MG Motor UK IM6 review

With the exception of its ballistic launch ability, the MG IM6 is completely devoid of emotion, involvement or humour. But then this is a big, heavy electric SUV, so let’s not knock it for that because it’s hardly a lone offender.

We will knock it for the ride quality. Forget about a fly in the ointment, this is like finding larvae in your toothpaste. As standard the MG runs double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rears, but both ends of the car fidget endlessly and bumps clunk noisily through the cabin.

The motorway – where most of these will probably end up – is about the only place you’ll get any peace from it, but on country roads? Forget it.

Launch Edition IM6s get air suspension with 70mm of ride height adjustment, plus damping control that’ll respond to changing surfaces and the drive modes: it’s far less agitated, but still quite firm and harsh over rough roads. We rather suspect MG will u-turn on making it a launch feature only, but let’s see.

It’s, er, not a driver’s car then?

Or a passenger’s car, we’d argue, but we know what you mean. Body roll is suppressed well for a car this size, but it won’t egg you on on a twisty road. You’ll gather speed as quickly as you want it and the brake pedal – while a bit spongy – offers decent modulation of the Continental-supplied system (four-piston fronts and single-piston rears, operated by brake-by-wire).

But in corners? The sequence goes like this: arrive, turn in, understeer, lift off, apply more lock. Repeat as needed. Hardly a dealbreaker given its remit, but we know from the Mustang Mach-E that some level of engagement should be possible.

Driving modes include Super Eco, Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Custom, though only on the trick suspension will any of these alter the ride. In case you end up finger-smashing the Comfort mode to no avail. You can alter the regen, but only through the screen – even the strongest setting isn’t that potent.

Hmm. Can you tell me *anything* good about it?

The soundproofing is excellent. Double-glazed soundproof glass limits sound intrusion and active road noise cancellation fights off anything else that does make it through. It doesn’t quite reach VW Tayron levels of isolation, but it’s very good indeed. In fact, it probably worsens your perception of the suspension thunk because it’s the only outside noise you’ll hear.

The IM6 also has some party tricks up its wheelarches. Rear-wheel steering usefully tightens up the turning circle by flexing the back wheels by 12 degrees, but it also allows something called ‘crab mode’ to introduce some sideways-ish action for parallel parking. Might prove handy.

It’s also equipped with automatic parking software, which will scan your surroundings for open spots and then whizz the car into whichever one you choose on screen. A little too quickly for our liking, but it stuck us bang in the middle of a space between two cars so we can’t fault its accuracy.

You haven’t mentioned range. Is it as good as the ‘official’ numbers say it is?

It was never going to be – as is the case with every electric car sold anywhere, ever. The Long Range promises 388 miles from its 100kWh battery (96.5kWh usable) but on a warm day with precious little energy-sapping motorway running, we saw 2.8 mi/kWh. So about 270 miles in practice. That puts it in the same ball park as the similarly priced Tesla Model Y Long Range.

Its trump card is charging ability: the NCM battery runs an 800v platform, with DC charging peaking at 396kW. On a charger that can actually reach that – of which there are precious few in the UK – a 10-80 per cent top-up ought to take just 17 minutes. Think of it as future-proofed, then.