MG6 getting strong reviews in the UK

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MG may have Chinese owners (until the next time it changes hands) but its 300 strong British engineering team in the UK are really putting the work into making the MG brand sustainable again with a series of top class products. Earlier today we saw the official launch of the MG3 in Beijing, but the next big launch will be the MG6 in the UK. Sales begin in early May but media reviews by the press are already ready happening, we’ve selected a few of the ones we’ve been reading over the past few weeks.

The Telegraph:

The Telegraph gave the MG6 4 stars out of a maximum of five, they praised it for the great exterior design but derided it for the poor quality of plastic adorning the dashboard, of course they soon forgot about that as it got under way:

Any lingering disappointment with the cabin is pushed into the background once you’re on the move. “In every detail you’ll find a fond nod to MG’s glory days – Le Mans, Goodwood, land speed records and true British sporting endeavour,” promises the brochure. Not sure about all of that, but MG’s 300-strong engineering team certainly know how to make cars ride and handle properly.

Steering that initially seems quite heavy translates into a meaty, responsive feel at speed, and the 6 is composed in corners of all shapes and sizes. Handling poise often comes with a ride penalty, but not in this case. While 18in wheels and 45-series tyres (lower spec versions have 17in “pepperpot” alloys) have helped launch a thousand careers in osteopathy, the MG smothers bumps with aplomb and remains hushed.

British roads are in such a state now that Pothole Avoidance should become our national sport. Somewhere in the Cotswold badlands, my skill and luck ran out and a crater of epic proportions loomed in front of me. The only escape would have involved rearranging some picturesque oolitic limestone, so I just had to grit my teeth and carry on. In the event, there was no drama. A rigid bodyshell, MacPherson struts and a multilink rear end shrugged off what could have been a minor seismic event. Impressive.

The current lack of a diesel option can only be good news to any keen driver. Oil-burners are economical and have come a long way from their wheezy past, but petrol power is so much better. At a cruise the engine is smooth and virtually silent. While it becomes quite vocal under acceleration at higher revs, to me, the snarliness adds to the sporty character. Interestingly, 158bhp would probably give a top speed of around 135mph, but MG have restricted it to 120mph, lowering the insurance rating by a couple of groups. Only a risk assessment specialist could understand the logic, but the saving might be considerable – perhaps enough to pay for petrol instead of diesel.

Auto Express

Auto Express loved the MG6, noting that it looked impressive from all angles. The only downer for them was the loud engine, which is something we have noted before when driving the sister car, the Roewe 550, it does sound rather agricultural at high speed when the turbo is doing its thing.

MG the sequel starts here! We’ve driven Chinese-spec versions of the new MG6, but now, as the hatchback goes on sale for the first time in the UK, we get behind the wheel of the car that’s about to hit the firm’s 38 dealers.

Priced from £15,495, the five-door looks terrific value. In size it sits between the Vauxhall Astra and Insignia, with the entry S costing less than the second-cheapest Astra. However the boot at 498 litres measures closer to that of the Insignia hatch.

Powering the car is a 1.8-litre turbo making 158bhp, which serves as the only engine choice among the three trim levels. A 1.9-litre diesel is due next year and there’s a 2.0-litre turbo in the pipeline, but for now the 1.8 does a okay job.

The 0-60mph sprint is a fairly brisk 8.4 seconds and the turbo is  unobtrusive. However the engine can get raucous when its working hard, which you need to do to make the 6 feel fast. There’s also no sixth in the otherwise satisfying gearbox to bring the revs down for economy motorway driving.

Our trip computer read 34.8mpg after 30 miles on the m’way, which is almost bang on the official combined consumption of 35.6mpg. That’s high for today’s family hatchbacks, even petrol turbo versions, and the resulting 184g/km won’t appeal to company car drivers.

Better on cost is the low 13/14 insurance rating (out of 50) and the high levels of standard equipment. All trim levels come with air con, electric windows and stereo with USB connectivity, while the SE at £16,995 ads sat nat, cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity. For another £2,000, the TSE adds rear parking camera and leather seats, as well as 18in alloys in place of 17s.

The interior quality is a lot better than the early versions we drove. The top half of the dash is cloaked in soft-touch rubbersised plastic that matches the best of the French (if not the Germans). But lower down it’s too still shiny, while the fit and feel of the buttons is only 80 percent of the European average. Nothing’s flimsy exactly, but it’s not chunky to operate.

Much better is the handling and steering. The British chassis engineers said they benchmarked sportier versions of the Ford Focus (ie Zetec S) and they pretty much hit the target. The car turns in sharply, with a good weight to the steering. And although firm, the ride isn’t harsh.

Now MG has addressed the worst of the interior problems, the 6 is a contender thanks to price, equipment, space and handling. It also looks attractive from all angles. The build quality still lags behind its rivals, but in the main, MG fans can breathe a sigh of relief.

Auto Car

Auto Car loved the MG6 for its daring designs and sporty overtures but as with other media outlets they did mention the dashboard, they were however testing the Chinese specification of the MG6 rather than the more updated UK version which has better handling and an improved interior.

The car with which the MG brand is to be reintroduced to the British market: this is the new MG6.

Designed and developed in the UK at SAIC’s technical centre at Longbridge, the MG6 is a medium-sized family hatchback that’s roughly the same size as a Skoda Octavia. Based on the Chinese-built Roewe 550, this car can actually trace its roots all the way back to the Rover 75. However, for the MG version, the car’s engine, chassis, body and interior have all been overhauled.

Current MG brand owners SAIC has plans to build these cars at MG Rover’s old Longbridge plant for sale across the UK. Our test car, however, was one of several built at SAIC’s Nanjing factory, for the official Chinese press launch of the car.

What’s it like?

The MG6 is remarkably daring- and original-looking, considering that it’s intended primarily for the notoriously conservative Chinese market. Wide tracks, flared arches, large external styling features and some surprisingly sophisticated surfaces give it a bold, sporty and contemporary appearance, even relative to European rivals.

The car’s cabin is all new and bears no resemblance to that of the Rover 75 or MG ZT. The materials used aren’t as rich or tactile as you’ll find in some European family saloons, but the built quality is good: switches and levers move with firmness and solidity.

Shanghai Automotive will offer two versions of the MG6, both front-driven via a 5-speed automatic gearbox, and both powered by its ‘N-series’ update of Rover’s old 1.8-litre ‘K-series’ engine.

The entry-level car develops 133bhp and 135lb ft or torque. The range-topping turbo, which we drove, gets 158bhp and 158lb ft, and SAIC claims that it’ll hit 60mph in 8.5sec before going on to a top speed of 130mph.

Out on the road, the MG6 feels firmly suspended, but performs well. That engine suffers a little from turbo lag below 2500rpm, but spins freely way up to its 6750rpm redline. The car has good stability and composure, resisting body roll well through corners, and riding mid-bend bumps at speed without being diverted by them.

Ride comfort and refinement could both be improved. On our test drive, rattles were evident from within our test car’s dashboard, a problem exacerbated by the MG6’s firm ride.

Also disappointing was the car’s five-speed torque converter gearbox. At times it was frustratingly unresponsive and slow to kick down. A good six-speed manual ‘box will be a necessity if SAIC want to market this car as a sporting saloon here in the UK.

Express and Star

Who? You’re wondering who exactly the Express and Star actually are, and so are we. It’s a local newspaper for the British Midlands, which is sort of like Jiangsu province but without the heat (or the culture), we wont dwell on this too much as they gave the MG6 a sterling review:

With its heavily-raked roofline and narrow windows the MG6 is very much a contemporary vehicle, with few ‘retro’ touches. I suspect its looks will grow on people. Saloon variants will arrive in the summer.

Inside, cabin quality is higher than that of the pre-production car I drove last year with an improved ‘soft-touch’ dashboard, along with touches of chrome and carbon-fibre-style trim.

The famous octagonal badge is present and correct on the steering wheel but the overall interior look is slightly anonymous and the plastics are harder and cheaper the lower down you go.

The seats in the TSE are comfortable but on the soft side and lacking both lateral and under-thigh support.

Leg room is generous but taller drivers may struggle for headroom, especially if the optional sun-roof is specified because you sit high in the front seats.

The designer handbrake is similar to the Saab 9-3′s ‘thumb-trapper’ and a little awkward to operate. I felt too much effort was needed to halt the car on a hill.

On the road

There’s only one power plant at the moment — a turbocharged 1.8 litre petrol developing nearly 160hp. A 1.9 litre diesel is in development but won’t be ready until next year.

The petrol is going to give you around 30-35mpg but it sounds peppy and revs freely to above 6,000rpm.

The MG has only five, rather long gears, but can hit 60mph in around eight and a half seconds. The car’s top speed has been limited to 120mph in order to keep insurance costs down.

While the 6 is designed first and foremost as a family car it’s also possible to have some fun in it. The chassis feels rigid and taut and the car is stable and assured at speed. It handles with poise and suppleness and, provided you keep the revs up, loves attacking twisty B-roads.

There’s masses of grip and very little roll through corners. The steering has been set up to be considerably sharper and weightier than in the Chinese version of the car.

The chassis could certainly cope with a more powerful engine and I suspect MG could put out a real screamer of an MG6 if it wanted. Instead, however, bosses will probably look to fit smaller, more economical power plants to the 6.

Ride quality is firm but comfortable and refinement levels are high, though you certainly hear the engine if you put your foot down.The car will not be rated by Euro NCAP until later this year but is expected to achieve at least four stars.

Verdict

It seems to me that there’s little point carping about whether or not the 6 is a ‘proper’ MG.

This is the first of a new generation of cars and the firm should be allowed to forge a distinct identity for itself in the 21st century.

The car’s interior could still be improved and its relatively high CO2 emissions of 184g/km mean it may not find favour with fleet buyers.

With no diesel in the range the MG6 is still a work in progress, at least as regards the European market, but at least it is off to a promising start. It’s spacious, comfortable and acquits itself very assuredly on the road.

Car Magazine

After Express and Star, we need to pick up the slack with a proper car magazines thoughts on the 6, and it seems Car Magazine have given the MG6 another great review, it touches on some of the similar issues we’ve seen above such as low quality plastics, and a relatively thirsty 1.8T gasoline engine but as per usual loves the design and everything else.

Once you’ve stopped ogling the outside (and you will, particularly in the burnt orange of our test car – see our full photoshoot in the May 2011 issue of CAR Magazine), you reach for a key and you’re immediately disappointed. It’s a cheap, shiny block that doesn’t have the heft of rivals from the Ford or Volkswagen empires. Almost immediately, you spot other fit and finish problems: the leather you sit on looks more related to chemicals than cows; some of the cabin trim feels like it hasn’t a full grain; and some of the switchgear, especially the steering wheel buttons, has a hopeless action. The trip computer was barely usable. MG claims this is a late pre-production model (don’t they all? But we should allow this fledgling start-up some slack).

The MG 6 is an interesting half size, mimicking the Octavia’s neither-Focus-nor-Mondeo segmentation. Like the Skoda, there is consequently oodles of space inside. You really can fit four big grown-ups in here and those rear seats are comfy. The boot is big at 498 litres, trumping the 350 litres in a Golf or Focus (385), though trailing the massive Czech’s 585 litres.

MG 6 Turbo: that brings back some memories…

That badge does remind us of some well-known Maestros and Montegos, but we should manage your performance expectations here. The 6 isn’t that fast. The raw figures say 120mph (limited to lower the insurance rating!) and 0-60mph in 8.4sec, but the truth is the 6 Turbo feels slower than that. This is quite a heavy car. You’ll need to stir the gearlever to make good progress – a pleasurable affair since the change is positive of action if a touch long of throw.

We suspect faster versions will be in the pipeline (we know a V6 will fit under that bonnet), as well as cheaper ones to take the shine off the Octavia’s £13k starting price. But this is a good launch product: the dynamics feel really well resolved. I had an MG ZT 190 and there is a similar feel to the MG 6 – hardly surprising since many of the same chassis engineers developed the front MacPherson struts and multilink rear end.

The ride is well judged: there’s a Ford-like firm damping, with just enough pliancy to take the jag out of bumps, and body control is first rate. Traction is good too, with nary a flicker from the electronic aids. The steering is hardly alive with feel or laser turn-in, but it’s just as responsive and precise as buyers in this class would expect.

One black mark on the MG 6 is a lack of diesel at launch; a new SAIC-built derv comes in 2012, when left-hand drive production is scheduled. Until then you’ll have to put up with the 184g/km of CO2 produced by the 1.8 turbo.

Verdict

The MG 6 impressed us. Dynamically, it’s a big success. This is good news. If it had missed the spot, and trampled over the MG heritage of making accessibly priced sporting cars, that would be hard to fix.

As it is, the only question marks remain over the poor fit and finish in certain isolated areas, in particular the operation of cabin switchgear. If you excuse these details and believe MG when it promises to fix most glitches before launch, the 6 feels well made, precise and of competitive quality in this class. We’re inclined to believe them: the HVAC heating controls swivel and click with the best of them, so there’s no reason to believe they can’t fix the wonky controls.

On that basis, it’s hard not to judge the new MG 6 a success. In many regards, it combines nearly the space of an Octavia, with a drive comparable to a Focus or Golf, at prices to make you think twice. With that badge behind it, the MG is surely in a stronger position than a new Chinese start-up. This initial effort suggests the reborn MG could be a dark horse.

So what have we learned from these reviews? It’s obvious that MG is getting some good reviews from major automotive outlets (aside from the Express and Star) and should easily reach its first year aim to sell a mere 2,000 units in the UK market. The fact that the car is mostly made in China and assembled from kits does not seem to affect the UK automotive press. The ear and nose hair brigade (aka MG Enthusiasts) do not seem to be pleased by the new MG styling, although their opinion can largely be discounted as they believe anything produced later than the MG Midget is not a real MG, plus they tend to buy their motors once they are antiques and being sold for pennies on Ebay, so not exactly the target audience this time around – although it should be said that enthusiasts do some good for the brand with their mad ranting.

The MG6 is gaining traction in the Chinese market, it initially sold well after its launch but sales floundered and then eventually picked up again. Chinese roads are a sea of bland automotive designs, Toyota’s, Honda’s and VW’s rule the roost on Chinese roads, the only cars that tend to turn heads are awkwardly designed Chinese cars such as the Chery QQme and some of GM’s recent efforts, and of course the MG6.

So what’s in store for MG internationally? MG are likely to use their UK base to expand sales across the European mainland and then possibly look at the US market once again. SAIC has extremely deep pockets and with it being a state owned enterprise it has close ties to the Chinese government, who of course are eager for Chinese companies to turn from contract producers to brand managers with world class and eventually world leading products. A new MGTF is likely to launch in 2013, although a diesel MG6 is due long before that, hopefully a wagon will also launch. At the Shanghai Auto Show next month we are going to see the Crossover version of the MG3 which will replace the aging Streetwise and after that we will see the MG5 hatchback and the long rumored MG SUV.

Exciting times.