MG has opened UK order books for the new S9 PHEV, its largest UK-market model to date.

The seven-seat SUV will be priced from £34,205 and offer 62 miles of electric-only range, placing it in the 9% benefit-in-kind tax band for company car users.

That means it undercuts its nearest rival, the Chery Tiggo 9 (£43,105), and is significantly cheaper than premium alternatives such as the Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90. 

It's powered by the same plug-in-hybrid system as in the smaller MG HS, comprising a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine, an electric motor and a 24.7kWh battery.

In the HS PHEV, the battery can be charged at only 7kW, as it doesn't support DC charging.

The S9's boot space is rated at 332 litres with all seven seats in the upright position or more than 1000 litres with the two rear rows folded flat. 

MG has yet to show the S9's interior, but in Australia, where the model is sold as the QS, it bears a strong resemblance to the HS, with two large displays for the instruments and infotainment. Unlike that car, however, it has a row of physical switches for important functions such as climate controls and infotainment touchscreen shortcuts.

Full technical details of the S9 will be revealed in the coming weeks, when the first examples arrive in UK showrooms.