The first new MG to appear on these shores in quite a long time comes, as to be expected, by way of China. But that doesn’t mean it is a Chinese car, says Damien O’Carroll.
How does that work, then? Well, according to Kerry Cheyne, operations manager for MG’s local distributors, British Motor Distributors, it has a lot to do with the fact that MG Motor has its head office in the UK, along with its R and D centre, and also assembles its UK product there.
The fact that it is owned by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and our cars are sourced from a Chinese factory doesn’t mean it’s a Chinese car. After all, we still consider Holden to be Australian, despite the fact that it is owned by an American company and produces the vast majority of its cars in Korea!
When it goes on sale in October, the MG6 will be available in two body styles, sedan (known as the Magnette in MG-speak) and hatch (called the GT), three levels of trim – S, SE and TSE – and absolutely no choice of engine or transmission. The 118kW/215Nm 1.8-litre 4-cylinder petrol hooked up to a 5-speed manual is all you get for now. A diesel engine and dual clutch transmission will become available shortly, as will an all-new SAIC/General Motors-developed range of petrol engines in coming years.
Spec levels are very high, with the entry S model coming with 17-inch alloys, a sunroof and a CD/MP3/AUX/USB stereo as standard, while the SE adds rear parking sensors, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, a mid-spec stereo that adds a coluor screen and a leather steering wheel with multifunction controls.
The top-spec TSE also gets a reversing camera, leather seats (electric and heated in the front), dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, a chilled centre console, and a high-spec stereo that adds Bluetooth phone connectivity.
The result is a genuinely likeable car, albeit one that does come across as slightly dated in some regards. It was, after all, designed back before SAIC got its hands on MG, but as a smaller entrant in the mid-size segment (it’s more Suzuki Kizashi-sized rather than Ford Mondeo-sized), the MG6 is a decent little contender.
Although prices haven’t officially been announced yet, Cheyne assures us that the S will start at “under $30,000”, while the top-spec TSE will clock in at no more than $35,000. Which makes the MG6 rather good value for money.
Despite the engine being an update of the venerable (old) K series engine that first appeared back in 1988, it is smooth, and provides enough power to pull the MG6 along at a decent rate. According to the big badge on the back there is a turbo in there somewhere, but you really don’t feel the forced induction.
Still, it makes for decent enough progress, and it has a nice linear power delivery, although the shift quality of the 5-speed manual is awful. Roll on the dual clutch transmission.
Handling is rather surprisingly good , with a nice ride complimented by a willingness to be thrown into a corner with vigour.
Not so good things? Some of the plastics (particularly on the bottom half of the dash and the centre console) are pretty nasty, the key rattles violently in its slot in the dash under hard acceleration, and there is an odd plasticky smell that Chinese-produced cars seem to possess.
In all though, the MG6 is not a bad start for the resurgence of the brand here. You could certainly do a lot worse if you are after a smaller mid-sized car, particularly given that it will come at a small car price.