MG Motor, a.k.a. Morris Garages is a British car manufacturer which is owned by China's biggest carmaker, SAIC. MG Motor is all set to enter the Indian car market this year and plans to introduce an SUV as its first product in its Indian portfolio. They produce about 70 lakh cars a year and the demand for MG Motor cars are still on the rise globally. Today we look at a few of the cars under the brand fare as MG Motors works in full force to step into our country.
eMG6 – The eMG6 is a hybrid sedan with a notchback body style and looks very attractive. It produces 228 PS of peak power and 622 Nm of torque. Acceleration is linear and body roll is well contained although there is some roll and tendency to understeer at the limit with the steering having decent feel too. The interior is well laid out with plenty of creature comforts on offer. A KERS button on the centre console allows the car to run on pure electric power for 53 km. The ride and handling is also pretty good on the car. The cabin feels nice with a good amount of space at the rear.
MG HS – MG HS is a Hyundai Creta sized SUV which draws power from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission that’s good for 231 PS of peak power and 360 Nm of torque. Power delivery is linear, NVH levels are good as well. The exterior of the car looks very proportional with hints of the Volvo XC40 at the front. The cabin is well put together and has a lot of influence from other cars like the side AC vents, infotainment screen, driver power window controls, switches around the gear lever, front seats, steering wheel and tachometer seem to be inspired from Audi A3, BMW 7-Series, Mercedes S-Class, Mercedes A-Class, Volkswagen and Aston Martin respectively. Despite all the inspiration, the design gives a very premium feel to the cabin. The rear seat has a good amount of space and the ride is pretty comfortable.
Roewe eRX5 – The Roewe eRX5 is the electric version of the Roewe RX5. We could only test the car’s safety systems during the limited time we spent with it. A simulation of snow conditions to demonstrate traction control and ABS wherein full acceleration on the slippery surface meant some torque steer but everything felt so easy and effortless as even on full throttle, it wouldn't spin its wheels due to TCS kicking in and cutting power. The car was also put through a high-speed slalom test, the car’s ESP worked flawlessly here. The eRX5 felt in control even when making quick turns around the cones. The interior is similar to the latest generation Volvos with a similar portrait setup for infotainment screen and side AC vents. The range is good at 320 kms but the top speed is just 135 km/hr.
Roewe Marvel X – The Marvel X is the latest car to be launched by the company, it sits between the RX5 and the flagship 7/8 seater RX8 and is a pure electric vehicle. The 52.5 kWh battery catapults the Marvel X from 0 to 100 km/hr in just 4.8 seconds. The car produces 300 HP of peak power and 665 Nm of torque and is an AWD. It charges to 80 percent in just 40 minutes and the range is an impressive 500 kms. The car gets Jaguar F-Type style pop-out door handles while the dashboard will remind you of modern-day Porsche cars. The massive 14-inch infotainment screen is similar to the one on the Tesla Model X. The Marvel X is very keen with its acceleration while the steering is pretty feedback-rich, thanks to the stiff suspension. This, however, made the Marvel X a bit uncomfortable on rough sections of the track. There is a good amount of space on offer, even at the rear and the seats are well cushioned too. The Marvel X has an extensive equipment list like the 12.3-inch instrument cluster with the front camera display, autonomous cruise control and several other technologies. The car's infotainment system runs on AliOS, developed by AliBaba and there was a drone mode too which is currently in beta mode.
All these cars have good quality even though the plastics are a bit hard on the lower side of the dashboard, the design is attractive, there is a good amount of space, performance is linear, NVH and refinement levels are outstanding. The ride and handling are also really good while the equipment list is very generous. None of the above cars will make it to our shores anytime soon but they do show us what MG Motor is capable of. We have to wait until April this year when the first car under the brand is launched in India to see how MG Motor will fare in India.
