First impressions are good – as soon as you get in you’ll notice that the fit and finish of the seats is quite nice and adds to the car’s appeal. The precise stitching and the overall support for my back make you realise that they have paid attention to detail. The doors also shut with a solid thunk, and the car features carbon-fibre inserts and metallic highlights, both perfectly fitted. The leather on the dash is classy and a lot of the cabin’s design elements look to have been borrowed from Volkswagen products (Shanghai Automotive also has a big joint venture with VW in China), and that’s a good thing.
The top of the dash though features hard plastic, the buttons below the big touchscreen aren’t put together or designed very well, and then, styling on the inside feels almost immature. The red colour of the interior is also not for everyone. But that apart, the cabin is an extremely nice place to be in. There’s lots of legroom in the back, and headroom is great too.
Driven in a relaxed manner, the MG 6 doesn’t feel offensive to drive. The 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine makes 169hp and the car feels effortless to drive when you’re not pushing it. The automatic gearbox isn’t the smoothest unit around, and it hesitates when you pick up the pace. Around a corner, the car is precise. Overall, the ride is reasonably flat, and it steers and drives as well as many contemporary cars sold in India. The 6 really doesn’t enjoy being hurried; the engine sounds unrefined at medium and high engine speeds, power delivery isn’t linear, and body control at speed isn’t the best.
Sure, MG is coming here, but not anytime soon, this test was just to get a feel of what a car from MG will be like. Forget every Chinese car you’ve experienced in the Indian market until now; this is an all-new level of competence. If they pack in the right amount of kit, MG’s India gamble just could work.
Yes, the SAIC-owned Baojun 530 SUV which MG India will reconfigure, restyle and sell in India (as an MG) may not be like the 6. Still, from our first impression, we think MG could do well here.
