10 September 2012
New car report; Welcome back, my ol’ china.
Although they went to great lengths expounding the virtues of the British heritage of their Chinese built MG6 at the New Zealand media launch, the reality for the people at MG is that the future strength of the brand lies with the enormous financial clout their new Chinese owners, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) bring to the table.
SAIC is a huge player in the automotive arena, having joint ventures with Volkswagen and General Motors in China and producing around 4 million cars in 2011, so they’re no lightweight.
Local importer for MG is British Motor Distributors (BMD), and according to Operations Manager, Kerry Cheyne, the design work is still managed out of the UK in order to deliver product that will appeal to Western markets, but the cheques are written by the Chinese who obviously want to see a return on their investment.
With the weight of SAIC behind them, the first completely new MG since the 1990's has finally seen the light of day, and although it’s not a sports car in true MG tradition, it’s the type of sensible family car that stacks up as a business case from the manufacturer’s perspective and one that should appeal to value conscious mid-range saloon car buyers.
Two body styles of the MG6 are being offered up, with three trim levels. The MG6 GT is a five door liftback and the MG6 Magnette a four door saloon. Trim levels start with the entry level S, through to mid-range SE and top spec TSE.
Quality and driving experience exceeded expectation
It’s fair to say that our expectations of the MG6 were not high. Well, shame on us because it’s really not a bad car at all. It’s spacious, well-appointed and quite attractive looking too. We prefer the raked back style and practicality of the GT to the relatively pedestrian looking Magnette, but that’s just personal preference and both are pretty stylish.
The chassis, which we’re told is based on an evolution of the old Rover 75/MGZT platform, is tort and firm and it handles as well as anything in its class, although steering feels a little vague; surprising really, as it’s a dedicated hydraulic system – no fancy electric set-up here. There was minimal intrusive road noise during our drive through Canterbury and fit and finish along with the interior architecture is well executed.
But yes, there were a few gripes. An annoying buzz from the dash area of both the GT and Magnette we tested when revved above about 5,500rpm irritated, and both cars exhibited more wind noise than we’d have liked around the A pillar area. Also, while the 1.8 litre engine (an evolution of the old Rover K Series unit) was apparently turbocharged (no, we didn’t lift the bonnet to check!) there was no obvious shove in the back normally associated with forced induction. But overall, it felt a much better car than we had anticipated and one that can hold its own with many Japanese and Korean competitors.
Unfortunately, at this stage there’s no automatic version and the five speed manual ‘box feels very last century, but when autos do eventually arrive in 2013, they will be 21st century six speed DCT affairs. Until then, Kiwi buyer appeal will be limited, something freely admitted by BMD Director, John Fairhall who said “we know that customers are likely to walk out of the showroom until we have autos.”
With 118kW/215Nm on tap, the sprint to our open road speed limit is said to be achievable in 8.4 seconds and combined cycle fuel consumption is claimed to be 7.5L/100km with CO2 emissions of 174g/gm. The maximum towing limit is 1,450kg braked and 750kg unbraked.
4 Star safety and a decent amount of kit
Six airbags, rear ISOFIX child seat anchorages, Stability Control and Hill Hold Control are all standard and the MG6 has received a 4 star Euro NCAP safety rating.
All models get 17 inch alloys, front fog lights, an electric sunroof, heated mirrors, Aux and USB connectivity, while the SE adds rear parking aid, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, a leather, multi-function steering wheel and an audio system with colour screen.
The range-topping TSE has a reversing camera, electric and heated front seats, dual zone climate a/c, auto lights and wipers and sport leather seats – although, it’s fair to say that the quality of the leather leaves a bit to be desired. Disappointingly, it’s not until you tick the TSE box that you get Bluetooth – something that should be standard on everything today.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but indications are that it’s likely to range from just under $30k for the S through to the mid thirties for the TSE. The dealer network is also still in the negotiation stage, but it’s likely to kick off with three main dealers, one each in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, supported by parts and service outlets in smaller centres.
There are no wild sales volume expectations, especially as there’s no automatic version yet, but with at least three new models on the drawing board, new transmissions and engines (including diesels) under development, and the backing of a company with deep pockets for R&D, finally, the future looks bright for MG. It’d be nice to see a sports car one day too, and then we’d really know MG is back.