2025 MG TRQ L 4×2 Comfort AT: Start of something new
A new endeavor is often a mix of excitement and trepidation.
I remember my very first race in 2018 – fresh out of racing school, all I had was my bone-stock, 1300cc Toyota Vios and the determination to do my best. And as I drove up to the starting line, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me.
They were likely asking the same question as I was: “Will I do well or will I fail?” And when I heard the word “Go,” things were never quite the same.
MG Philippines finds itself in a similar predicament with the launch of its TRQ L this year. Given that the Chinese carmaker has built a formidable reputation locally for supreme value for money, how will it fare in the wild world of pick-up trucks?
Plain looks
Our 2025 MG TRQ L 4×2 Comfort AT (the top-spec model, as of press time) test unit certainly looks the part.
Its variant-exclusive Scarlet Red paintjob instantly grabs your attention, along with serving as a great contrast to the black elements like the front grill, fender flares, door handles, side mirrors, roof rails, 16-inch alloy wheels and steel sports bar on the bed. An upward kink on the rear windows is the only major stylistic flourish.
Out back, you get simple, halogen taillights on the bed, which measures 1,485 millimeters long, 1,510 millimeters wide and 530 millimeters deep. Besides having a considerable 1,055-kilogram cargo capacity, the TRQ L’s bed likewise comes standard with a plastic bedliner and loops so that you can tie loose items down.
Overall, this big MG is a triumph of function over form – although that’s not necessarily bad for a pick-up, I would have liked more of the style that we’ve come to expect from Chinese carmakers like MG (it makes the Cyberster, remember). And things like LED headlights, taillights and bed lights would have really set it apart from its rivals.
Hardy interior
Inside, the TRQ L is much the same story.
You have a spacious five-seat cabin lined in black leather with red contrast stitching. Goodies like the electrically adjustable driver’s seat, powerful climate-control system and analog gauges are welcome, but the non-LED interior lights and acres of hard plastic on the dashboard and door cards are not.
And while we’re here, I must mention the lack of basic interior features like grab handles and vanity mirrors – this was immediately made clear to me when my 72-year-old mother struggled to clamber inside this leviathan, only to be disappointed to discover that she had to put on her make-up with “The Force.” In addition, the steering wheel lacks adjustment for taller drivers.
Once again, I found all this quite strange, given that Chinese cars are supposed to represent the cutting edge in automotive design and technology. But a bright spot in all this is the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which was clear and offered a good view of the reversing camera.
Frugal turbodiesel
Under the TRQ L’s tall hood is a unicorn among MGs – a 2.0-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 turbodiesel producing 159 horsepower and 400 Newton-meters of torque.
For starters, the engine is gutsy as hell and achieves good fuel-consumption figures – we got 10 to 13 kilometers per liter in the city and 17 to 20 kilometers per liter on the expressway. This is in spite of this big MG’s indecisive 8-speed automatic gearbox, which takes ages to kick down at low speeds and has the strange tendency of holding a lower gear at higher speeds.
The transmission’s penchant for keeping the engine buzzing likewise exposes the rather coarse feeling of the MG turbodiesel from 2,000 rpm onwards. And then there’s the choppy ride, which is a result of the firm suspension and the 245/70-series all-terrain tires (an unusual choice, given that this TRQ L does not have four-wheel drive).
On the upside, the steering is reasonably light (albeit lazy), while the powerful, four-wheel disc brakes are controlled by a rather spongy pedal. Safety gear includes dual front airbags, ISOFIX child-restraint anchors and anti-lock brakes, but the excellent MG Pilot active-safety suite would have been very welcome in such a heavy machine.
Almost there
It must have been luck that helped me win my first race seven years ago – the inquisitive looks turned into cheers, thus kicking off a reasonably successful racing career.
At P1,338,888 (with an introductory price of P1,318,888), the 2025 MG TRQ L 4×2 Comfort AT has the makings of a champion because it significantly undercuts similarly equipped Japanese rivals like the Mitsubishi Triton and the archaic Toyota Hilux. However, its attractive price doesn’t immediately equate to good value for money.
First, the big MG lacks the refinement and sophistication that buyers now expect from a 4×2 automatic pick-up truck, which have replaced large sedans as the ultimate daily driver. And second, the Ford Ranger XLS 4×2 AT costs P1,379,000 – it may not have electrically operated leather seats, but many may be swayed by its more mature design and powertrain.
But we all must start somewhere. And given that MG Philippines has made mincemeat out of traditional automakers with the likes of the excellent ZS subcompact crossover, I expect that it will become a major player in the local pick-up segment in due course.
