The MG6 is a compact car produced by SAIC under the MG marque since 2010, positioned slightly above the MG GT saloon and the MG 5 hatchback. It was derived from the Roewe 550, and so distantly related to the Rover 75, and it was the first Chinese-built MG to be sold in Britain.
MG6 at a glance
| Maker | SAIC Motor, MG marque |
|---|---|
| Production | from 2010 |
| Basis | Roewe 550, sharing its front subframe |
| Bodies | five-door GT fastback and four-door Magnette saloon |
| Announced | April 2009 at the Shanghai Auto Show |
| UK launch | May 2011 for the GT, 16 July 2011 for the Magnette |
| Petrol engine | 1.8-litre TCI-Tech, 133 or 158 bhp with turbo |
| Diesel engine | 1.9-litre DTi Tech, 148 bhp, from late 2012 |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual; six-speed for the diesel |
| Suspension | MacPherson struts front, multi-link rear |
| Top speed | limited to 120 mph (193 km/h) |
History of the MG6
From Roewe to MG
The first-generation MG6 was announced in April 2009 at the Shanghai Auto Show as a five-door GT fastback, and in October 2010 at Shanghai Expo as a four-door notchback saloon. It is derived from the Roewe 550 and therefore distantly related to the Rover 75, sharing that car’s front subframe. Much of the development and styling was done at the SAIC UK Technical Centre, although the main design and development contract went to EDAG in Shanghai.
The car was originally designed as a Roewe-badged model under the IP22 project, but as SAIC took control of Nanjing Auto, the owner of the MG brand, the nearly finished vehicle went through a facelift and emerged as the first Chinese MG. Production began in China in 2010 and for a brief period in partially knocked-down form at Longbridge from 13 April 2011.
The British range
The five-door fastback, known as the MG6 GT, went on sale in the United Kingdom in May 2011, and the saloon, called the MG6 Magnette, followed on 16 July 2011. The Magnette name had been used by MG for its saloons in the 1950s and 1960s and for the K-type in the 1930s; the MG6 Magnette differs from the GT in having a boot rather than a hatchback.
The GT came in three trim levels, S, SE and TSE, all sharing the same mechanical specification, with the TSE gaining 18-inch wheels over the standard 17-inch. Launch models used the petrol TCI-Tech 1.8-litre engine in two states of tune, 133 bhp and 158 bhp with a turbo, the latter the only engine offered in Britain at launch. All had a five-speed manual gearbox, MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear, and the 1.8 turbo could reach 60 mph in 8.4 seconds with official combined consumption of 35.6 mpg and 184 g/km of CO2. Top speed was restricted to 120 mph to keep the car in a lower insurance bracket, and minor improvements in April 2012 brought 37.7 mpg and 174 g/km.
Diesel, special editions and facelift
A 1.9-litre DTi Tech diesel joined the range at the end of 2012 with 148 bhp and 350 Nm, CO2 emissions of 139 g/km, a six-speed manual gearbox and electro-hydraulic power steering. Its success in the British Touring Car Championship led to an MG6 BTCC Special Edition based on the SE, with a matt black roof, black 18-inch TSE wheels, black-gloss sills and mirror covers and BTCC graphics, offered only in union blue or arctic white.
The diesel was updated in July 2014 to 129 g/km, and the MG6 was facelifted for April 2015, having been unveiled at the Chengdu Motor Show in August 2014 with a 75 kg weight reduction, new lights and bumpers and a substantially updated interior with a new console and an electronic parking brake. In Britain the petrol version was withdrawn and the diesel improved, while other markets kept two versions of the 1.8-litre petrol. The MG6 sold below expectations in Britain and was dropped there in 2016, continuing in other markets; it won a What Car? security award in 2012 and several Auto Express Driver Power awards.
Design and features
- Roewe 550 base: distantly related to the Rover 75 through a shared front subframe.
- Two body styles: the GT fastback and the Magnette saloon with a boot.
- 1.8 turbo petrol: 158 bhp, 8.4 seconds to 60 mph, 120 mph limited.
- BTCC special edition: a road version of the touring car livery and trim.
MG6 versions
- MG6 GT (2011): the five-door fastback in S, SE and TSE trim.
- MG6 Magnette (2011): the four-door saloon with a boot.
- MG6 diesel (2012): 1.9-litre DTi Tech with 148 bhp.
- MG6 BTCC Special Edition: black-trimmed edition based on the SE.
- Facelifted MG6 (2015): lighter, restyled and with a new interior.
The MG6 carried the Magnette name on its saloon version and sat above the MG GT; more cars are in the MG collection.
Video: MG 6 1.8 Turbo – Clip01
Video by THECLIP Car Review on YouTube.
Sources
- MG6, English Wikipedia: development, models, engines, facelift
