MG S6 review

Say the name 'MG S6' too quickly and someone might think you're talking about the MG Essex, even though Essex is a place in the UK where Fords historically came from. MG may have its roots in the UK, but this S6 model is actually built a little farther afield in China. 

China is now a powerhouses when it comes to building modern electric cars. Nearly every day it seems there's a new Chinese electric car, or even a whole new Chinese car brand that we in the UK had never heard of before. MG’s line-up alone has a fleet of all-electric options to choose from, from the MG4 EV and MG4 Urban, through to big SUVs, like the MG IM6, and even a two-door electric sports car called the MG Cyberster.

So where in that array does the MG S6 sit? Well, to start with its an electric SUV, and it's positioned between the cheaper MG S5 and the bigger, plusher, pricier IM6.

In terms of size, it's still pretty big, though. It's a about the same length as a Kia EV6, Smart #5 and Tesla Model Y. But it undercuts those cars, with an entry-level nearer to slightly shorter electric SUVs, such as the Citroën ë-C5 Aircross, Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID 4.

So, is the S6 a bit of a bargain, then? Read on to find out. 

How fast is it and which motor is best?

There are two versions of the MG S6 and both are pretty quick. The Long Range has a 241bhp single motor driving the rear wheels. 0-62mph takes of 7.3sec, which means it has all the oomph most people will ever need from a family SUV. If you’re playing top trumps, it's about as quick as the entry-level Tesla Model Y, slightly quicker than the cheapest Skoda Enyaq, and a lot more potent than any Citroën ë-C5 Aircross. 

Next up is the Dual Motor. As the name suggests, this adds a second motor driving the front wheels, so it's four-wheel drive. And that extra motor adds extra power, with the Dual Motor delivering 357bhp and 0-62mph in 5.1sec. It feels just as punchy as that figures suggest; for perspective, you'll need to splash out considerably more for a Skoda Enyaq vRS or Model Y Long Range AWD to get anywhere near that level of performance from those two rivals.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The S6 steers accurately, feels well balanced in the corners, and its body movements are tightly controlled. In essence it's a tidy-handling SUV and more wieldy than the ë-C5 Aircross and Smart #5. The pricier Kia EV6 retains a slight edge when it comes to ultimate grip and agility, though.

Because the S6's body control is so tight it's more settled over undulating roads than the Smart #5, but the ride is firmer. That means you feel more jolts through the body on patchy roads and it doesn't glide over speed bumps as slickly. So the Smart #5 is more comfortable most of the time, but if ride quality is your main priority then the pillowy ë-C5 Aircross is even better, and probably the car for you. 

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

There's a bit of wind noise in the S6 and more tyre roar compared with the ë-C5 Aircross and #5, but it's not unruly to cruise in for a long jaunt. 

With all that relative performance on offer, the accelerator could be more progressive because it can be tricky to feed the power in smoothly. The brakes are excellent, though. A lot of EVs end up with slightly grabby brakes because of the inconsistencies blending traditional friction brakes with the regenerative braking system, which slows you down as the motor starts recharging the battery.

However, MG's got the two systems working in harmony so you can get the S6 stopped smoothly. The brake pedal has a nicer, more solid feel and more consistency than the brakes in the ë-C5 Aircross. If you prefer to use the brake pedal as little as possible, you can ramp up the regenerative braking effect in the settings, right up to and including a full one-pedal driving mode that slows you to a stop just by lifting off the accelerator. 

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

All versions of the MG S6 use the same 74.3kWh (usable) battery. The Dual Motor officially keeps going for up to 301 miles on a single charge, while the Long Range carries on for 329 miles – and, for the money, that's very competitive. For example, the closest Enyaq on price is the 60, but that'll only drive for up to 268 miles (WLTP) on a charge. And while the Enyaq 85 officially does up to 359 miles, it's a lot more expensive.

The ë-C5 Aircross is the S6's obvious rival when it comes to range-per-pound. Its starting price undercuts the S6's and the ë-C5 Aircross Comfort Range does up to 322 miles (WLTP). However, official figures rarely match the real-world reality when it comes to range, especially if you're travelling on motorways when it's cold outside.

We mirrored those exact conditions on a December road trip from Twickenham (near London) to Lille in France. On test was an MG S6 Long Range alongside two of its key rivals. You can see their estimated range and real-world efficiency in the table below, but suffice to say, the S6 came out on top for both – albeit a long way off its official range.

At their maximum charging speed of 144kW, both versions of the S6 can fast-charge from 10-80% in about 35 minutes. That's relatively slow. The Smart #5 Pro takes around 30 minutes and the Skoda Enyaq 60 is around 25 minutes. The #5 Pro+, which has a bigger battery but charges at up to 400kW, can go from 10-80% in 18 minutes, making it one of the fastest charging electric cars around. 

If you charge up the MG S6 at home on a 7kW wall box it'll take around 12 hours to go from 0-100%. 

“All MG S6's feel quick, but I thought the performance on offer from the Dual Motor was really impressive, especially for the money.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The MG S6’s interior is very similar to the smaller, cheaper MG S5's. And that's good because it's a smart-looking place, especially if you opt for the light beige interior. The styling is pretty conventional, so if you're after something funkier or more futuristic it would be worth checking out the Peugeot e-3008. 

Build quality is solid with most parts feeling well made, and the material quality is equally good. There are plenty of soft-touch materials – more than you'll find in the Citroën ë-C5 Aircross – and it's a close call between the Enyaq, EV6 and S6 for which feels plushest. However, the very best interior in the class belongs to the Smart #5, which feels impressively premium inside.  

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

The driving position is indeed comfortable. You get a padded armrest on the driver's door and in the centre between the seats. The driver's seat is wide, supportive and manually adjustable if you go for the SE trim, including the lumbar adjustment. Trophy comes with an electrically adjustable driver's seat although, unusually, the adjustment doesn't include the seat squab angle. The steering wheel is manually adjustable and offers plenty of scope to change both rake and reach. 

It's easy to see the driver's display, which is a 10.3in digital screen behind the steering wheel. If you go for the top-spec Trophy model than you'll also get a head-up display. 

The front pillars aren't excessively thick and obstructive, so you get a good view out the front of the S6, and the view out the rear is about the best there is in this class. The rear glass area is pretty big and includes quart-windows in the rear pillars to help your over-the-shoulder vision. You can see much more when reversing than you can in a Peugeot e-3008 or Tesla Model Y. 

That makes the fact that every S6 is fitted with rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and blind-spot warning a welcome bonus rather than a necessity  – Trophy trim adds front parking sensors and a 360-degree camera, too. LED headlights are also standard across the range.

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

The infotainment system’s menus are easy to make sense of, but the S6’s 12.8in touchscreen isn't as crisp and clear as its rivals and it's not as responsive, either  – it can be quite laggy as you swipe or hit the icons. There are many better alternatives, including the excellent Google-enhanced system in the Renault Scenic and the Citroen ë-C5 Aircross with its large and responsive touchscreen.

But the S6 claws back points for not relying solely on the touchscreen to control all the car's functions. You get a smattering of physical buttons and knobs to, for example, control the stereo volume and interior temperature, and those simple additions make the usability a lot better than having to find small icons on a touchscreen – an issue that blights the Smart #5.

If you go for the SE trim then the infotainment feature-count includes sat nav, wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, three USB-C charing ports and an eight-speaker stereo. But if you upgrade to the Trophy trim the equipment list swells with an 11-speaker stereo, 50-watt wireless phone charger (cooled to stop your phone overheating), and various online features including apps for weather, live traffic, YouTube, Spotify, TikTok, and Amazon Music.

“It's a shame the infotainment system can be frustratingly laggy because I found the MG S6's usability really good in other respects thanks to its handy physical controls ” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

How much space does it have for people?

A lot. A flock of five six-footers will fit inside the MG S6 with relative ease. There's buckets of space in the front seats and lots of storage cubbies and trays dotted around.

The two outer rear seats also offer a lot of head and leg room – not quite as much as the gigantic Smart #5, but take that out of the equation and the S6 is one of the best in the class for rear-seat space. It's so good, in fact, that you won't dread being the middle seat. The flat rear floor means there's plenty of foot space and the interior is so wide enough that you won't feel squished for shoulder room between the outer passengers.

There’s no seven-seat S6, unfortunately, but few rivals (except for the Peugeot e-5008) even give you that option. 

How much room does it have for luggage?

The brochure says the MG S6 has 124 litres of luggage space under the bonnet (102 litres with the Dual Motor) and, with the rear seats up, 674 litres of luggage room in the rear boot, which is more than any of its rivals. Sounds impressive but there's a catch: MG measures the rear volume that from floor to roof, while its rivals generally measure boot space up to the tonneau cover. 

So what's the S6's load carrying capacity like in the rear world? It's definitely more than enough for a couple of buggies or your weekly shop. We fitted one carry-on suitcases in the S6's nose, and seven in the rear (with the rear seats in place up to the load cover).  That's eight in total, then, which matches the number we crammed into the back of the ë-C5 Aircross. However, we did manage to stock nine cases in the back of a Skoda Enyaq and nine in total in the Smart #5 – eight in the back, one in the nose.

There’s not much to talk about in terms of clever features. The boot lacks any underfloor storage, there's no option of a height-adjustable boot floor, and the rear seats fold in the conventional 60/40 split. It’s worth noting that folding the rear seats down creates a lip in the floor. 

 “I'm 6'3" and there's so much space in the MG S6's back seats that I could sit behind my colleague, who's over six-foot, and have leg room to spare. Our test car also had a panoramic sunroof equipped, and I still had inches of extra head room." – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor.

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

There's no doubt the MG S6 is competitively priced as a cash buy. The entry-level SE trim is roughly the same price as a Skoda Enyaq but comes with a lot more power and a much better range. It's also noticeably cheaper than the cheapest Smart #5 and massively undercuts the Kia EV6. But if you need something even cheaper that's still a good car, check out the Citroën ë-C5 Aircross. 

If you're paying monthly, then the S6 is also competitive on PCP finance. When we gathered together quotes on the S6 the top-spec Trophy was roughly the same price per month as a mid-spec ë-C5 Aircross, and the lot cheaper than the entry-level Smart #5. 

Even better, the S6 is reasonably priced and well equipped. So much so that we’d stick to the entry-level Long Range SE, which has all the performance and kit to keep most people happy.  

We've already talked about some of the standard features that SE comes with, like LED headlights, rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, eight-speaker stereo, and sat nav. And if that's not enough, you can also count other luxuries including 19in alloy wheels, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, auto lights/wipers, heated front seats and heated steering wheel. And because it's under £40k it avoids the luxury car tax. 

Range-topping Trophy trim adds 20in wheels, power-folding door mirrors, ambient interior lighting, a head-up display, heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, heated rear outer seats, a powered tailgate, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, panoramic sunroof and we've mentioned before the front parking sensors, surround-view camera and 11-speaker sound system. If you want the Dual Motor, it only comes in Trophy trim. 

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

We’ll have to wait and see how reliable the S6 is, but MG’s brand reliability record is poor. It ranked last out of 30 manufacturers featured in our most recent What Car? Reliability Survey – needless to say, then, all its rivals are better. 

At least the S6 comes with a seven-year/80,000-mile warranty. Few brands can match that, although Kia’s equivalent cover extends to 100,000 miles.

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

Very safe. The MG S6 was awarded five out of five stars overall by safety experts Euro NCAP. And when we looked at the category results it did really well at protecting adults and children in a crash. 

There are also plenty of active safety aids, including blind-spot detection and rear cross traffic alert. What’s more, you can configure the safety settings and, within two taps of the touchscreen, you can activate that configuration. This is handy if, say, the lane-keep assist is proving more of a hindrance than a help. Every S6 also comes with an alarm and immobiliser. 

“Aside from potential reliability issues, which MG really needs to address, I think the MG S6 package is very compelling when it comes to costs, equipment and safety.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if...

- You want a tidy-handling electric SUV
- You appreciate lots of standard kit
- You need lots of interior space

Don’t buy it if…

- You regularly need to charge up super quickly
- You want the most comfortable ride
- You need seven seats (it’s five-seat only)

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