Aditya Roy Kapur Seen In MG M9 Electric Luxury MPV Even Before Official Launch: What's Going On

MG Motor India is expected to launch the much-awaited electric luxury MPV- M9 in June this year. With weeks left for its official market entry, the MG M9 has now been spotted in Mumbai, chauffeuring famous Indian actor Aditya Roy Kapur (ARK)! Videos of him leaving the T-Series headquarters (HQ) in Mumbai and getting into the M9 are now doing rounds on the internet.

In the video, we see the actor walking out of the T-series office. He then poses briefly for the paparazzi who have been waiting for him. They click his pictures and record him. Aditya then gets into the M9 that's seen waiting. Once he's seated, Aditya asks the driver to start going. Then he realises that the door is still open. The M9's rear features sliding doors which are operated with the press of a few buttons. The actor is seen searching for the controls to close the door. Once the door is shut, the vehicle drives away in style.

Most videos say that Aditya has bought the M9. This, however, might not be the case! The M9 shown in the video has Red registration plates- TC (trade certificate) plates. In India, Trade Certificate plates are permitted to be used on vehicles that are in transit, testing or promotional activities. These are not meant for general public use.

Looking closer, we find the vehicle registration number to be GJ 17 C 0026 TC/28. JSW MG Motor India has a manufacturing facility in Halol, Gujarat. Most of its test cars wear GJ plates. The ones in its marketing and media fleet also come with GJ TC plates. This M9 electric MPV most likely belongs to MG's marketing fleet!

Several speculatory narratives can be drawn around spotting the actor with the MPV. He could be having a detailed test drive of the vehicle to see how well it suits his luxury lifestyle. Brands often let celebrities and High-Networth Individuals (HNIs) have detailed, long-term test drives of their products. This case seems the most likely and ARK could have been doing his regular work commute when the video was recorded.

Another case is that of a possible brand partnership. Brands often rope in popular celebrities as their official brand faces and do specific campaigns with them. At the time of writing this article, MG hasn't revealed anything about a partnership with Aditya Roy Kapur. We can't, however, rule the possibility out, as the Kapurs are quite big in Bollywood, and their lifestyle is often noted by many. An endorsement from them could be of help in placing the M9 properly among celebs.

MG intends to eat into the Toyota Vellfire's customer base with the M9. Many actors, celebrities and businessmen have already added the Vellfire to their multi-crore garages. The M9 claims to offer a lot of features and technology inside. The luxury levels are expected to be on par with the Vellfire, if not better.

The vehicle will come with ventilation, heating and massage functions on both the front and rear seats. These will be powered as well. Two sunroofs (single pane unit at the front and a dual-pane unit at the rear), Level 2 ADAS suite, fold-out ottoman seats, powered rear-sliding doors and rear entertainment screens are also to be expected.

The real deal is in the dimensions. The M9 is significantly larger than the Vellfire ! It is 190mm longer and 150mm wider than the Toyota, and comes with a wheelbase that's 200mm longer than the Vellfire's. Even when it isn't as tall as the Vellfire, the M9 has the higher ground clearance between the two!

The M9 could make for a better, greener alternative to the Vellfire with its single-motor electric powertrain powered by the 90 kWh battery pack, with a claimed range of 430 km per charge.