MG S6: First Drive So perhaps you own a Volkswagen Tiguan, Skoda Kodiaq or are lining up to buy the plug-in hybrid version of the latest Toyota RAV4? Don’t be surprised if that allegiance or interest perhaps puts you in the sights of MG. The Sino-Brit brand’s latest electric car, the S6, is here and the New Zealand distributor feels there’s no point simply selling it to people who are already converts to battery-fed driving. MG New Zealand country business manager Dean Sheed says true growth comes from expanding the customer profile. Ripe for shoulder-tapping are those who like the idea of EVs but are still caught in the Ice (you know, for “internal combustion engine”) age, but perhaps are having thoughts about reaching beyond that zone. Securing conquest sales to buyers who might currently favour semi-premium medium sports utilities makes specific sense. Particularly in Sheed’s mind are owners of Volkswagen Group models that are highly familiar to him (because that’s where he previously worked, latterly running Audi NZ) but also the Toyota that was New Zealand’s favourite car last year. Which doesn’t mean he will ignore the electric opposition. Obvious EV sector rivals for the S6 include the BYD Seal 7, Zeekr 7X and the big gun: Tesla Model Y is to the electric sector what RAV4 is to the entire new car market; a giant so dominant it looks to be impossible to topple. With 1,908 registrations between January 1 and the end of June, the Model Y held status as the most popular new electric car of the first half of 2026 by achieving four times the buy-in of the next most popular choice. Sheed admires Tesla’s accomplishment, respects the brand and acknowledges the Model Y was the S6’s development barometer. But a High Noon-style showdown is hardly an absolute requisite. People will compare and make their own minds up in respect to that scenario, he suggests. “I’d rather not just look at Tesla. I won’t say a bad word about them, they do a brilliant job. “(But) I’d like to see us grow the business by converting people from petrol. “If I just look at EVs and go ‘who do I want to compete with there?’ I’m missing the opportunity which is with those who have predominantly considered petrol and hybrids. “There’s a whole raft of mainstream high-quality vehicles against which we are now continuing to compete.” On first meeting the new MG, don’t be surprised if comparisons with Elon Musk’s opus don’t nonetheless occur. But Sheed’s point is also reasonable. [Missing Credit]MG S6 for DriveSouth. Photo: Richard Bosselman The S6 comes in hot. Though defined as a sister model to the S5, the S6 stands apart by being a bit larger, having more rakish styling, achieving a more solid road feel and promising strong real-world driving range from a bigger (77kWh) battery. In provisioning in $56,990 rear- and $63,990 all-wheel-drive configurations, with the latter’s large glass roof the chief visible difference between them (the AWD also gets a head-up display), it also holds a tasty price positioning against all its entirely electric counterparts. Also a step up on previous MG electric cars? In some ways, yes; the ride quality from a product on 20-inch rims seems very good and there’s a pleasing lack of wind and road noise; even coarse chip doesn’t seem to erode the calm inside the cabin. True, as in all this make’s products, it’d be great if the driver attention aids could be dialled down a little. And, yes, the styling in silhouette is a touch frumpy. But otherwise, going by first encounter, there’s little else immediately obvious to undermine what is a well-designed, well-specified and enjoyable-to-drive medium SUV from a Chinese brand that is so well established it can confidently bat away questions about its credibility and market status. Not least the latter; MG is now No 4 in the new passenger car sector: sixth overall in combined passenger-commercial. That’s serious street cred. In-house betting is on the AWD car achieving most volume, which seems sound. The performance credential is hard to ignore, with 0-100kmh in 5.1 seconds, and the 485km WLTP-claimed range and average energy consumption of 16kWh/100km seem manageable. On the other hand, don’t feel like you’re missing out by opting for the rear-drive option. Though 2.2 seconds slower to the legal open-road limit, it’s fast enough to still feel sharp. Either way, the car comes on 20-inch alloy wheels, has a tyre repair kit, automatic LED headlights, auto high-beam, electric tailgate, heated power-folding exterior mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, Bluetooth key, digital radio, on-board satellite navigation, 11-speaker audio system, 50W wireless phone charging, heated one-touch power windows, heated and ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, six-way electric driver seat and four-way electric passenger seat, combination leatherette/suede trim, dual-zone climate control, rear air vents, two front USB-C outlets and two rear USB-C outlets. It includes a heat pump, adjustable regenerative braking and one-pedal driving functionality as standard. All is wrapped by a smoothed-off, slippery shape that’s not perhaps the most eye-catching. By keeping the roofline high all the way to the tailgate, there’s a certain frumpiness to the silhouette. The plus points are that this maximises interior space and is great for aerodynamic efficiency: its coefficient of drag being an impressively low 0.27. It has the corporate look of other MGs, complete with a sleek LED front light signature and a full-width bar of illumination at the back. To some, the cheaper model having a larger frunk — 86 litres versus 67 — and its 85km extra WLTP range that takes the single motor into the heart of the ‘500’ club might be more appealing. Take note also that as both tow 1,500kg of braked trailer and half that weight unbraked, there’s therefore no advantage in picking the all-wheel-drive model for that specific duty, as it can’t officially lug any more mass. Either way, there’s a family-sized cabin space on offer, with plenty of stowage too. The door pockets and glovebox of the MG S6 EV are of a decent size, but the biggest storage area for immediate use is the huge, lidded cubby beneath the central armrest. The boot space offers 581 litres with the second row in use, expanding out to a hefty 1,690 litres with the 60:40 split second row folded down. The low and flat floor — credited to it having a slim 110mm battery — high ceiling and decent seats set the S6 up to be a comfortable long-distance family hauler. Room in the back is a strong point because of its long body and 2.8m stretch between the front and rear wheels. [Missing Credit]MG S6 for DriveSouth. Photo: Richard Bosselman The cabin’s sense of premium-ness is palpable. I know MG’s IM sub-marque is supposed to be its ultimate delivery of plushness, but the cabin here with its quality materials, solid fit and finish and attention to detail is close enough to sway buyers away from that dearer proposition, represented here as the IM6. The attention to detail in terms of how some features (such as the air vents) have been incorporated into the overall design is very impressive. Chinese brands learn fast, but MG is almost Mensa in that sense. Controls-wise it is typical MG; while there’s certainly plenty you can control once you start delving into the menu systems, the layouts are all reasonably easy to decipher and use and the screen has brilliant graphical clarity, is responsive to touch inputs, and overall it’s not as complex as some. The driver’s seat is fully electrically adjustable and has a fine range of movement. Either way, you get a car that seems unfussily and quietly confident to drive. The 104km prescribed test route left us wanting more as it didn’t really stretch the steering or braking, let alone the five driving modes. The AWD of course feels more rapid even in the default Normal driving mode, and has an emphatically sharper step-up in the ‘Sport’ setting. There is also ‘Eco’, ‘Custom’ and ‘Snow’. Some of MG’s cars have lithium-ion batteries; the S6 goes to a nickel cobalt manganese formula that, MG argues, is better for long-distance driving. It does penalise with a more modest charging speed, but it’s hardly glacial. Both models can charge from 10% to 80% in 38 minutes at the maximum 144kW DC fast-charge rate, with 11kW AC charging also available. A week before release the car garnered the top five-star rating from national crash-test auditor Ancap, recording high scores across the board for protection of adult occupants, child occupants, vulnerable road users and safety assist. It comes with seven airbags as standard and has a body made of 81% high-strength steel, while a fulsome suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) — under the MG Pilot umbrella — is standard equipment. With five fully-combustion cars, three hybrid electrics, one plug-in hybrid and now five fully-electric products, MG is well established across all drivetrain options, and will enhance that further this year, with a fully electric version of the big MG U9 utility. And further in the future? MG had two concepts at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed in the United Kingdom. The smaller of the two, labelled MG Go!, is worth keeping a particular eye on. Though it remains purely a concept car, the company has said it’s a statement and an indication of where it can go next. Read between the lines a bit more, and it’s clearly an early preview of a supermini hatchback that logically could carry the MG 2 moniker, indicating its positioning in the range. Sheed is happy to see more electrics and notes the market is delivering a distinct trend back toward EVs after two extremely depressed years. Thirty-eight percent of new passenger registrations being achieved by battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles last month signalled the highest electrified share recorded for that period by the NZ Transport Agency. Electric product take-up has grown massively since January, whereas ICE share is reducing. In June, 26.2% of registrations went to EVs, 12% to PHEVs and 30.6% to hybrids lacking the ability to mains-replenish. The ICE share was 31%, down from 52% in February. Sheed’s view is that things might quieten down a bit from now on, but he also sees no reason to doubt that the trend being seen now will alter significantly. For MG, accelerated EV buy-up across the first half of the year has meant a cracking start for the MG4 Urban. Supply in the start-off month of May and then June was exhausted, with 264 on the road as a result. The sister MG4 was caught during model changeover but new supply starts soon. The S5 also ran well, with 225 plated so far. If any individual model has a chance of raising the game, then it surely has to be the S6. [Missing Credit]MG S6 for DriveSouth. Photo: Richard Bosselman Specifications MG S6 Prices: single-motor, rear-drive $56,990; dual motor, all-wheel-drive $63,990. Powertrains: Rear drive, single electric motor, maximum power 180kW, maximum torque 350Nm; AWD dual motor, maximum power 266kW/540Nm. Transmission: Single speed, rear or all-wheel-drive Safety rating: Five star Ancap. Battery type and economy: 77kWh (74.3kWh useable) NCM (nickel-manganese-cobalt), estimated combined economy (WLTP combined test) 16.6 kWh /100km (single motor rear-drive), 18.1 kWh /100km (dual motor, AWD). Emissions: Zero emissions. Wheels and tyres: Alloy wheels, 245/50 R20. Dimensions: length 4708mm, width 2142mm, height 1672mm. Kerb weight: 1880kg (single motor rear-drive), 2,005 kg (dual motor, AWD)
