MG Cyberster review, first drive

India Today

3 days ago

What is a sports car in 2025? For generations, the answer was simple. It was a formula of noise, vibration, mechanical feedback, and a certain analogue connection between man, machine, and road. It was about chasing the redline, the smell of burnt fuel, and the satisfaction of a perfectly executed heel-and-toe downshift. But the rulebook has been thrown out. The age of the electric vehicle is forcing us to ask that question all over again, and from the most unexpected of corners, we have an audacious, stunning, and deeply polarising answer: the MG Cyberster.advertisementLanding on our shores as a fully imported CBU, the Cyberster isn't here to play by the old rules. With its heart-stopping looks, silent electric powertrain, and a price tag of 75 lakh (ex-showroom), it isn't so much challenging the establishment as it is creating a completely new one. After a day of putting it through its paces on the BIC and some slaloms around the NCR, one thing is clear. The MG Cyberster is a phenomenal piece of technology and a bold statement of intent. But is it a true sports car?The answer, like the car itself, is complicated.MG Cyberster review: Design
The MG Cyberster comes with electronic scissor doors.
Let's begin with the aspect you simply cannot ignore: the design. This is a car that commands attention with an almost gravitational pull. In motion, it's a low-slung, dramatic dart, but it's when it stops that the real theatre begins. The electronically-operated scissor doors, rising with a silent, confident sweep, are pure automotive drama. It's loud, it's unapologetic, and it's brilliant.
The MG Cyberster is a head-turning electric roadster.
Who, after all, buys a two-seater roadster to be understated? While drawing faint echoes from the long bonnets and rear-set cabins of classic MGBs, the Cyberster is aggressively modern. This is function-driven futurism, not gentle retro. And crucially, that drama doesn't come at an impossible practical cost. We parked it in a typically tight spot at a crowded Noida mall, and the doors, which swing up more than out, proved surprisingly manageable. It's a feature you might buy for the show, but one you won't hate for the daily grind.MG Cyberster review: Interiors
The wraparound triple-screen cockpit may seem like a tech exhibition at first, but it strikes a surprisingly harmonious balance.
That blend of drama and function continues when you drop into the driver's seat. The wraparound, triple-screen cockpit initially feels like a tech showcase, but it finds a wonderful balance. It remains a focused, driver-centric space that shrinks around you, fostering a sense of engagement before you've even pressed the start button. The technology, for the most part, serves the driver rather than distracts from the core mission. This is where MG has masterfully kept the brand's DNA alive while showcasing what the future brings to the table. The cabin is snug, and with the roof up, the refinement is seriously impressive. The sturdy, well-insulated fabric top seals out the world so effectively it almost feels like a hard top, a massive boon for usability in a country with weather as varied as ours.
A driver-focused cockpit that immerses instantly, with tech enhancing rather than distracting from driving.
advertisementThat feeling of refinement extends to the open-top experience. A roadster lives and dies by its ability to deliver wind-in-the-hair thrills without beating you up. Thanks to smart aerodynamics and a well-placed wind deflector, the Cyberster is exceptional in this regard. Cruising at 100-120 km/h on the highway is a calm, conversation-friendly affair with almost no wind buffeting—a huge win.MG Cyberster review: Performance
The Cyberster can sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds.
So, the fundamentals of design and comfort are sorted. But the driving experience is a story of two distinct, conflicting personalities. Let's start with the powertrain. The numbers are staggering: a dual-motor AWD setup, 510bhp, 725Nm of torque, and a 0-100 km/h sprint in a neck-snapping 3.2 seconds. The acceleration is violent, relentless, and utterly silent. It pins you to your seat with an otherworldly force that is genuinely in supercar territory. But for all its brutal effectiveness, it feels, as is the case with many performance EVs, a little synthetic. The synthesised engine sounds piped into the cabin do their best to add some acoustic drama, but they can't replicate the rich, mechanical character of a true ICE motor. This, for the purist, will be the biggest hurdle. The performance is immense, but the soul feels digital.advertisementMG Cyberster review: Ride and Handling
MG Cyberster's kerb weight is 1850kg.
Just as you're pondering this lack of emotional feedback, however, you arrive at a corner, and the Cyberster reveals its second, more rewarding personality. The chassis is, in a word, superb. With a sophisticated double-wishbone setup at the front and a multi-link rear, the car feels incredibly direct and easy to predict. You turn the wheel, and the front end bites with an eagerness that belies its near 1850kg kerb weight. You can place it with confidence, feeling exactly what the chassis is doing. This is the car's redeeming dynamic grace. The price for this sharp handling, however, is a ride that is undeniably stiff. On the broken tarmac that litters our urban landscape, it can get tiresome. It's a trade-off a dedicated sports car buyer might willingly accept, but a compromise nonetheless.advertisementMG Cyberster review: RangeFor an EV, that compromise is usually range. Yet here, the Cyberster is surprisingly practical. The 77kWh battery pack delivers a very usable real-world range. Even with a mix of spirited driving on highways and hills, you can realistically expect around 350 km. That's enough to do a weekend run to the hills without meticulous planning, a crucial proof point for its viability as a getaway car.
The Cyberster comes with 77kWh battery and can realistically give 350km range on a single, even with spirited driving.
This brings us to its place in the market. At 75 lakh, the Cyberster bravely carves out a new niche. It significantly undercuts the BMW Z4, but its customers are not likely to be overlapping. The person buying a Cyberster is not the traditionalist looking for a petrol-powered roadster. This is a car for the wealthy, tech-savvy early adopter who wants a halo product. It's for the person who sees their car as a piece of technology as much as a mode of transport.And that is the key. The MG Cyberster is a better piece of technology than it is a pure-bred sports car. It lacks the organic, slightly flawed character that makes us fall in love with traditional sports cars. Its legacy in India won't be as a soulful MGB successor. It will be remembered as a bold, beautiful, and surprisingly usable conversation-starter that brought the dramatic electric halo car to our shores. It's a glimpse of the future that proves the next generation of sports cars will be breathtakingly fast and unapologetically different.MG Cyberster review: Verdict
The Cyberster is a bold, digital statement for tech-savvy buyers who prefer innovation over old-school charm.
The MG Cyberster is a triumph of futuristic design and engineering, but it isn't a direct replacement for the soulful, petrol-powered sports car. Its jaw-dropping looks and theatrical yet practical scissor doors guarantee an audience everywhere you go. On the road, this is a car of dualities. The chassis is brilliant—direct, predictable, and confidence-inspiring—while the open-top refinement is superb, making it a surprisingly usable roadster. However, the performance, while immensely powerful, feels synthetic and lacks the visceral character of an internal combustion engine. The punishingly stiff ride is also a significant compromise on Indian roads. For 75 lakh, the Cyberster isn't for the BMW Z4 purist. It's a bold, new-age statement for the tech-savvy early adopter who values digital drama over analogue soul. It's not the sports car we remember; it's a stunning preview of the one we are about to meet.Subscribe to Auto Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch