Experiencing MG’s flagship in a historic setting

MG Motors, the iconic British brand currently owned by SAIC of China, will be one of the latest entrants into the Indian market when it launches a compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) some time next year. The Indian subsidiary of the Chinese parent has acquired the plant and manufacturing facilities of GM India at Halol, Gujarat, and will be assembling its cars there. The SUV it is planning to launch first is said to be one that is being specifically tailor-made for local conditions and as per Indian buyer preferences. According to company sources, MG may also consider launching an all-electric compact SUV at a later date.

The original MG, which started sometime in 1924, based out of Abingdon in the UK, had a checkered past with multiple owners influencing its product portfolio and its very survival, as it swung towards and away from bankruptcy. In continuous operation for about 56 years, MG’s production runs were always fairly small by current-day standards and the markets where it was available were also only a few — the UK and the US being the biggest. After being acquired by SAIC in 2005, the brand has seen a revival with some of its car lines being brought back, albeit in completely new avatars and with pretty much no connect with MG’s design heritage. Today MG has a range that includes hatches, sedans, and SUVs, but not two-seater sports cars for which the original MG was most famous for. MG Motors’ production was discontinued in the UK and is currently based only out of China; its India facility will be its first outside the parent country.

Anotch above The quality of materials in the interior feels premium

Run up to launch

MG India is building up to its first roll-out and is very keen on establishing its British roots and its global design philosophy. A small bunch of us motoring journalists were given the opportunity to drive the MG 6 flagship sedan and the MG ZS — the new crossover SUV — at the Silverstone race track in the UK. We were there as part of MG Live 2018, an annual event organised by the MG Car Club, an outfit that has over 70,000 owners worldwide and brings heritage and classic MGs to the track. Almost 4,000 of them had brought their cars to be displayed and raced at Silverstone a few weekends ago.

On a smaller track to one side of Silverstone’s primary F1 circuit and close to the Porsche experience centre, folks at MG had lined up a couple of variants of the MG 6 for test drives. On offer were the fastback ‘Trophy League’ edition variants of the MG 6. This China-spec model is about 4.7-metres long, with a 2.7-metre long wheelbase. The engine was a 1.5-litre turbo-charged petrol mill generating 169 PS of peak power and 250 Nm of peak torque. The test mule’s engine is paired with a seven-speed DCT (dual clutch); but a six-speed manual is also available.

Contemporary design

The MG 6 looks like a well-finished modern day family sedan. There is certainly an air of premiumness to it and a certain degree of design flair, including the choice of a notchback style tailgate hinged at the C-pillar, as part of its ‘fastback’ styling. Sitting low, with its wheels filling out the arches nicely, the MG 6’s aerodynamics seem spot on. The trim elements on the exterior of the variants on offer at Silverstone were also tasteful with their mix of chrome and brushed aluminium bits in all the right places. But, there is a nagging feeling that a number of the design elements are familiar. The bonnet grille, the daytime running light signature, the tail-lamps and even some of the layering lines seem to have been influenced by multiple European luxury car manufacturers. As a result, the parts where the originality of the MG 6 is more evident tend to get overshadowed.

However, fit and finish quality is very good, with tight shut lines between body panels, and the perceived quality of materials used being as good as other Japanese and European premium car-makers. The same can be said about the MG 6’s cabin too. The dashboard design feels slightly dated with its recessed centre stack elements and mix of circular and rectangular trim design. But the quality of plastic used, and the stitched faux leather upholstery for the seats and top panels of the dashboard give it a very modern, European vibe. The chunky, multi-function steering wheel and the interesting dual-pod instrument cluster are the other two features that bring some novelty to the cabin.

There were journalists from other countries too, trying to get to drive the MG 6, so the test lasted for just a few laps around the short track. It was not enough to get a full driving impression of this model, but the 1.5-litre’s character was a bit unique and was possibly tuned specifically for the Chinese market driving cycle. Power delivery is a bit delayed and not very linear, but there is a lot of low-end torque available. Behaviour on track was a bit on expected lines for a front-wheel drive car. The steering also felt over-assisted; again possibly tuned for the Chinese market urban driving cycle. Overall, the performance was quite interesting coming from a brand and manufacturer that is new to small displacement turbo-charged engines.

Ride quality

The Trophy edition MG 6 that I was driving sported 225/45 tyres shod on 18-inch wheels. As a result, with the suspension set-up also being fairly stiff, the ride quality felt rigid; this too could be because it was tuned for the Chinese market.

The MG 6 is unlikely to come to India anytime soon. But it does offer a taste of what MG Motors stands for today and what it is capable of as a rising global car-maker.

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