MGS6 EV (2026) Review

Introduction

A raft of Chinese automotive brands is hitting the United Kingdom at the moment – but if you list them all, you might be surprised to see MG included in some of them. After all, MG traces its roots back around a century and is a distinctly British brand. In fact, its history goes back so far that it's disputed when MG officially started producing its own models.

Decades of existence in the West Midlands followed, culminating in the eventual disastrous downfall of MG Rover, which came to a fiery end in the mid-2000s, when the brand was almost lost to history. A rescue by Nanjing Automobile put the flames out in 2005, before Nanjing was swallowed up by fellow Chinese manufacturer SAIC Motor in 2007.

The first ‘new’ MG – the MG6 – came along four years later. While its first few cars were largely forgettable, everything changed when the MG4 EV arrived – a small, electric SUV that was the first affordable battery-powered model.

It wowed critics, offering lots of equipment, a lovely interior, and promising driving dynamics – and, crucially, without being disproportionately expensive compared with equivalent combustion-engined rivals, as most electric cars were at the time.

The floodgates to more affordable electric cars soon opened. MG now offers half a dozen electric cars – including the excellent Cyberster roadster – and the S6 EV we have in our hands today is the latest to join the ranks.

It is a reasonably large SUV which aims to take on the likes of the Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.4.

Does it compete? We aim to find out.

At A Glance

The MG S6 EV certainly looks like it’s from the same design philosophy as the MG4.

It is slightly more rounded, but still has a pointy front end, small, triangular headlights and large triangular air intakes. The sides are smooth, apart from the crease made by the wheel arches, while the bottom of the doors features a large indentation.

The rear looks lovely, too, with a large roof spoiler and a sexy, horizontal light bar which spans the full width of the tailgate, thickening out around the corners. There is also a diffuser-shaped lower end, with cladding and silver trim that almost look like two ridiculously enormous exhaust tips when viewed from a distance.

It is a lovely, well-proportioned car. Let’s hope it goes as well as it looks.

Key Features

The MG S6 EV is available in a couple of trim levels.

The entry-level SE gets 19-inch aero alloy wheels, a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and voice control, eight speakers and digital radio, and a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display. You also get grey fabric upholstery, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, automatic full LED headlights and taillights, rear privacy glass, a rear parking camera, a heat pump, and vehicle-to-load charging. Phew!

The top-of-the-range Trophy acquires 20-inch Gulfstream alloys, a head-up display, a panoramic glass roof with electric blind, a 360-degree surround-view camera, ambient lighting, three extra speakers, a wireless phone charger, and a hands-free, powered tailgate. You also get heated rear seats, six-way driver and four-way passenger electric adjustment in the front seats, which are also ventilated, as well as grey-style leather and suede upholstery with carbon-effect trim.

Power comes in two forms, with the Long Range version featuring a single motor with rear-wheel drive producing 244PS. Alternatively, there's the Dual Motor version, which provides all-wheel drive and boosts the poke to 361PS, although it's only available in Trophy trim. Choosing the SE grade commits you to the Long Range model.

Range and Batteries

The MG S6 is fitted with a 74.3kWh battery. That is good enough for the claimed 329-mile range of the Long Range version.  Choosing the dual-motor version drops the electric range to 301 miles. Neither figure is class-leading, but they're competitive against rival electric cars.

Performance & Drive

Our dual-motored test car is pacey, reaching 62mph from zero in 5.1 seconds. In fact, pacey is an understatement – it’s rapid by SUV standards and, frankly, seems excessive for the type of car it is.

In that respect, the single-motor version manages the same in 7.3 seconds despite a power disadvantage of 117PS – that’s considerably slower, yet still perfectly acceptable for most people’s needs, plus it's rear-wheel drive.

Still, we get to enjoy the poke of the dual-motor version, which accelerates keenly off the line and makes light work of reaching motorway speeds. While the acceleration can be exhilarating in a big car like this, that’s about as fun as it gets. The handling isn’t bad, but it’s unexciting. Its suspension is soft and supple, making it a comfortable car to ride in, even with our large 20-inch wheels.

The downside is that it generates plenty of body lean around faster bends, though the steering weights up quite nicely, particularly in Sport mode. That setting is about the only sporty feature it can claim, though, other than its zero to 62mph time. It is a comfortable cruiser that's built for wafting about in and isn’t in any way designed to be a sports SUV, even if its acceleration would kid you otherwise.

The MG is not entirely devoid of agility – in fact, the electric car feels comfortable around corners, and the heavier steering is also precise, helping you to place it with confidence. It handles potholes reasonably well and generally feels well planted, though it takes longer to settle back down after being jolted by lumps and bumps than some competitors.

As for noise, it’s not bad. Wind and road rumble through the tyres isn't too intrusive, although the former is noticeably louder at high speed. At the same time, the electric motor is more audible than in some competitors, particularly in the dual-motor version, as expected.

Regenerative braking is accurate and predictable, so it doesn't take much getting used to, and can be adjusted through the touchscreen. One-pedal driving is possible, though the pedal feels a little spongy.

Charging

The MG S6 charges at a maximum rate of 144kW DC, meaning a 10-80% top-up of the batteries takes around 38 minutes. That might sound impressive, but it's well behind its best-performing rivals, most of which have charging speeds above 250kW. Kia’s EV6 is an outlier – it can even charge at 350kW.

Running Costs & Emissions

The MG S6 will be very cheap to run, which is especially satisfying given its decent performance figures. Charging it up at home, avoiding more expensive public chargers, will cost much less than an equivalent petrol or diesel model.

Of course, road tax will be lower due to its zero emissions – but only for the first year, nowadays. However, £10 is better than a four-figure sum, which plenty of petrol and diesel car drivers have to pay, even for ones that aren't considered gas guzzlers. After that, it’s £195-a-year (subject to annual increases). Still, zero emissions will make it attractive to lease as a company car, as it'll sit in the bottom band for Benefit-In-Kind tax.

Reliability might be an issue, though. MG has a very poor reputation of late, though this is mainly for its combustion-engined cars, so we hope this newest generation of electric vehicles turns the tide, but only time will tell. 

Interior & Technology

The cabin of the MG S6 looks very nice. Admittedly, the look of our Trophy-trimmed test car is enhanced by beige leather seats, which add a touch of luxury – it's a no-cost option, but isn't offered on the entry-level SE version. Mind you, even the default dark grey leather looks very well presented, albeit not as lavish. The steering wheel has a flat top and flat bottom, and there’s lots of lovely silver trim adorning the spokes, the buttons on the door handles, and the centre console, which is wide and laid out very nicely. There is a large silver rotary dial sitting next to the wireless charging pad, and a couple of modest air vents above, just beneath the infotainment screen.

The touchscreen isn't the widest we've seen, but it still measures 12.8 inches – and it's a lovely system to use. It offers pin-sharp graphics, a screen that's responsive to touches and prods from your fingers, and an intuitive menu layout. In addition, the 10.25-inch digital instrument display behind the wheel is very nice to look at, offering plenty of clear, helpful information, and there are three layouts to choose from, with a bunch of customisable functions.

Physical controls for the air conditioning add to the convenience, and MG resists the temptation to bury them in the touchscreen, much to our relief. In fact, there's a wholesome number of physical switches, dials and buttons dotted around the cabin, yet it still retains a clean and fairly decluttered design. The voice control is accurate at interpreting your speech, and it can be used to operate many touchscreen features without you needing to take your eyes off the road. Even better, our Trophy test car gets a head-up display that projects critical information such as speed and SatNav guidance into your line of sight.

One noticeable thing is the improvement in build quality over the MG4 – everything feels that little bit more solidly screwed together. The materials feel pleasant to the touch, with loads of plush surfaces. In fact, far more expensive rivals on the leasing scene don't have much of an advantage over this MG. It is very lovely to sit in – even quite opulent.

Practicality & Boot Space

There is a generous amount of adjustment in the seat and the steering wheel, so finding a comfortable, supportive driving position is easy. It is helped further in the Trophy edition we're testing, which gets electric front seat adjustment. The driver's chair adjusts six ways, and the passenger's seat adjusts four ways. Forward visibility is good, thanks to the raised driving position and relatively thin window pillars, making it easier to see out of at junctions. They are thicker at the rear but still provide decent rearward visibility, partly because the roofline doesn't slope down all that much.

Help is offered in the form of rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, both included on all models. Only the Trophy trim gets front sensors, with the higher model upgrading to a surround-view camera. The front seats are comfortable, and there's plenty of headroom and legroom, so even taller drivers won't struggle. Meanwhile, the cabin is of a sufficient width to ensure two front seat occupants won't be knocking elbows.

The rear of the new MG is equally impressive, too, offering a generous amount of space. Even a middle-seat passenger is well accommodated compared with many rivals, thanks to a flat floor that doesn't feel as high as in some electric cars. Our Trophy-trimmed test car has a panoramic sunroof, and even this doesn’t appear to eat into the headroom too much. A spacious rear often comes at the cost of boot space, and while the MG S6 doesn’t have the biggest boot, it’s still a satisfactory 493 litres, which expands to 1,910 litres with the rear seats folded over in a 60:40 split. Admittedly, that's not as versatile as the 40:20:40 split you'll get in some of the competition.

There are other drawbacks too: the seats don't fold flat, so there's a ridge to navigate when loading longer objects, the rear seats don't slide or recline, and there's no underfloor storage. One thing worth noting: MG quotes the lower boot space as 674 litres, but this is a little misleading, as it includes the space above the parcel shelf, which most manufacturers don’t include.

There is, though, a 'frunk' offering a further 124 litres of storage underneath the bonnet, though this is reduced to 102 litres in the dual-motor version. The cabin offers plenty of storage, too, with a generously sized cubby between the front seats, a tray beneath the wireless charger, fairly large door bins, and a usefully sized glove compartment.

Safety

We know the MG S6 has been crash-tested by Euro NCAP boffins – because the Belgian-based organisation innocently unveiled the first pictures of the MG S6 when it announced its results in the autumn. It was worth it, though – a five-star rating with an impressive 92% score for adult occupants, 85% for children and 78% for safety assists.

The latter category includes many ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), such as automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist and departure warning, adaptive cruise control, intelligent speed limit assist, and blind-spot detection.

Lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning, intelligent high beam control, and a driver monitoring system are also included, along with a tyre pressure monitoring system. Some of these are also configurable, and you can save your settings and load them easily depending on your preferences.

Options

There aren’t many optional extras available on the MG S6. The standard body colour is solid arctic white, while metallic grey, silver or red are also available, along with pearl black, or a premium satin gold. 

As we mentioned earlier, the beige leather upholstery is a no-cost option on the Trophy trim but isn't available on the SE trim. Additional accessories, such as charging cables and floor mats, are also available.

Rival Cars

The MG S6 has plenty of competitors hoping to spoil the party.

Kia's EV5 and EV6, the Skoda Enyaq, Volkswagen's ID.4 and the Tesla Model Y are all formidable opponents. And given that MG is Chinese-owned, let's not forget the dozen or more fellow Chinese manufacturers who have arrived in the UK in recent times. Together, they offer the BYD Seal U, GWM Haval, Jaecoo 7, Leapmotor C10, Omoda 5, and XPeng G6 as viable leasing alternatives.

There are also electric versions of more traditional brands, such as the Citroen e-C5 Aircross and the Vauxhall Grandland Electric.

Verdict & Next Steps

The spanking-new MG S6 EV is a very competitive proposition, offering a lot for comparatively little.

It is lovely inside, comes generously equipped as standard, and offers admirable straight-line performance for a larger car, with reasonably good handling, too. At the same time, it's very practical, to the point that we’re disappointed there isn’t a seven-seater version. It also undercuts several foes, making it even more tempting.

But some rivals can charge faster, they're more refined, and most have better reliability records, and while the MG is pleasant enough to drive, it's not the class leader when it comes to the driving experience.

The Trophy edition is very nice and comes with many additional luxuries. Still, the SE version (available only as the Long Range with the single motor) is more than sufficient for everyday driving and offers everything you really need.

Where to next?

View latest MGS6 EV lease deals - from just £356.44 per month inc VAT**.

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the MGS6 EV.

**Correct as of 20/01/2026. Based on 12 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 12 monthly payments, or £4,277.28 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.