MG, the Chinese car maker that's adopted decades of British heritage, has launched its latest electric car - and it's an ambition step into the luxury market.
The new S6 EV marks MG's eighth electric vehicle and sits at the top of MG's core range of battery-powered models.
The SUV bridges the gap between the S5 EV - which launched this spring - and the IM6 'technology showcase' SUV debuted in September.
MG says the S6 EV is a 'spacious, refined and generously equipped medium-size SUV' that 'takes MG into new market segments and will continue the brand’s goal to offer customers the latest technologies'.
The manufacturer's bold move into the premium sector will help differentiate it from emerging rivals flooding the market from its home nation.
With the arrival of more competition in the affordable EV space - think BYD, Leapmotor, Chery and Geely - MG has its work cut out to remain Britain's favourite Chinese brand.
Will the MGS6 EV help it achieve this or will it be yet another samey affordable model that becomes forgettable among a mass of Chinese options? Motoring reporter Freda Lewis-Stempel test drove the new upmarket family car to find out...
The big family MG SUV - does it give you as much practicality as you'd expect?
MG told me that the S6 is a 'very big C-Segment SUV' and that 'all MGs border the top end of traditional sizing'. That means it should be more practical than its direct rivals.
It measures in at 4.7 metres long, 1.9 metres wide and almost 1.7 metres high.
Comparatively it's bigger than the Chinese BYD Sealion 7 and the Skoda Enyaq IV - the most direct European rival to the Chinese S6 EV.
The boot capacity is 674 litres, which maximises to 1,910 litres with the rear seats folde.
There too is a 124-litre 'frunk' [front trunk] if you opt for the standard rear-wheel-drive (RWD) variant, though this shrinks to 102 litres if you choose an all-wheel-drive (AWD) option.
This is significantly more than the 585 litres the Enyaq offers, which also has no frunk.
The BYD Sealion 7 does have a storage compartment under its bonnet, but only 58 litres, and a 520-litre boot with a handy second layer of storage.
So in this category the S6 EV reigns supreme - and families will be happy that MG keeps delivering the practiality they expect.
Driving - how does the S6 EV perform on the roads?
On the road, the new S6 EV is better than any other MG SUV I've driven.
There are two RWD S6s and an AWD - all have a 77kWh battery.
The RWDs deliver 240bhp and 0-to-62mph in 7.3 seconds, while the Dual Motor packs 356bhp and a 0-to-62 time of 5.1 seconds. Max speed is 124mph across the board.
The S6 EV is built on MG's bespoke Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) - the third MG model to use it - which promises better range and driving dynamics thanks to its lightweight chassis, and more interior space because the MSP is ultra-thin.
I drove the AWD and 357bhp is plenty of power for overtakes, quick joining of motorways and to enjoy the straight sections of B-roads.
Braking response was very sharp at low speeds, but that worked itself out once I got going, and the regenerative braking is easy to adapt.
The steering was far more in tune than some MG SUVs - it felt weighted and nicely composed.
I preferred driving the S6 EV on country roads more than motorways.
This is because the steering and balance is something that can be enjoyed but also because there's a serious lack of sound cancellation, meaning plenty of road noise during monotonous long motorway treks.
That's a real disappointment for a car that's targeted a premium customer.
Driving position is excellent, though.
I could adjust the seat lower than I expected and yet still had great visibility over the road - and you can easily find the right chair positioning no matter your height.
For the most part, new MG SUVs are driving better than before, and the S6 EV continues this upwards trend.
Interior and tech - how premium is it?
MG is definitely getting better at making interiors that feel decidedly more premium than budget - a good thing considering this is where other Chinese manufacturers are flying.
So for this reason you'd feel short changed if you're buying an MG with the interior-level of say the old HS or even MG5 EV, when other Chinese manufacturers can provide tech and interior quality to rival German brands for MG prices.
Luckily this isn't the case: The MG S6 EV comes with two interior options, both of which are well-designed and quite stylish - the 'Natural' beige and 'Carbon' grey colourways are both made from leather and suede style materials.
The cabin has very minimal cheap feeling materials, with the suede/leather-style material covering the seats and part of the doors, and soft touch materials throughout. The centre console cascades down and cocoons you in, and all the controls and handles are finished in silver.
The quilted seats are multi-way adjustable and very comfortable.
On the Trophy variants the front seats are ventilated and the rear outer seats are heated along with the front seats - heaven in winter.
The full length panoramic sunroof makes the interior feel larger and lighter, and in particular enhances the beige interior which is my personal choice.
We'd place it on a similar level to Omoda interiors.
Along with the 12.8-inch touchscreen (which comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), there's a 10.25-inch driver display and a ventilated wireless phone charger.
The screen is simple to navigate, with easy widgets and shortcuts, but MG keeps up its applaudable inclusion of physical dials for AC, media volume, etc, which is always handy.
There's head-up display on Trophy trims too - a new feature which the S6 EV is the first to get.
Overall the S6 EV cabin is a classy one for an MG.
Range and charging - how far can you go on a single charge?
While both RWD and AWD have a 77kWh battery, the RWD (Long Range and Trophy) can maximise 329 miles out of it (on paper) while the AWD Dual Motor can get 301 miles out of it.
Both cars have a top charging speed of 144kW so a rapid charge from 10 to 80 per cent takes 38 minutes.
In this day and age of EVs this could be faster I feel. It would be good to see some of MG's IM 'technology showcase' coming into play here - the IM models can charge at 350kW speeds. Might as well share that tech with the rest of MG's EVs after all.
For comparison the Skoda Enyaq can do between 268 and 365 miles on a single charge, depending on the version you go for. Some versions can charge up to 175kW too.
And the BYD Sealion 7 has a top range of 311 miles and a maximum charging speed of 150kW.
Price - is as affordable as you'd expect from an MG?
The S6 EV starts at £37,995 for the SE Long Range, and goes up two grade walks of £3,000: The Trophy Long Range costs £40,995 and the Trophy Dual Motor is £43,995.
At the time MG said they were disappointed to not manage to get the middle and highest trim under the £40,000 Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) threshold.
However, in good news for MG and EV buyers, the Chancellor raised that threshold to £50,000 only a week later in the Autumn Budget - so S6 EV's will no longer be stung by the ECS.
It is perhaps more than MG drivers would expect to be spending but the BYD Sealion 7 starts at £44,990 for Comfort RWD models, £49,290 for Design AWD and £57,290 for Excellence AWD, so that's more than the MG still.
MGS6 EV: The Cars and Motoring Verdict
I'd say the S6 will stand out more than the S5 - but maybe ask me again in a year.
Because I realised in the process of this review that I've sort of forgotten what was unique about the S5. Not that it was bad, in fact it was the opposite - it was a good, affordable family SUV.
But in the mass of similar SUVs out at the moment, and particularly the quick succession of MGs launching, it is progressively harder for anything to stand out, let alone two very similar electric SUVs from the same brand that launch months apart.
And I fear that, as well-packaged, impressively practical, driveable, and premium-feeling as the S6 EV is, it might end up being that it fades away into an SUV folder in my brain that's a bit mirky...
That's not to say that, if you're researching mid-market SUVs and buying with a practical mindset rather than from a passionate stance, the MG shouldn't be in the mix. It should be.
And I'm sure many drivers will click through to purchase and in doing so will be making a sound, financially solid car buying decision.
Just not necessarily one that will make them look back and think that was the car of a lifetime...
