TRIED AND TESTED
MGS6 EV
The eighth pure electric model from MG has arrived, signifying an important part of of the company’s portfolio. By John Challen
TRIED AND TESTED
MGS6 EV
The eighth pure electric model from MG has arrived, signifying an important part of of the company’s portfolio. By John Challen
There’s no doubt that MG has been on a major product offensive over the last couple of years – understandable, given the increased competition in the market and expectations from drivers. Two of those new vehicles to note are the MGS5 EV and the IM5 – the MGS6 EV aims to bridge the gap between the two of them.
As such, the car sits on the top of MG’s ‘core’ EV range – the IM products fall under ‘technology showcase’, with the Cyberster sitting at the top under ‘aspirational’. Inside the MG6S, it’s fairly similar to the MGS5, with some upgrades, including the inclusion of a head-up display for the first time in an MG. That means there are physical dials as well as the now-familiar voice control and the majority of functions that can be accessed by touchscreen. Speaking of which, the main central display is a 12.8-inch affair, which sits alongside a 10.25-inch driver display.
The material use inside the MGS6, like the S5, is fairly high standard, with two interior choices being offered – essentially grey or beige – and silver touches around the cabin, limiting the amount of black plastic on show. It’s a spacious vehicle, the car’s 2,835mm wheelbase (length is 4,708mm and width 1,912mm) allowing for rear passengers to have plenty of legroom. Elsewhere inside, the boot holds 674 litres with the second row of seats up, but fold them flat and you’ve got 1,910 litres to play with.
There are four key pillars around which the MGS6 is built – not physical ones, obviously – ambience, drive control, safety and advanced. For ambience, there a concerted effort to make the interior a step up from other MG core models, while drive control highlights MG’s Modular Scaleable Platform, the MGS6 being the third car to sit on it and offering rear- and all-wheel-drive options (in Trophy spec). Moving onto safety, there are seven airbags as standard and 81% of the body is formed from high-strength steel. MG was keen to highlight the braking capabilities of the car – with S6s able to come to a standstill from 62mph in 36m.
Staying with the safety element, there’s a comprehensive list of driver assistance features with 15 technologies coming as standard across the board. Finally, advanced covers the introduction of a head-up display, the dual screen setup – which offers three themes and customisable menus – and the ability to link online apps – such as YouTube, Spotify and TikTok – from mobile devices to the vehicle.
As mentioned, there are two powertrain choices, with the rear-wheel drive (in SE and Trophy grades) offering 244hp and 350Nm from the 180kW motor. Add in the front-axle 119kW to the top-spec Trophy and there’s 361hp and 540Nm. Both models have the same 77kWh battery pack and are capable of the same top speed (124mph). There are five drive modes and four steps of brake regeneration, including a one-pedal setting.
Which model is right for you?
There’s a familiar look to the MGS6 EV lineup, starting with the SE model, before moving up to Trophy, which comes in single- and twin-motor forms. The SE (priced from £37,995) comes with MG Pilot, 19-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel, wireless smartphone connectivity, eight speakers, a reversing camera and much more.
Move up to the single-motor Trophy – a price walk of £3,000 – and ventilation is added to the front seats and heating to the rear ones. Elsewhere, there are the likes of larger (20-inch) wheels, a head-up display, 11 speakers, an electric tailgate, panoramic roof, a 360° camera and electric seats.
For an additional £3,000 (to £43,995) and the twin-motor version of the MGS6 EV and there’s the same spec, but with more power (361hp combined and 540Nm), giving a zero to 62mph time of just 5.1 seconds.
EXPERIENCE
MGS6 EV
VERDICT
The MGS6 EV is the latest in an impressive and efficient line of electric models from the brand, which has already reached 100,000 EV sales in the UK – the fifth automotive manufacturer to do so. MG said that it has recently put a lot of effort into the private market, but this car is aimed squarely at winning more business drivers. The high spec levels, decent driving range and sensible pricing should be enough to persuade people to look at the MG, but the driving experience will not let them down, either. While it’s not a pure driver’s car – and doesn’t have the outlandish pace of the performance IM sister models – it does everything very well. And, in this day and age, that is all most people want from a car.
