As one of the more established Chinese brands, MG has a more comprehensive line-up than many of its rivals. MGS9 is the company’s first seven-seat, D-segment SUV, launched recently, hot on the heels of the updated MG4 and new MG4 EV Urban in February. S9 also becomes the second plug-in hybrid in the current MG range, joining the HS Plug-in Hybrid, with which it shares its drivetrain.

S9 measures 4.98m in length. MG has chosen to keep the height of the vehicle down – at under 1.8m tall, it looks more like a tall estate car than a large SUV. Inside, it offers 864mm of legroom in the third row, enough for adults. Getting there involves a degree of athleticism. Headroom back there is 924mm, measured from the seat base to the roof, some 60mm less than the second-row seats. When the third-row seats are not needed, they fold down flush with the boot floor, as do the second-row seats. With all seats in use, there’s 332 litres of boot space, opening up to 1,026 litres with the third-row seats folded and a spacious 2,093 litres with second row seats also down. This gives it a great deal of versatility for fleet users – large enough for carrying samples and equipment while also offering flexible family transport.

With a starting price of £34,210 for Comfort trim, there are few seven-seat rivals in the same price bracket. Opt for Premium trim, the only other option and the starting price moves up to £36,945. For a business lease covering 10,000 miles a year, expect monthly payments to start in the £250-£270 range. MG has set its list prices based on prices of rival C-segment hybrids as opposed to other plug-in hybrids.

Both models get electrically adjustable and heated front seats, tri-zone climate control, panoramic roof, a 12.3-inch central touchscreen and 12.3-inch driver’s display, wireless Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and a powered tailgate among other items. Premium trim brings additional equipment including front fog lights, Bose 12-speaker audio, electric lumbar support for the driver’s seat, ventilation and a massage function for the front seats. Third row occupants are not forgotten with air vents for the rear seats, USB ports and cupholders. A five-star EuroNCAP rating will also be attractive to fleet buyers.

Looking at rivals, the Chery Tiggo 8 is very close to the MG on price and specification. On paper, the S9 has slightly greater electric range at a maximum of 62 miles and at 18g/km CO2 emissions, slightly lower CO2 output, giving both cars a 10% Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rating this year. Models such as the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Peugeot 5008 will all add at least £10,000 to the asking price, while some of the competitively priced seven-seat rivals are models such as the Toyota Proace City Verso electric, based on the compact Stellantis van. These will have attractions for some fleet buyers, offering generous cargo space with the seats folded but won’t be the answer for everyone.

As we have indicated, the PHEV powertrain is shared with the HS Plug-in Hybrid, which mates a 141hp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a 231hp electric motor and 24.7kWh battery pack. The range is enough to handle most commuting and local running with backup from the petrol engine for longer runs. Add a 65-litre fuel tank and the S9 can go a long way before needing to take on more energy. WLTP figures suggest fuel consumption of around 350mpg if you plug it in. A car designed to carry seven people is focused on comfort and safety, with performance a secondary consideration and the 9S delivers well. You will find better refinement from models like the Peugeot 5008 or Kia Sorento, but as we’ve said, you would have to spend much more for either.

The 9S has a few neat touches such as the MG Pilot Custom which can set and save your individual driver assistance preferences. At start up, just swipe the central screen down, press the MG Pilot Custom button down, press again to confirm and it will remember the settings you have entered. While you do need to set it each time you start the car, you won’t have to scroll through different menus to find the different things you prefer to do without. You won’t need to delve through screen menus to adjust the heating and ventilation either. There is a row of physical shortcut buttons over the central screen to control these functions. Director of product and planning at MG Motor UK David Allison told FW - “I expect 85% to 90% of customers to opt for Premium trim based on customer choices for other MG models.”

With a comprehensive range of models, MG will now be focusing on the fleet and leasing sectors, in the coming year, with the fleet team expanded to drive business forward.

“The product developments that we made last year will give us that opportunity,” says Allison. “So much corporate business is done in that EV and Corporate hybrid channel, compare what we were selling even 12 months ago to where we are today, we have five more electric cars and a PHEV, which simply didn’t exist last year.”