A few months back, SAIC Motor Philippines received regulatory approval to bring in a new diesel-powered pickup truck to possibly add to the local MG lineup.

Now, the Land Transportation Office has given MG basically the green light to introduce the model to the Philippine market. The government agency has released the homologation documents for the new MG TRQ pickup truck, more commonly known as the T90 Extender in other parts of the world.

Based on the LTO file, the TRQ measures 5365mm long, 1960mm wide, 1857mm tall, a wheelbase of 3155mm, and ground clearance of 255mm. This puts the TRQ right into the midsize pickup segment where the Hilux, D-Max, Triton, Navara, and PRC-made pickups like the GWM Cannon and Foton Thunder are competing in.

Furthermore, the TRQ is powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbodiesel that’s likely to be shared with the D90 SUV previewed in MIAS this year. In the Thai market, it puts out 161 PS and 375 Nm of torque, but the D90 SUV featured a higher output version with 215 PS and 400 Nm of torque.

A 4x4 version is not exactly out of the picture, but for now, the TRQ is homologated for two 4x2 variants, which come with manual and automatic transmission options.

With pickup prices facing a major hike because of the new excise tax law, this could be an opportunity for MG to carve its own place in the pickup market, offering an alternative against established competitors – one that could possibly come with better value for money.