern.
Steering Wheel: Sporty and Functional
The Cyberster features a flat-bottom steering wheel with a dual-tone suede leather finish. It includes a red circular ‘Super Sport’ button that serves as a shortcut to the car’s launch control, simplifying the process of accelerating from a standstill.
Material Quality and Feel
Like the dashboard, the rest of the cabin feels rich, featuring a mix of high-quality materials such as leather, suede, and soft-touch plastics. While most functions are accessible through the screens, there are still physical toggle switches for essential controls like drive modes and regenerative braking levels, all of which feel satisfying to use.
Seats: Supportive for Everyday Driving
In typical roadster fashion, the Cyberster offers only two seats. These are snug, supportive sport seats that suit the car’s performance-focused nature. Drivers around six feet tall will find the driving position spot on, with adequate legroom and just enough headroom even with the roof up.
However, drivers exceeding 6.5 feet tall may find it difficult to get comfortable. Their knees may graze against the steering column, and their head might brush against the roof. This is not uncommon for compact sports cars, as models like the Porsche Cayman/Boxster can also feel cramped for exceptionally tall users.
The cushioning is firm but comfortable, making it suitable for longer journeys. The seats are packed with features, including powered adjustment, ventilation, heating, and memory functions with a welcome retract feature. Visibility is fairly good for a low-slung car, though the thick rear pillars limit the view.
A curious omission is the manually adjustable inside rearview mirror, which feels out of place in an otherwise premium cabin. It does not offer a complete view of the rear, requiring drivers to rely heavily on the camera system when parking or reversing. Getting in and out is easier than expected for a roadster but still requires a slight duck and slide.
Storage and Practicality: A Sports Car’s Limitations
The Cyberster is not designed for utility, and it does not pretend to be. Cabin storage is minimal and limited to the essentials. There is a small glovebox that opens via a button, a cubby hole on the central tunnel, a pair of cupholders, and some space under the armrest.
Given the way the scissor doors open, the only storage area is a small pocket with a closable lid that can accommodate only small items like a wallet or power bank.
Charging Options: Future-Ready
While the Cyberster skimps on practicality, it offers comprehensive charging options. It is equipped with a wireless charging pad conveniently located in the central console, which holds the phone securely even during spirited driving. Additionally, there are both USB Type-A and Type-C ports available for both occupants, supporting wired phone charging and media connectivity.
Features: A Tech-Forward Experience
The MG Cyberster features a driver-focused triple-screen setup inside the cabin. This setup includes a 10.25-inch screen in the center, with two 7-inch screens on either side. While the layout looks modern, the side screens are partially obscured by the steering wheel, making it difficult to view some information while driving.
The leftmost 7-inch screen serves as the infotainment system, featuring a sharp display and supporting wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which worked without any issues during our tests. However, one significant issue we encountered was that the user interface (UI) is not particularly intuitive. Users may often have to search through different menus to find basic settings, and it takes some time to become accustomed to it.
In contrast to the other two screens, the third screen feels far more purposeful. Positioned to the side, it displays genuinely useful information such as weather updates, charging status, range, and even time-related details like the current time, charging duration, and estimated time for a full charge. The interface is clean, easy to read, and designed with a layout that makes sense at a glance.
A separate touchscreen below the infotainment system controls the car’s climate. This layout keeps the dashboard tidy and minimalistic, but we found it tricky to use. Simple tasks like adjusting the temperature or fan speed proved challenging while driving; physical buttons would have made these operations easier.
The car is mated to an 8-speaker Bose sound system that delivers impressive audio quality. It produces clear, well-balanced sound with crisp vocals and solid bass, creating an immersive listening experience.
Safety: Essential Features and Driver Assistance
The MG Cyberster is yet to undergo official crash testing by global organizations or Bharat NCAP, so its real-world crash performance remains undetermined.
However, it is equipped with essential safety features including four airbags, a 360-degree camera, electronic stability control (ESC), a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and front and rear parking sensors. It also features a Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) suite with amenities such as adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation assist.
Boot Space: Enough for Weekend Getaways
The MG Cyberster offers approximately 250 liters of boot space, which remains constant whether the roof is up or down. In terms of practicality, it can accommodate a couple of cabin-sized trolleys and some
