MG 6 1.5T Trophy variant; A considerable proposition

After spending the first few days checking out their brand’s latest releases and developments at the Auto Shanghai 2019, and after getting quite an immersion in their tech and innovations, along with their sibling brands’ under their gargantuan parent corporation SAIC Motor, I finally got to do what I was looking forward to the most—and that’s to get behind the wheel and drive their cars, and see how much of what we’ve learned about them were put into practice.

Together with the other Asia Pacific contingents, we were shuttled to the Guangde Proving Grounds, the largest automotive testing facility in China, which was about 250 kilometers West of Shanghai.  Sure I was excited to drive their Hybrids and full EVs (like the MG EZS), but I was particularly interested in the MG6, which has just been officially launched last month at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS). It’s MG Philippines’ frontliner that’s poised to go head to head with the likes of the Honda Civic, Mazda 3, and the Toyota Altis in the Compact car category. I also find it novel that it’s a Fastback—or in the olden automotive terms, a “Liftback,” where the rear windshield is part of the trunk/boot lid, giving its profile a sportier sloped silhouette towards the rear. It was also in its top tier variant, the MG 6 1.5T Trophy, so handsome as it already is, it’s packaged to impress with 18-inch alloy rims and 45 series tires.

Equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 gasoline engine, the MG6 is no slacker with 164hp and 250 Nm of torque output. It’s mated to a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, which in paper translates to a slicker and quicker-shifting, more efficient drive. The MG 6 is also equipped with 4-wheel disc brakes, ABS, and Traction and Stability Control, among a host of other essential performance and safety features. So with a huge bunch of cones laid out strategically on the tarmac waiting for us for a high-speed technical run with it, I couldn’t wait. They got me at “cones.” 

Of course I had to do a familiarization run, to get a good feel of the car—and well, to not look like an idiot losing my way on the course. Through the first sweeping curves, the slalom, and the switchbacks, the MG 6’s tight and precise handling was already apparent. Body roll was minimal. Steering was light yet provided a well-connected feel of the car on the road. It’s safe to presume that it’d be a comfortable, relaxing and enjoyable drive in normal city driving conditions. Then came the opportunity to gun for the best time through the driving course. I then tried to stifle my silly grin without much success.

The MG 6 let out a grunt as I punched the throttle. There was a noticeable lag on the accelerator, but when the turbo kicked in, the thrust was quite impressive coming from a 1.5-liter displacement. With proper modulation, the lag (which interestingly only comes in the presence of an aggressive right foot), became more manageable. Attacking the cones so to speak, revealed that it had quite a bit of understeer. The brakes though, were responsive and had a more predictable feel, which during spirited driving is a boon. The well-bolstered, full leather-clad seats kept me snug and stable in the cockpit, and at the height of blasting through my second lap, I realized it provides an exceptionally ideal driving position.

I’d need to get more seat time with the MG 6, Trophy variant or not, to get more of a real-world everyday-driving sense of how it really stacks against the competition. But I’m glad that I was given a somewhat unrestricted go at it, on a high performance level, to get a good picture of what it’s capable of. The MG 6 1.5L Trophy, pitted against other brands’ top variant models, offers quite a price tag advantage at P1,188,888. With the best build China-manufactured cars can offer, coupled with British MG DNA that’s very much present in its performance, design and packaging, I’d say it’s a solid considerable proposition.