Cologne. For a few months, the MGS6, which was introduced in the spring, felt like the new flagship of the MG brand. But in the summer, the IM6 was a high-flyer that was even more focused on comfort and performance. It is now clear: the Chinese car giant SAIC is increasingly setting its sights on the premium market with its once British brand MG.
However, it doesn't have to be an IM6 and 800 volt technology. If you want to travel on electric power, the MGS6 is a finely honed glider that offers a lot of comfort for the money.
MG looks back on a British past, which the Chinese parent company likes to refer to with design quotes in younger models. With the MGS6, however, these are only rudimentary. Nobody would be surprised if the stately electric car was actually a new Xpeng or Nio.
The rear section, however, with its continuous strip of lights is reminiscent of a Mercedes SUV. It all looks nice, but seems a little arbitrary. In any case, the 4.71 meter long and quite classy MGS6 doesn't leave a lasting impression in your memory.
Black and dark gray tones dominate the interior, with metallic and shiny black surfaces providing accents. The seat center panels in suede look have diamond quilting, which can also be found in the door panels.
As an alternative to the black and gray interior, a friendlier-looking interior in light beige is available for 450 euros. The workmanship is surprisingly good. Materials, surfaces and transitions are flattering to the eyes and sense of touch.
The cockpit features two large displays and a head-up display that projects driving information directly into the windshield. The central touchscreen measures a generous 12.8 inches. A free-floating center console extends underneath with controls for the air conditioning, an inductive charging cradle with cooling, cup holders and a rotary control for selecting the driving mode. One floor below there are several USB ports and plenty of space for small items.
Speaking of space: the MGS6 offers plenty of it. The passengers can spread out generously at the front and back. In the rear you sit comfortably relaxed and enjoy plenty of leg and headroom. Added to this is the flat vehicle floor. With 674 to 1,910 liters of plenty of storage space, the trunk is surprisingly large. Together with the 124 liter Frunk under the front hood, this results in a loading volume potential of more than two cubic meters.
Although numerous functions are hidden in the menu world of the touchscreen, you can find your way around surprisingly quickly. What was particularly important to us was the integration of our own smartphone via Android Auto. This works easily.
Activating the adaptive cruise control using the steering wheel buttons required a little more trial and error. The operating logic is not immediately obvious, especially since reading the button symbols requires an eagle eye. But even without studying the operating instructions, we soon got the hang of it.
The large electric vehicle glides along pleasantly quietly, offers superior pulling power with its 180 kW/244 hp, while the chassis calmly irons out the inconveniences of everyday asphalt life. The conventional chassis doesn't quite reach the level of a good air suspension, but it's not far from it either.
And if you need to get around the corner a little faster, the rear-wheel drive MG, which is comparatively light for a large electric SUV at around 1.9 tons, does justice to its sporty brand heritage. We didn't miss the two-motor all-wheel drive with 266 kW/361 hp system output, which is available for an additional charge of 4,000 euros.
On the freeway, we kept the speedometer display above the 200 km/h mark for a few minutes. However, wind noise increases significantly while the electricity supply dwindles rapidly. In any case, rapid gliding without haste suits the MG better.
There is only one variant of the battery with 77 kWh capacity. On our motorway sections, which were mostly completed at 130 km/h, the MGS6 was content with an average of 18.5 kWh per 100 kilometers in summer temperatures and with the air conditioning switched on. Accordingly, you should be able to cover a good 400 kilometers with a full battery. Even more in city traffic.
You shouldn't expect charging miracles from 400-volt technology. MG promises a maximum of 144 kW. At a 300 kW fast charging station, we were able to access 141 kW for a few minutes with 20 percent remaining capacity. However, the MG did not maintain the high charging level for long. As the charge level increases, the charging performance drops significantly.
After 23 minutes, 38.5 kWh had been recharged and the battery was 70 percent full again. The charging station had an average charging capacity of around 98 kW. This would mean a charging break of around 20 to 25 minutes every 200 kilometers. Here the MG flagship cannot compete with most premium competitors.
On long journeys, the on-board navigation system can suggest route planning with charging stops and precondition the battery for quick charging before the charging stops. If you buy your electricity cheaply, you can expect energy costs of six to eight euros per 100 kilometers. Compared to a comparable diesel SUV, this represents a significant reduction in the burden on the fuel tank.
A downside to the relaxed travel companion is its somewhat intrusive driver monitoring. This phenomenon had recently accompanied us when testing the MG4 Urban. Anyone who lets their eyes wander even briefly will be promptly warned to concentrate on what's happening on the road again. And anyone who yawns is asked to take a break. The latter is particularly annoying. After our experience with the MG4, we got into the habit of holding our hand in front of our mouth when yawning. This usually saves you the annoying “please take a break” beeps.
MG makes it easy for its customers to choose the right MGS6. There is only one trim level called Luxury. You can only choose between rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, different exterior colors and the black or beige interior. This means that the base price of around 50,000 euros can also be the final price.
In addition to the amenities already mentioned, standard features include 20-inch light-alloy wheels, a large panoramic glass roof, heated and ventilated seats, and a navigation system. The vehicle-to-load function, with which external electrical devices can be supplied with up to 3.3 kW from the driving battery, is also on board.
Of course, 50,000 euros is no small feat. But the MGS6 pampers you with plenty of space, extensive equipment and a level of comfort that you would otherwise expect in higher price ranges. For comparison: The slightly longer Audi Q6 e-tron offers slightly more power and battery capacity in its basic version, but costs at least 64,450 euros.
