MG6 test Drive

[Neil Coupland]

MG6 Test Drive

I managed to get an invite last week to a MG test drive event at the Prodrive test track near Kennilworth, and I have to say it was a very interesting day.



In essence we had the chance to sample the MG6 on the track and skid pan, a drive around the mean streets (well leafy lanes) of Kenilworth plus 3 presentations by MG staff.

I went with an open mind, after all the press coverage has been mixed, but came away impressed. The interior quality is generally good; coming from a Contemporary 75 I don’t mind the dark sports style. The seats were well made with soft smooth leather; my co tester remarked on them being of Audi quality. It looked a little smaller than the 75 inside but that may be down to the high waistline. Never the less I had plenty of space and leg room both in the front and rear.

The presentations included emphasis of MG's sports heritage and the wish to make this a driver’s car. A lot of work has gone into the chassis development and it shows, at least on the short chance I had to try it. In the hands of the professional it felt very stable on the track and he wasn’t hanging about either. My brief time on the track was spent in coming to terms with the circuit rather than exploring the handling limits of the car. However, blundering into corners on the wrong line and at the wrong speed didn’t cause the car any problems. This car had far more grip than I was going to need.

Somewhat slower speed fun was to found on the skid pan. The aim was to demonstrate the electronic stability system at safe speeds, and yes it works. Start sliding the car whilst cornering and it will bring the vehicle back into line again.



Next was a chance to drive around the local area. Ok it was a “controlled route” but included a mixture of A roads, dual carriage way, town driving and country lanes. The MG6 was nice to drive. It was smooth and quiet. The ride is well controlled, firm without being harsh. The steering is nicely weighted, you can feel what the front wheels are doing, but it certainly isn’t heavy. I could happily cover 300 miles before lunch in this.

But what about the engine?? Yes it is a development from the K series, (grandson of the K according to Andrew Foster, MG’s technical guru who was there on the day), but practically everything has evolved on from “our” K series, to the extent that no parts would be interchangeable between the old and new engines. Block, head, manifolds, turbo etc are all different as to design and, in some cases, materials used. Interestingly he went on to talk about the K and HGF issues. He is ex MGRover and spoke of the mls gasket. It was ready to implement into production when the company failed, I suspect as part of the euro 4 compliance that was almost ready to sign off at the time but no doubt others will correct me on this if I’m wrong. In any event the mls gasket must be used in conjunction with the stiffer oil rail and revised bolts.

In use the power delivery felt very linear, with a fairly flat torque curve. I currently have a v6, but previously ran a 1.8 turbo 75 for 5 years, and the current engine was not too dissimilar to that. Play with the gearbox and you can make quick progress, but if you are feeling lazy it is happy to pull from low engine speeds without any complaint. It was reasonably quiet (until you floor the throttle) but certainly not coarse.

Faults? The hand brake is on the wrong side of the centre console, but this is a car originally designed for left hand drive, and you quickly get used to it.

The high waistline and slope of the rear window restrict the view, but again, after driving for a few minutes I wasn’t aware of it as a problem. Interestingly the top spec TSE model includes a rear view camera as standard, perhaps to assist parking problems with a restricted view?

But it’s just a one trick pony – one shape and one engine? Yes but not for long. Apparently the saloon version is due for launch later this year, ‘in about three months’ we were told, and two diesels are currently in development with intended launch in 2012. They are provisionally rated at 160bhp and 200bhp respectively. It seems that diesel cars don’t sell in China hence the original development of a petrol only model, and the testing of diesels for the European market is now playing catch up.

I did suggest that a tourer version might look rather handsome; alas there are no plans for one at the moment.

So the interesting question, would I buy one? Yes and no. I would be happy to use one as my everyday transport, but I’m not sure if I want to give up the joy of a v6 (even if it does have a drink problem). Mind you, a 200bhp diesel might be fun...

If you get the chance go and have a look at one, better still have a drive. Its a decent car and in my opinion the chassis is good enough to carry an MG badge.



Oh yes, there was a MG3 there as well. Chinese built, left hand drive, being exhibited to dealers and the press. I managed a quick look, but sorry no pictures. It looks like a standard super-mini, reasonable space inside and nicely finished. Officially no decision has been made yet about bringing it to Longbridge but everyone I spoke hoped that it would.

[Ragman]

Excellent write up - thank you

[Banjo]

Thanks for a balanced review - seems to me this car is worthy of the MG badge.

[Tatts]

Excellent stuff, thanks Neil!

[Departed 32016]

So the engine is completely different but the power output and emissions are similar hmmm.....

[woolleysox]

Goog news for MG http://www.birminghammail.net/news/t...7319-28811493/

[starbug2]

i hope it sells well and is given a fair chance by folk . my be some day i'll get to drive one

[e668ecp]

I suspect the engine is a K-series that has been re-worked and built on new lines etc. This in my opinion is not enough to say its not a K-series. Mind you the M series was a development of the O series so maybe it can be called something else