Latest news with #IM5
The Independent
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
MG IM5 review: The closest rival yet to the Tesla Model 3
MG thought long and hard about how it should badge its new IM models. At one time, they were headed for their own premium brand alongside MG. But the decision was made to confuse everyone by calling them MG IMs, yet not put MG badges on them. It's bonkers! And a shame as people will see the IM5 (and its SUV twin, the IM6), really like it and have no idea what it is due to the weird combination of dots and lines for a badge. The IM5, in particular, is worthy of your attention. It's a spacious five door hatchback with proportions, pricing, range and tech specs that are very much in line with the Tesla Model 3. Is it overall as good as the Tesla Model 3? No, not quite. But it gets much closer than any other rival, so if Tesla – for whatever reason – isn't your thing, one of MG's 115 dealers will be very happy to let you play in an IM model. You'll have fun, too. It's good to drive, easily as spacious as a Model 3, but with even better build quality. The kit count is impressive, as is the tech – although the usability (and spelling) of the touchscreen operations needs to be updated. We're told it will be. The IM5 will be an easy, efficient and enjoyable EV to live with – I like it very much. How we test I spent an entire morning driving the IM5 around the lanes, towns and motorways of Kent, Sussex and Surrey to get a good feel for the car and its tech. I assessed the self-driving, self-parking and even the car's ability to retrace its steps by reversing 100 metres. I also checked on rear seat comfort and boot space to give you a verdict you can trust. Independent rating: 9/10 MG IM5 specs Price range £39,450 to £48,495 Battery size 75 & 100kWh Maximum claimed range 441 miles Miles per kWh 3.8 Maximum charging rate 396kW Battery, range, charging, performance and drive Although there are two battery offerings, there's a clear sweet spot in the IM5 range – and it's the car I drove. The 100 Long Range, as the name suggests, uses a 100kWh battery to give it a Tesla-beating range of 441 miles. You'll pay a fiver more for the rear-drive IM5 Long Range than you will a Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive Long Range, but I can't believe an MG dealer wouldn't do something about that for you – you won't get a penny off the Tesla. The entry-level car undercuts the entry-level Model 3 by £440 but doesn't go as far on a full charge. The 75 Standard Range IM5 has a maximum claimed range of 304 miles versus the Rear-Wheel Drive Model 3's 323 miles. At the top of the IM5 range currently is a 100 Performance model, which gets all-wheel drive, the same 100kWh battery as the Long Range IM5, but all-wheel drive, a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds and a maximum claimed range of 357 miles – all for £48,495. A Model 3 performance is quicker (0-60mph in 2.9 seconds), but will only go 328 miles on a full charge and, crucially, costs a whopping £59,990. Not that the Long Range IM5 I drove was sluggish, getting from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds. But whatever IM5 you drive it'll feel quick with the usual swift acceleration when you need it. Where MGs will outperform Teslas is on charging speeds with the 800-volt tech in the 100kWh cars enabling the IM5 to charge at a maximum of 396kW, meaning the typical 10 to 80 per cent charge would take just 17 minutes – if you can find a fast-enough charger. The Standard Range car makes do with 400-volt tech so charges slower at a maximum of 153kW so the same 10 to 80 per cent charge will take 26 minutes. As with many EVs, the heavy battery takes a toll on ride comfort and the IM5 rides quite firmly. It's not uncomfortable, though, and the low centre of gravity means the car corners confidently, although the steering doesn't feel especially meaty. There are various drive modes you can cycle through that beef up the steering and accelerator response or ease the throttle off for eco driving. It's a shame the brakes didn't feel slightly sharper and linear in their response – they felt slightly dead and needed a bit more of a shove at the end of the brake travel. What you'll really notice and enjoy, though, is the four-wheel steering, which not only gives the sizeable IM5 a smaller turning circle than an MG4 – making it really easy to manoeuvre around car parks (which I did extensively on my test route) – but also benefits at faster speeds with greater surety through corners. One feature that's missing, though, is one-pedal driving, which many EV drivers love. There are only three levels of brake regen available – I'd like more. Hopefully one-pedal driving can be added before the cars go on sale in September. Interior, practicality and boot space Whichever model of IM5 you go for, you'll get the same feature-packed interior – and the same high quality. I'm obsessive about stitching lining up, and the stitching across the dashboard lined up perfectly with that on the doors, showing a real attention to detail when it comes to quality. The materials inside all feel very plush, the design is attractive and there's plenty of space. Sitting in the back you get the full benefit of the full-length glass roof, comfy rear seats and good leg and head space, while in the front the seats are just as comfy and come with heating or cooling. A tiny rear-view mirror hints at what's behind – the tiniest of rear windows. I'm surprised MG hasn't done a Polestar and just made do with a digital rear-view mirror and cameras. However, MG's approach is to have a display from a rear-facing camera on the infotainment screen that's activated by a single roll upwards of the right hand scroll wheel on the steering wheel. That's a neat solution, but I'd rather just have a bigger rear window. At least the side mirrors are a decent size, though. Unlike the four-door Tesla Model 3, the IM5 comes with a rear hatch, making it much more practical. There's a reasonable if not enormous 457 litres of space, plus an additional 18 litres under the bonnet at the front. The inside isn't exactly flush with cubbies – it would be nice to have a few more spaces to put things and slightly wider and deeper door bins. Technology, stereo and infotainment The MG IM5 is a tech tour-de-force with everything you expect and a few things you don't. Here's one… If you've ever driven down a narrow country lane and met something coming at you from the other direction and have to reverse, it can be quite tricky. The IM5 will do it for you. Somewhat spookily, the car logs precisely where it has driven over the past 100 metres and will reverse for that full distance going back precisely through its wheel tracks. I tried it and it reversed back through a curved road, through a car park, around a couple of corners and eventually stopped where it first started, 100 metres beforehand. Clever and surprisingly useful. The self-parking system works brilliantly and very quickly – unlike many – while the car will also get closer to the curb for you if your own parking efforts aren't up to scratch. On top of all that there's the usual adaptive cruise – which uses the paddles behind the steering wheel to adjust speed and distance to the car in front – plus the expected suite of driver safety and assistance systems. As with many Model 3 rivals, you must use screens for everything, but in the IM5 there are two of them. One super-wide 26-inch display on top of the dash for driver info and infotainment, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 10-inch screen in the centre console for other controls including the clever parking tech, system set-up and climate control – although there was a slightly odd Ramdon setting for the air con that we hope is a spelling mistake that will be easily fixed. MG made great play of the 20-speaker audio system with its Sky Speakers in the roof, but it really didn't live up to the promise. With my well-used test playlist, it lacked real punch from the bass and a lack of detail to the sound. I couldn't get the 'hello IM' (why not MG?) voice function to work, either, in spite of it being selected on the display. Although the wireless mobile phone charger is ventilated to stop your smartphone overheating while charging, there's only one of them when many rivals allow you to charge up two phones at a time. What I did like was how, when you indicate, you get a digital view from the mirrors displayed on the appropriate side of the 26-inch display, cleverly shoving my Apple CarPlay display over sideways rather than covering up the maps. And why it has taken car makers so long to be able to make the indicator clicks come out of the left or right speakers is beyond me – I like that in the IM5, too. There's no sign yet of any low-rate finance offers, although first deliveries of the IM5 won't be until mid-September 2025. But the pricing is pretty much spot on against the Tesla Model 3: slightly cheaper on the Standard car, slightly more expensive on the Long Range one. The Performance IM5 does look like good value. What I would expect, though, is for MG's 115 dealers selling the IM models to have a bit of leeway to give the IM5 a bit more of an advantage over Tesla Model 3s if you haggle. Tesla dealers won't give you a penny off. My test showed impressive efficiency, meaning a range of well over 400 miles should be easily achievable, too. MG IM5 rivals Tesla Model 3 Mercedes CLA Hyundai Ioniq 6 FAQs How long does it take to charge? The 100kWh IM5 uses 800-volt tech for charging up to 396kW, allowing a 10–80 per cent charge in just 17 minutes with a sufficiently fast charger. The Standard Range's 400-volt system charges at up to 153kW, taking 26 minutes for the same charge range. How much does it cost - is it worth it? Prices start at £39,450 for the Standard Range car going up to £48,495 for the Performance model. The sweet spot of the range is the £44,995 Long Range IM5, which costs a fiver more than the equivalent Tesla Model 3, but will go a bit further on a full charge. Does MG replace batteries for free? As with all EVs, the IM5's battery is covered for eight years and 100,000 miles, while MG offers a standard seven-year warranty on the rest of the car. Why trust us Our team of motoring experts have decades of experience driving, reviewing and reporting on the latest EV cars, and our verdicts are reached with every kind of driver in mind. We thoroughly test drive every car we recommend, so you can be sure our verdicts are honest, unbiased and authentic. The verdict: MG IM5 Not everyone wants a Tesla, and there's now more choice than ever if you want a different sort of EV. I really enjoyed the MG IM5 – I love the tech, the quality of the car and the drive. There's loads of space inside, a decent range and fast charging. If only MG would just stick an MG badge on the front and back, that would make the car more appealing and easier to understand.
Top Gear
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
MG Motor UK IM5 Interior Layout & Technology
Interior What is it like on the inside? The IM5 has followed Tesla down the path of ultra-minimalism, so there's very little actual stuff in here. The seats, dash, doors and steering wheel are all finished in leather, and only the lower reaches of the interior get the hardcore plastic treatment. The floor mats don't photograph well (check out the gallery), but good lord are they comfy – we'd happily have those in a living room. Advertisement - Page continues below The seats are well padded and we've no complaints about the driving position, although rear visibility is atrocious: the rear windscreen is barely more than a slit. To combat this, the IM5 has an easily-cued up rear-view camera so you can check what's behind you, although judging distance with it is hard. The fact that there's a tech solution for such an obvious design flaw speaks volumes. So everything is in the screen? Correct. The mirror adjustment, the drive modes, the ADAS, the nav… the only physical controls are a pair of scrollers on the steering wheel, releases for the doors (no handles in here), paddles for the cruise control, plus stalks for the drive selector and indicators. That's your lot. That puts a huge emphasis on the interface itself, spread across a sweeping 26.3in screen and 10.5in touchscreen. The latter is what you'll interact with most: all the menus are listed on a column on the left (again, Tesla-style) with dozens of inputs covering all the IM5's functionality. Like the Cyberster, an entirely new system was needed for foreign markets. MG will argue that the customisability of the homescreen (you can set up your own shortcuts) means you can focus on what matters to you; we say it's just the latest manufacturer to use that as a Get Out of Jail Free card for flawed thinking. Advertisement - Page continues below You spend so much time fiddling with it, it forces you to divert your gaze away from the road… then it'll beep at you for not looking at the road. You can't win. On top of the bongs for the speed limit warning (it sounds like a toddler jabbing away at one of those Fisher-Price keyboards), speed limit change warning, and impending phantom head-on collisions. Hmm. Credit where it's due: everything is crisp and clear, and the nav layout is easy to follow. Though it didn't pick up on a closed road on our journey when Google maps did. No doubt a bug fix that's already on MG's to do list. It's almost five metres long and almost three of that is wheelbase. Space must be good? Certainly is up front. Loadsa room to stretch out and while the seats could do with more lateral support, there's enough for the kind of driving you'll be doing. S'all good. The rear is less roomy. Problem is the floor is quite high up, so your knees will be raised and you're reliant on the driver or front passenger jacking up the front seats to give your toes some wriggle room. Still, it's pretty airy back here thanks to the pano glass roof. The boot is deep but narrow, with no underfloor storage. 457 litres is yours to play with (1,290 with the back seats down) – comfortably above average in the class, but not the outright leader for convenience. Can't find the release button? It's one of the dots in the IM logo on the tailgate - lovely little detail, that. There's an 18-litre frunk for odds and ends. Any party tricks? A couple. There's a self-park feature that scans the spaces around you, and then whirls you into whichever one you pick. We tried this in the IM6 SUV and it popped us bang in the middle of the space, albeit at a speed that had us praying for the cars either side. There's also a 'crab mode' that uses the rear-wheel steering to make otherwise impossible parking manoeuvres… possible. We're yet to test it, but don't go picturing a full-on sideways parallel park.
Top Gear
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
MG Motor UK IM5 Driving, Engines & Performance
Driving What is it like to drive? That's the wrong question. What you should be asking first is 'Is it comfortable?' Because it isn't, and it dominates your entire experience of the car. The MG IM5 runs double wishbone suspension up front and a multi-link setup at the rear. Tuned well, this ought to be capable of a supple ride, even if it does have to fight with all 2.3 tonnes of the Performance version tested here. Advertisement - Page continues below The reality is… very different. From crawling through town to wafting down A roads and cruising along the motorway, there's a constant shimmy and shake; sometimes at the back, sometimes at the rear, mostly both. The front and rear often feel like they're doing different things, and there's no dialling it out with the driving modes because none of them alter the suspension in any way. When you hit a rut or pothole it thunks loudly, and in corners you can feel it scrabbling against Newton's third law. Don't get us wrong, the IM5 doesn't wallow or pitch very much at all, and although the ride's rather firm that's not really the problem: it just comes across as unsophisticated and under-developed. However much testing it went through in China, MG had too big a rescue job on its hands to make it UK ready. There's no sugar-coating it: it's extremely poor. The IM5 is easily MG's worst ambassador now – and weirdly, the more ungainly IM6 SUV rides slightly better. Even in its most basic form without air suspension. Which the IM5 doesn't get at all. Don't be surprised if MG U-turns on that decision ASAP. Get it all out of your system. What else do I need to know? The dynamics are insipid. You get no feedback from the tyres and no information at all through the steering wheel – we're keen to know if the rear-wheel drive versions feel pointier and more, well, alive. Advertisement - Page continues below You can sling the IM5 about a bit on a fast road and it does at least feel balanced (the majority of the torque tends to go to the back, going by the digi-readout), but it doesn't take much for understeer to kick in and you'll frequently lose your way because of the synthetic steering. So eventually you'll just not bother. The throttle and brake pedals are noticeably elastic, but that's fine for a car like this. Modulation from both is nice and relaxed, so making progress in town is just as easy as it is on the motorway. All of that means you've little trust in the ungodly acceleration. Plant the accelerator and an initial surge pins you back in your seat before a tidal wave of torque – 592lb ft in the Performance – really hits home. It's like Oleksandr Usyk has been personally invited to give your belly his best shot. Brace! Brace! There's rear-wheel steering, and you'll be very thankful for it in tight turns. You get three levels of regen – adjustable via the screen only – and the strongest one is still very light, so no one-pedalling. Driving modes include Super Eco, Eco, Comfort, and Sport, plus a Custom setting so you can fine-tune the steering effort and pedal response. The range looks impressive on paper. Is it? This dual-motored, all-wheel drive Performance promises 357 miles of range, and on a rainy July day on a mix of roads we coaxed a solid 3.0 mi/kWh from it – aka, about 290 miles from its 100kWh battery (96.5kWh usable). With a drag coefficient of 0.226 we were expecting better. The middle-order Long Range has the same battery and with one less motor is rated for 441 miles – we suspect that will be the big seller, and rightly so. Even if it does make do with… 402bhp and 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds. Yeah, you'll cope. The Standard Range gets a 75kWh (73.5kWh usable) battery, with less sophisticated LFP chemistry (the others get NCM cells that allow for 396kW charging) that peaks at a mere 153kW. That one's still capable of 304 miles, and with 291bhp acceleration is far more sensible. Highlights from the range the cheapest 553kW Performance 100kWh 5dr Auto 0-62 CO2 BHP MPG Price £N/A
Top Gear
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
MG Motor UK IM5 Review 2025
Not an MG, that's what. Over in China IM is a brand in its own right but one that belongs to the same family as MG, that of megacorp parent SAIC; the group that also houses Maxus, Roewe, Rising Auto, and a number of other names you've never heard of. The common DNA has allowed for some cynical brand integration to facilitate IM's venture into overseas territories, hence why the electric exec saloon you see here is called the MG IM5 despite only having one MG badge on the entire car. Advertisement - Page continues below From September it'll be sold through MG's dealer network, and its job is to ensnare fleet and company car types in a way that the MG3, MG4, HS, ZS, S5 EV and Cyberster aren't geared up for. So has MG had any input into this *at all*? Yes, actually. MG took the IM L6 – which is what this is called in its home market – and conducted some Europe-specific tuning at Longbridge. The steering and suspension setup have been unsoftened (China prefers things light and wallowy), but note the UK gets the same fettling as IM5s destined for continental Europe, so no extra mitigation for our cratered roads. The infotainment system has also been replaced because the original, Alibaba-based one is guarded by many firewalls (presumably) and a three-headed dog (also presumably), so simply wouldn't work here. Anything special about it? Drumroll please… the fast one's got 742bhp and does 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds. Advertisement - Page continues below … and? Tough crowd. Is this thing on? Joking aside, the power fatigue for ludicrously motivated 'normal' cars is very real and having almost as much shove as a Bentley Continental GT for a fraction of the cost just doesn't spark the same intrigue as it would've done five years ago. The IM5's other major selling point is range: the Long Range, rear-wheel drive version is good for 441 miles WLTP, putting it in the top five rangiest electric cars on sale today. It's also kitted out with 800V architecture which means charging peaks at 396kW and will re-juice the 100kWh battery from 10-80 per cent full in 17 minutes. Nothing else at this price comes close. Why, how much does it cost? £39,450. Well, that's for the entry car which gets a smaller 75kWh battery. The Long Range with the, er, long range is £45k, while the Road-Runner fast Performance model is another three-and-a-half grand more. But whichever way you cut it, you're looking at dirt cheap fundamentals. For that money you'll also be window shopping for the Tesla Model 3, Polestar 2, BMW i4, VW ID.7 and Hyundai Ioniq 6. Stiff competition, then: the Tesla was a trailblazer in this arena, the BMW drives sweetly and the Ioniq is an efficiency monster. The BYD Seal set out its stall here a couple of years ago so it's had a head-start on the IM5. Come on then, is it any good to drive? Sigh… no it isn't. The whole experience is ruined by the suspension, which is one of the fussiest we've tried on a Chinese-bred car. And that's saying something. Whatever the speed, whatever the road surface, it complains. Constantly. And you'll be fed up with it after an hour. That feeds into the dynamics, which are incredibly dull and completely at odds with the localised nuclear explosion under your right foot. There's little wrong with the pedals – they're set up to be spongy and easygoing, and suit the car – but the only fun you'll get from it is by scaring unsuspecting passengers witless. We've saved the full old-person-yells-at-cloud rant for the Driving tab. Strap in. I'll head that way in a sec… is there anything you like about it? IM – sorry, MG – has done a good job with the soundproofing. Double-glazed windows and lovely thick carpet means precious little wind noise or tyre roar works its way into the cabin, so if your only goal is to reach a cruising speed and stay there while unwinding with a podcast, then the IM5 will probably do you right. There's copious amounts of leather inside and the seats are suitably well padded for the long haul. Just be wary of the touchscreen: there's virtually no physical switchgear so everything is controlled through the display on the centre console. Ugh. MG is at pains to point out that the car tested here is a late-stage pre-production model, so some software patches are incoming. That ride though… we're going to be having nightmares about it for weeks. Our choice from the range MG MOTOR UK 300kW Long Range 100kWh 5dr Auto See prices and specs What's the verdict? ' There aren't many electric saloons out there but most of them so far have been really good: the IM5… is quite some distance behind ' The MG IM5 is another of those cars that's going to pile the pressure on established names: enticing power, huge range and a menagerie of gizmos all for a seriously tempting price. With company car tax rates staying in single figures until the end of the decade, we can easily see this thing hoovering up besuited regional managers left, right, centre, and in hitherto undiscovered dimensions. However, this comes across as a car that MG has bought to the UK simply to plug a gap in its range, and do so as cheaply as possible. If the firm can't be bothered to slap on MG badges, where else might it have cut corners? As a package though, it's desperately unrefined. The ride quality is appalling, the handling is perfunctory, and it's genuinely astounding that a car manufacturer should divert so much of your attention away from the road and into the touchscreen. MG is far from the only offender here, but no amount of custom shortcuts can be an excuse for such a finickity system. There aren't many electric saloons out there but most of them so far have been really good: the IM5 joins not just at the back of the pack, but quite some distance behind. Oh dear.
Auto Express
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Express
New MG IM6 review: the EV to finally tame Tesla
The IM6 takes a lot of what we like about MG and uses it to become a real competitor in the crucial mid-size electric SUV market. It's packed full of equipment, has a roomy cabin and comes with a seriously impressive electric powertrain. It doesn't quite have the driver-involvement to match its stonking straight-line pace and even with fancy adaptive air suspension, the ride felt a little fussy. Range and charging are up there with the very best. We're looking forward to seeing how the IM6 is received in the UK, because it certainly deserves a place here. Advertisement - Article continues below Looking around the new MG IM6 for the first time, you'd be well within your rights to wonder what it is exactly. Aside from the small 'MG' script on the bootlid, you'd have no clue that this new electric SUV comes from the storied British company. One giveaway may be the likelihood that you'll be looking at the new IM6 at one of MG's 155 UK dealerships because every single one is signing up to sell this new car and its sister model, the IM5 saloon. The two arrive simultaneously as an important new model range for MG. The significance of the IM6 and the IM5 lies in their respective markets. The IM6 will allow MG to enter the all-important mid-size electric SUV segment for the first time and the IM5 will do the same with the electric executive saloon sector. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below View Arkana View Tiguan View X1 When you consider that MG has been associated largely with lower-end, affordable cars since its rebirth under Chinese ownership, it starts to make sense that the IM6 and IM5 will keep their physical 'IM' logos. IM stands for Intelligence in Motion and is used as a brand in regions like China and Australia where the two cars are already on sale. Advertisement - Article continues below A more practical reason for the new branding is because changing the bootlid logo (which houses the boot release button in the top left dot) and the steering wheel emblem (which would require crashing testing again with an MG badge) would cost MG a fair chunk of money - something relayed back to us by several MG representatives. Can't wait for the new MG IM6 to hit UK showrooms? Configure your perfect MG 4 through our Find a Car service now. Alternatively, check out our top prices on used MG4 models... Now, we've said the IM6 enters the mid-size electric SUV sector and it does so in three trims. There's the Long Range at £47,995, followed by the £50,995 Performance model and finally there's a £52,995 Launch Edition - which is what we're driving here. Unlike the IM5 saloon, which comes with a smaller 75kWh entry-level model, the IM6 SUV gets the larger 100kWh unit as standard across the range. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below An NMC (nickel, magnesium cobalt chemistry) battery and a low drag coefficient of just 0.242 gives the IM6 Long Range a maximum of 388 miles with its single-motor, rear-wheel drive layout. You get 313 miles from the more powerful dual-motor setup that the Performance and Launch Edition versions feature. Advertisement - Article continues below Those are some pretty impressive figures compared to the MG's immediate rivals. It beats the Skoda Enyaq's maximum 360 miles, the Kia EV6's 361 miles and even the almighty Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive's 387 miles is bested (albeit just by one mile). During our time with the IM6 we saw 3.2 miles per kWh which would've returned 320 miles - not bad after a mixture of motorway, town roads, and some spirited driving. Sitting on a brand new EV-dedicated 800V platform (which MG hasn't named), the IM6 also offers super fast charging. A maximum recharge rate of 396kW will see a 10 to 80 per cent top up take just 17 minutes, at the right charger. Single-motor, rear-wheel drive versions of the IM6 are offered in other markets with a 292bhp model providing a 6.8-second zero to 62mph time, but in the UK the IM6 kicks off with a more powerful 402bhp single-motor, lowering the sprint to 5.4 seconds. It's the Launch Edition we tested with its dual-motor layout packing rather startling figures of 741bhp and 802Nm of torque. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below That significant bump in output means the IM6 Launch Edition has more power than the latest Aston Martin Vantage, Ferrari Amalfi or even any Lamborghini Huracan. It also drops the zero to 62mph time to a frankly ridiculous 3.5 seconds and raises the top speed over the single-motor by 2mph to 148mph. Advertisement - Article continues below In a straight line the IM6's performance is genuinely breathtaking - especially so if you jump-in thinking this is another regular family SUV. It doesn't feel particularly different to any other fast electric SUV with a big dollop of torque catapulting you off the line - in the IM6 there's a distant hum of the electric motors but no augmented noise to hint at how fast you're going. Unlike the rather squirrely single-motor IM5 saloon we tried, the IM6's all-wheel drive system does manage to transmit its power to the Tarmac through what are relatively modestly-sized Pirelli tyres on 21-inch wheels (20-inch rims come on the single-motor variant). The sensation of acceleration is pretty brutal at first and credit to MG, the IM6 doesn't waver too much in its power delivery at higher speeds, either. With all that power you'd hope the IM6 would have some sort of dynamism and driving feel to back it up. It's a bit of a mixed bag. The IM6 is made in China primarily for the Chinese market, which typically prefers a soft set up. It has, however, been developed further for the UK by MG's engineers in Longbridge to help it suit our driving styles and preferences. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The car has stiffer springs and firmer damping than in other markets, the aim for MG being to give the IM6 more of a driver-focused experience in the UK. Our Launch Edition car, with its standard-fit adaptive air suspension gets several modes to play with - tweaking not only the damping of the suspension on the fly, but also the ride height, steering weight and throttle response. The brake pedal feel can also be altered, though not via paddles behind the steering wheel as those are reserved for cruise control and forward automatic braking distance settings. The brakes themselves are quite interesting because they're from Continental and branded as such - we're not sure (and neither are MG by the sound of things) why the IM6 and IM5 don't come with Continental tyres as well. We found the brakes to be strong enough overall and the regenerative braking system has been integrated smoothly. On the move, the IM6 bobs along in Eco and Comfort mode fairly well, though scarred road surfaces and potholes occasionally send judders through the cabin - which is a little disappointing when you consider the system is supposed to adjust its damping 10 times per second. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Taking up plenty of slack are the seats which have inserts that might look like a pack of hot cross buns, but are wonderfully cushioned in practice - if not not terribly supportive in the bends. Being an EV, the IM6 has a natural hushed tone while cruising and helping the overall sense of refinement is the standard-fit, double-glazed panoramic roof and double-layer glass all around. That glazing alone reduces cabin noise by 12 decibels, according to MG and from our experience it works a treat. Sling it into Sport mode and the firmness of the ride increases dramatically - something that's not always the case with heavy EVs riding on air suspension. There's aluminium double wishbone front suspension, a multi-link rear suspension and Pirelli tyres - though all those things don't really turn the IM6 into a sports car. It's incredibly quick getting to a corner and, in fairness, there's all-wheel drive that can be leant on to provide grip, but the steering is a let down. There's precious little feedback and in Sport mode the extra weight of the wheel leaves you feeling a bit disconnected and certainly not inspired with confidence to revel in the car's power. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below Every IM6 comes with four-wheel steering, which results in a turning circle of 10.18 metres - roughly what you'd expect of most superminis. The rear-wheel steering gives the IM6 the ability to 'crab walk' sideways to help with tight car parking and the car can park itself at the touch of a button in various scenarios. If you find yourself in a dead end it can even reverse itself out along the same route for up to 100 metres. The design of the IM6 has drawn plenty of comparisons to Aston Martin's DBX, the Porsche Macan and the Tesla Model Y. MG officials were pretty candid with us on the subject of these comparisons by stating 'it's not a bad group of cars to be compared to'. The flush-fitting door handles pop out when the car's unlocked- a normal function these days - though we felt a little bit of a delay between the physical handle being pulled and the door opening. It's a very minor gripe, though, and we're sure you'd get used to it after a few days. Once you're inside the IM6 you're met with either a white or grey 'leather-style' cabin. The layout is almost identical to the IM5's interior. The only discernible differences we could find were that the armrest could slide forwards in the SUV and not in the IM5 and the front seats were a little higher in the IM6, which let back seat passengers stick their feet underneath. Advertisement - Article continues below Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The low-slung bonnet means frontal visibility is wonderful, though rearward visibility is absolutely atrocious thanks to a tiny glass opening and one of the smallest rearview mirrors we've ever encountered. There are several rear-facing cameras providing decent quality video feeds to the main screen that alleviate this issue somewhat, but it's no substitute for a large rear glass area to look through. The IM6 is 153mm longer than a Tesla Model Y and 246mm longer than a Skoda Enyaq. As a result (helped by the panoramic roof) it's incredibly airy inside and space is plentiful for both front and rear occupants. There's a spacious 665-litre boot in the rear and a 32-litre 'frunk' for storage of the charging cables. Up front, the dash is an extremely minimalist affair with all physical buttons done away with, even the hazard warning light button is located on the ceiling. Pretty much every control ( climate, lighting, seating adjustment and even the boot opening) is located within the 10.5-inch touchscreen on the centre console. Luckily, the infotainment system the IM6 and IM5 share is a big step up from the one found in the MG4. There's obviously a lot of information and menus, but it's easy to navigate and we've got no complaints about responsiveness. There's another screen sitting on the dash and it measures a massive 26.3-inches. It's more of a conventional dual-screen set up, like you'd find on Kias, Hyundais and BMWs, with a dedicated driver's display showing the usual key graphics and a touchscreen in the middle for audio, maps or general apps. We did try the integrated sat-nav and found it to be lacking in detail, plus it wasn't that easy to follow - happily the smartphone integration is quick and painless. Being part of a new model line designed to sit above MG's current range as a more premium offering, IM6 needs the cabin quality to fight against some classy rivals and for the most part it's succeeded here. The faux leather upholstery felt tight, the few buttons dotted around felt solid to the touch and the materials used on the doors and dash seemed sturdy too. We're unconvinced by the crushed velvet floor mats, though. Model: MG IM6 Performance Launch Edition Price: £52,995 Powertrain: 100kWh battery, 2x e-motors Power/torque: 741bhp/802Nm Transmission: Single-speed auto, four-wheel drive 0-62mph: 3.5 seconds Top speed: 148mph Range: 313 miles Max charging: 396kW (10-80% in 17 mins) Size (L/W/H): 4,904/1,988/1,669mm On sale: Now
