MPVs in India are mostly relegated to the lower half of the price spectrum, which means the luxury MPV segment is quite sparsely populated. The two most prominent luxury MPVs currently on sale are the Kia Carnival and Toyota Vellfire, and MG now wants a piece of the pie with the upcoming M9, known internationally as the MIFA 9. We pit all three luxury MPVs against each other on paper to see how MG's newcomer MPV fares against its established rivals.

MG M9 vs Carnival vs Vellfire: dimensions

The M9 easily outsizes the Carnival and Vellfire on most fronts, especially compared to the latter. MG's luxury MPV is 190mm longer, 150mm wider, and has a 200mm longer wheelbase than the Vellfire. The Kia Carnival comfortably takes second place here with a 145mm advantage over the Vellfire in terms of length and width, as well as a 90mm longer wheelbase. 

However, the Toyota MPV does claw back an advantage in the height department, measuring 110mm and 175mm over the M9 and Carnival respectively. The Vellfire and M9 also come equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels as standard, whereas the Carnival sports smaller 18-inchers.

MG M9 vs Carnival vs Vellfire: powertrains

The powertrains of these MPVs aren't directly comparable as they're all of completely different fuel types, but the M9 emerges in the lead when power output is in question. The Carnival follows the M9 with a 55hp deficit, and the Vellfire comes in third at over 100hp less than the MG MPV. Coming to torque figures, though, the Carnival's diesel engine outperforms the M9 and Vellfire by 91Nm and 201Nm respectively.

But then arises the topic of ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency, where the Vellfire's more sedate engine tuning and hybrid setup allow it to eke out a 4.43kmpl advantage over the Carnival, and the Toyota MPV is also the only one here to offer all-wheel drive. As a full-blown EV, fuel efficiency figures don't apply to the M9, but MG does claim that it'll do up to 430km on a single charge as tested on the stringent WLTP cycle.

MG M9 vs Carnival vs Vellfire: features

Being luxury MPVs, all three contenders come equipped with a host of goodies. The M9's full feature list has yet to be revealed, but so far, MG has confirmed that it'll offer powered front and rear seats with heating, ventilation, and massage functions, a Level 2 ADAS suite, two sunroofs (single-pane in the front, dual-pane in the rear), fold-out ottoman seats, powered rear-sliding doors, and rear entertainment screens.

The Carnival and Vellfire have smaller sunroofs compared to the M9, but they do get powered front and rear seats (no massage feature in Carnival), ADAS functionality, ambient lighting, tri-zone climate control, air purifiers, ottoman seats, rear entertainment screens, powered rear-sliding doors, and more. All three MPVs can be had as 7-seaters, but the M9 also offers an 8-seater layout in overseas markets. It remains to be seen whether MG brings both seating layouts or just one to India.

MG M9 vs Carnival vs Vellfire: price

The Toyota Vellfire is by far and away the most expensive luxury MPV in this comparison, with its starting price nearly doubling that of the Carnival. The prices of the M9, meanwhile, have yet to be revealed, but estimates indicate that the MG MPV will be in the Carnival's ballpark. Pre-bookings for the M9 are currently open, with the official launch set for March 2025 and deliveries to commence in April.

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