Fancy a Chinese? MG6 tested

Plenty of people said it couldn’t be done when SAIC Motor (the Chinese company formerly known as the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) announced plans to re-start production at MG-Rover’s defunct Longbridge plant, in Birmingham.
The Chinese had swooped in and bought the remnants of MG-Rover after the ailing British company collapsed in 2005.
No one really believed SAIC when it said production would restart at Longbridge. After all, hadn’t most of it been sold off to developers?
But six years after MG-Rover closed its doors for good, one of the workers who lost her job that day - Lisa Ponter - drove an MG6, the first all-new MG since the MGF in 1995, off the production line.
Although it wears the famous MG octagon badge, the 6 is actually closely related to a Rover, or a Roewe as the marque is now called.
It’s a sportier version of the Roewe 550, a four-door sedan sold exclusively in China. Rumours persist that the Roewe is, in fact, a re-styled version of the elusive Rover RDX60, a car MG-Rover had been working on for several years before it crashed. All the designs were parcelled up and sold off to China in MG-Rover’s dying days.
The MG6 also shares some ancestry with the much-admired Rover 75 (and the MG ZT), although only the front subframe is the same.

ON THE ROAD: ​
Although the MG6 isn’t a sports car, it still offers an exciting drive. The 1.9-litre turbodiesel is a cracker. With 258lb/ft of torque available from as low as 1,800rpm, the MG6 really flies when you put your foot down. MG claims a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds, but it feels faster and the diesel’s in-gear acceleration leaves the 1.8 petrol turbo version gasping. The only foible is a dip in the torque just off idle, which makes it easy to stall if you have too few revs on when pulling away. And, when that happens, the push-key starter makes it harder than it should be to get going again quickly.
The handling feels safe and secure - it’s a sporty steer, but not at the expense of a bone-shaking ride. Clearly, MG’s British boffins have done a lot of work on the car’s suspension because it seems very well-suited to UK roads. The switch to an electro-hydraulic power steering set-up, which helps save fuel, hasn’t unduly blunted the helm’s response, either.
In another sensible move, MG has ‘limited’ the car’s top speed to 120mph. In return, the insurance industry has rated the MG6 several groups lower than the equivalent Vauxhall Insignia/Ford Mondeo.

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ON THE INSIDE: ​
The first MG6s were criticised for their plasticky interiors. MG has been quick to respond and the cabin is now a much nicer place to sit. But some of the trim is still a bit flimsy -  when you press a heated seat button, the temperature readout assembly moves, while the pop-out cup holder is hilariously fragile-looking - and the radio/sat nav is just a confusing jumble of buttons.
However, MG gets the basics right. The seats are comfortable, the steering (which looked uncannily like the wheel from an old Rover 200) feels great in the hand and the driving position is ergonomically sound. There’s plenty of room in the back and a big boot.

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WHAT DO YOU GET: ​
MG could have built the 6 down to a price. It could have pared back the standard equipment and skimped on the quality to hit a bargain-basement RRP. That’s what Hyundai and Kia did. They sold cheapies, got a toe-hold in the market then moved on to better things.
MG has taken the brave decision to jump in at the deep end. The DTI-TECH TSE model on test costs £20,195 before any discounts. That’s not outlandishly expensive for what you get (electric everything, colour screen sat nav, wireless music streaming, climate etc) but it isn’t cheap, either.
Nevertheless, the MG is a tempting package. Size-wise, it sits between a Focus and a Mondeo but it’s priced to match the smaller car. The range starts at £15,455 for a 1.8T petrol - a 1.8 turbo Focus is £5,000 more expensive.

HOW PRACTICAL IS IT? ​
With its big 500 litre boot, hatchback convenience and spacious cabin, the MG6 is a very family-friendly proposition. The boot lip is quite high, though, so loading heavy items might be a struggle.There’s a full-size steel wheel in the boot well. It’s easy to manoeuvre and parking sensors are fitted as standard.
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RUNNING COSTS: ​
The relatively low purchase price is a good start and the diesel engine returns around 50 mpg in normal use. Low insurance premiums help off-set the so-so CO2 figure of 139g/km.

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VERDICT: ​
MG has modified the old Rover 75 track to build the 6. Sales are still modest, but the dealer network is growing and new models are coming. ​These cars will be designed at SAIC’s new technology centre (also on part of the old Longbridge site) and will be created with Europe very much in mind. No wonder well-established mass market manufacturers are having sleepless nights.
I started with a proverb so I’ll end with one: “Cheap things are not good, good things are not cheap.” The MG6 isn’t cheap - but it is keenly priced and it does offer genuine value for money. The cabin may not - yet - measure up to Europe’s best, but the MG6 as a whole is nevertheless a very  impressive first stab at this market. It took the Japanese 30 years to catch up and exceed European car makers; later it took the Koreans 20 years. On the basis of the MG6, it won’t take the Chinese anywhere near as long.

MG6 DTI-TECH TSE.

Price: £20,195.

Spec:​
Engine: ​1849cc, four-cylinder, 16-valves, turbodiesel
Power: ​150 bhp @ 4000 rpm
Torque: ​258 lb/ft @ 1800 rpm
Top speed: ​120 mph
0-62mph: ​8.9 seconds
Fuel economy: ​48.9 mpg on test
CO2 emissions: ​139g/km
Insurance group: ​15
Equipment: ​Electric windows, climate control, satellite navigation, colour monitor screen, Bluetooth wireless smartphone connection, remote mirrors, CD player.
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