MGS6 EV (2025 - ) review

The purchase price is higher than some competitors but you can see where the money goes. A top range of 329 miles means that unless you’re driving a long way EVERY day you won’t find yourself needing to charge that often, and therefore won’t have to spend out to do so. It also helps that all three models are capable of rapid charging from 10 to 80 per cent in 38 minutes, which is good to know if you are caught short (of charge) in public. Obviously, it will cost more to charge on a public charger, but at home you can take advantage of your own tariff, or get one of those special EV charging tariffs some energy providers offer. Finally, don’t forget that a good finance or lease deal will help break the purchase cost down.

A seven-year warranty is a strong show of confidence from any manufacturer that their electric car is built to last. And it certainly feels it. The exterior is stylish but looks tough, the interior is comfortable and without too many gaps between panels, and the drivetrain is robust and feels well engineered. Recent surveys (not carried out by Autotrader) indicated that MG vehicles aren’t always seen as that reliable, but it feels like the S6 EV has been built to put those feelings to bed. Hopefully it, and others on the way to the UK (we were told at least two more are on the way next year), will see the brand regain a positive reputation in this category.

The MGS6 EV launches right out of the gate with a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The vehicle features seven airbags as standard and the MG Pilot safety package provides a comprehensive list of driver assistance tech. Highlights include Active Emergency Braking, four individual lane safety features (with accompanying bings and bongs), blind spot detection, intelligent speed limit assist and a driver monitoring system. You can use the MG Pilot Custom settings to select and save your own ADAS system profiles, meaning they don’t all reset to factory settings every time you start the vehicle. The braking system is also top notch, with MG equipping the S6 EV with Continental’s latest tech specifically designed for electric vehicles. The brakes feel a bit keen to start with, but settle in nicely as you get used to the feel of the pedal. However, we did find that one-pedal driving in every model was a bit aggressive when slowing down and did make us feel a bit uncomfortable as we approached junctions… it slowed itself way too quickly and we freaked out a couple of drivers behind us.

Let’s start with a bit of universal praise from those of us driving the S6 EV at its launch event… the driver’s seat is properly comfy and best enjoyed heated in cold weather with the heated steering wheel on. At speed the powered and adjustable seat neatly cradles you, and the leg rest on the side of the console is placed just at the right height. We didn’t get to try out the rear seats while driving, but we did try them out while static and they seemed spacious and soft enough. Even though the interior is quite understated and clean, you can tell it’s taken a lot of work to get it feeling that way. There are a lot of soft-touch materials, but they’re mixed well with clever design details like hidden air vents and the huge panoramic sunroof. It’s also one of the first compact electric SUVs we’ve seen in a while that didn’t have loads of shiny surfaces you just know will get covered in fingerprints. Pleasingly, there are physical dials and buttons on the central console near the drive selector dial for heating, ventilation and the sound system, with MG confirming this was the result of consumer feedback that showed people are tired of having to control everything through a touch-screen. In summary, MG has leaned on its ultra-thin battery tech to provide more room to play with on the inside and the interior of the S6 EV makes good use of it. Perhaps the only downside to all the space is that it felt a bit empty without any passengers in, but that really does feel like a first-world problem.

Every version of the S6 EV comes with a clear 10.25-inch driver information display behind the steering wheel and an ample 12.8-inch infotainment touch-screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. USB-C sockets and the 12V outlet sit awkwardly in a cubby under the central console – they’re a hassle to get to but at least they’re present and correct. Top-spec ‘Trophy’ trim models get a ‘mostly clear, slightly too bright’ head up display showing speed, road signs and navigation info. The top-spec models also get the heated front seats, sunroof and a decent 11-speaker audio system. You even get a wireless phone charger… just make sure it’s clear of crumbs before plonking your phone on it. Long story short, our test driver had a snack, some granola got under the phone, and a few big crumbs stopped the phone from connecting to the wireless charger! Lesson learned and there is, meanwhile, a frunk at the front of the vehicle, big enough for a SMALL suitcase, and the rear hatch is powered allowing easy access to the boot. A lot of the nicest equipment is available at two highest trim levels (of the three available), so if you want the bits we’ve listed above then scope out a Trophy version.

We drove two versions of the MGS6 EV – rear-wheel and dual motor all-wheel drive models – at the top trim level and had a blast in them. Of the two, we definitely preferred driving the rear-wheel drive version because it just felt better. Dual-motor all-wheel drive electric cars always seem to be a bit less fun on twisty roads, with the impact of the two motors only really being felt when getting up to speed on a motorway. It’s no different here. The most fun we had all day was whipping through the stunning roads that cut through the old tank proving grounds near Newbury in a single motor S6 EV set to sport mode. The acceleration was exhilarating, and the steering way more precise than we expected. All-in-all, the S6 EV handles most roads with ease, power and safety. MG has done well and we can’t help but feel its appeal will be lapped up by families and professionals looking for a compact SUV with a fancy, fun-to-drive edge.