MG 6: The Chinese-Built Compact That Carried the MG Badge Into Touring Car Racing

The MG6 is a compact car that SAIC has built under the British MG badge since 2010. It sat slightly above the MG GT sedan and the MG 5 hatchback, and it was the first Chinese-built car to carry the MG name. Later versions added a diesel option, a plug-in hybrid and a performance model producing 300 hp.

Where did the MG6 come from?

The car began life in 2009 as a Roewe model under the IP22 project, and it was derived from the Roewe 550. It was shown at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2009 as a five-door GT fastback, then at Shanghai Expo in October 2010 as a four-door notchback saloon. Its family ties reached back to the Rover 75, with which it shared a front subframe.

Development and styling were split between the SAIC UK Technical Centre and the main contractor, EDAG Shanghai. When SAIC took control of Nanjing Auto, which owned the MG brand, the nearly finished vehicle was facelifted and launched as an MG rather than a Roewe.

Production started in China in 2010. From 13 April 2011 the car was also assembled in partly knocked-down form at Longbridge in the United Kingdom. The MG 3 supermini used the same factory for limited final assembly from 2013 until 2016.

A Chinese-built compact that fought for UK buyers, won MG a touring car title and later gained a 300 hp performance variant.

What were the MG6 GT and Magnette?

The UK fastback went on sale as the MG6 GT in May 2011, and the notchback saloon followed as the Magnette on 16 July 2011. The Magnette name had already been used by MG for its saloons in the 1950s and 1960s, and for the 1930s K-type. The GT had a hatchback, while the Magnette had a conventional boot.

The GT was offered in S, SE and TSE trims. All three shared the same mechanical specification, but only the TSE gained 18-inch wheels in place of the standard 17-inch set. The UK car was first announced simply as the MG6 before the fastback was renamed MG6 GT for public release.

Which engines did the first MG6 use?

The launch petrol engine was a 1.8-litre TCI-Tech unit in two states of tune. The naturally aspirated version produced 133 bhp (99 kW; 135 PS), and the turbocharged version produced 158 bhp (118 kW; 160 PS). The turbo was the sole engine offered at launch in the United Kingdom.

Every model came with a five-speed manual gearbox, a MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear. The 1.8-litre turbo reached 60 mph in 8.4 seconds. Official combined economy was 35.6 mpg, and CO2 output was rated at 184 g/km. A 120 mph (193 km/h) cap kept the car in a lower insurance bracket.

Minor changes in April 2012 raised official combined economy to 37.7 mpg and cut CO2 to 174 g/km. The diesel that arrived at the end of 2012 used a 1.9-litre DTi Tech engine, producing 148 bhp (110 kW; 150 PS), with 350 N m (258 lbf ft) of torque. It was paired with a six-speed manual and an electro-hydraulic steering system.

How did the diesel and the facelifts change the MG6?

The diesel gave the range a second engine option at the end of 2012, with CO2 emissions of 139 g/km at launch. In July 2014 the diesel was updated and its CO2 fell to 129 g/km, which mattered for buyers paying attention to running costs.

The MG6 was facelifted for April 2015, following its reveal at the Chengdu Motor Show in August 2014. The update brought new lights and bumpers front and rear, a substantially updated interior with a new console and an electronic parking brake, and a weight reduction of 75 kg (165 lb). In the UK the petrol version was withdrawn, leaving the diesel as the efficiency-focused choice, while other markets kept two versions of the 1.8-litre petrol engine.

What was the BTCC Special Edition?

The BTCC Special Edition was a UK model that MG created after the MG6 made its mark in the British Touring Car Championship. It was based on the SE trim and carried a matt black vinyl roof, matt black 18-inch alloy wheels from the TSE, black-gloss sills, mirror covers, a lower front air dam and a rear spoiler.

The grille carried a BTCC badge, and the team decals of MG KX Momentum Racing ran along the bonnet extension, the fastback boot lid and the front doors. Graphics also appeared inside the car on the passenger side of the dashboard. The edition was offered only in union blue or arctic white.

How did the MG6 race in the British Touring Car Championship?

MG UK entered the 2012 British Touring Car Championship with a pair of works MG6 GT cars, run as MG KX Momentum Racing by Triple 8 Race Engineering. Jason Plato and Andy Neate drove them, and Plato finished third in the standings. The car had not yet found its footing in wet conditions that season.

Sam Tordoff replaced Neate for 2013 after joining through the KX Academy scheme. Plato again finished third, with Tordoff sixth. The 2014 season was the breakthrough. MG won the Manufacturers' Championship, ending Honda's four-year run of titles, and it sealed the crown by 95 points at the final round at Brands Hatch.

Across the thirty-race calendar in 2014, Plato and Tordoff recorded seven wins and twenty podiums. Plato was runner-up in the Drivers' Championship, behind Colin Turkington, and Tordoff was seventh. A third Triple Eight car driven by Marc Hynes also took part, and Hynes finished 18th in his debut season.

The 2015 line-up was Andrew Jordan and Jack Goff, and both left before the 2016 season. Triple Eight Racing confirmed Josh Cook and Ashley Sutton for 2016 on 8 March 2016.

How did the MG6 move into TCR racing?

A concept for a TCR-specification MG6 was announced on 14 April 2019. Two MG6 X-Power TCR cars debuted at the 2019 TCR China round at the Zhejiang International Circuit, with Rodolfo Avila and Zhendong Zhang at the wheel as invitation entries. They went on to take third and fourth places at the Ningbo International Circuit.

The car was homologated for the inaugural FIA Motorsport Games Touring Car Cup. A British team run by AmDTuning.com fielded Rory Butcher, who finished fourth in race 2, while the Chinese entry from MG Motor was driven by Zhang. Two cars were then due to contest the 2020 TCR Asia Series, while Team MG X-Power also tracked the WTCR.

How did the second-generation MG6 differ?

The second generation was unveiled in November 2016 at the Nanjing Wanchi race track. It adopted MG's Emotional Dynamism design language, which had first appeared on the MG ZS SUV that year, and its large grille is called Star Rider. The car shared a platform with the Roewe i6 sedan, and like the Roewe ei6 it was also offered as a plug-in hybrid.

At the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show MG showed a 350 hp (260 kW; 350 PS) concept called the MG6 XPower, reviving an older sports sub-brand. MG indicated it would sell for 100,000 euros if buyers showed enough interest.

What does the eMG6 plug-in hybrid offer?

The eMG6 PHEV pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with an electric motor, giving 228 hp (170 kW; 231 PS) combined and 622 N m (459 lb ft) of torque. Its 9.1 kWh battery is IP67-rated and meets the UL2580 standard of the United States. Electric range is 53 km (33 mi) in pure electric mode.

Official consumption is put at 1.5 L/100 km, or 190 mpg-imp and 160 mpg-US. Available exterior colours were Flame Red, Carbon Ash and Pearlescent White, with Blazing Yellow as the solo interior option. The trim was called 500PHEV, and the same consumption figure was quoted for the X-Power derivative.

What changed with the 2020 facelift?

In July 2020 SAIC MG launched a facelift that it marketed as the third-generation MG6, describing it as a super wide-body sedan. The width matched the pre-facelift car, but the redesigned front and rear ends added 9 mm (0.4 in) of length. The car kept a 1.5-litre turbo rated at 181 hp (135 kW; 184 PS), with peak torque of 285 N m (210 lb ft), a gain of 12 PS (12 hp; 8.8 kW) over the outgoing model.

A 7-speed wet dual-clutch gearbox was standard, and a 6-speed manual was offered for 2020 only. The 2020 car was launched in China on 10 July, and its combined fuel consumption was rated at 6.2 litres per 100 km (37.9 US mpg). Only one trim level, the 330TGI, was available.

What is the MG6 X-Power?

The X-Power is the performance version of the car. On 18 July 2021 MG set its price in China at 199,980 yuan (about US$30,000). Buyers could pay a 9.9 yuan pre-order deposit, and production was limited to 100 cars per month.

Power came from a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder paired with an electric motor, giving a combined 300 hp (220 kW; 300 PS) plus 480 N m (354 lb ft) of torque, sent to the front wheels. A 10-speed automated manual gearbox handled the shifts, and MG claimed a 0-100 km/h time of 6 seconds. The car was still on sale on China's MG website at the time of writing, in Qi Ji Green, Flame Red, Carbon Gray or Obsidian Black.

What changed with the MG6 Pro and X-Line?

The 2021 facelift was called the MG6 Pro, with presales starting in July 2021. The nose was reworked, with slimmer headlamps and a larger grille that echoed the second-generation MG 5. The engine was a 1.5-litre SGE-LFV turbo producing 181 hp (135 kW; 184 PS), with 285 N m (210 lb ft) of torque, mated to a 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.

The Pro was priced at 115,800 yuan for the Deluxe trim, while the Trophy trim sold for between 123,800 and 139,800 yuan. The X-Line followed at the 2023 Guangzhou Auto Show. It added a sportier bumper, extra foglights and a rear diffuser with oval exhaust tips, and its LED rear lights form an X shape when lit. It was priced at 123,800 yuan.

How well did the MG6 sell in the United Kingdom?

UK sales were slow from the start. Only fifteen units were sold in October 2011, and MG as a whole registered just seven cars in November, three of them presumably TF roadsters. Critics cited a lack of advertising and low perceived quality, while the absence of a diesel and an estate body style were also raised.

Car rental firm Avis UK ordered one hundred MG6 GT and Magnette cars for its fleet in December 2011. MG sold 782 cars in the UK in 2012. Initial production had been projected at 2,000 to 3,000 cars a year, but those volumes were never reached, and MG Motor UK withdrew the MG6 from sale in 2016.

What did reviewers say about the MG6?

Reviewers were split. The AA praised the sharp handling, good ride, high standard specification and value for money, but it noted a noisy engine when extended and no automatic option. Autocar called it a greener proposition than ever, yet said its bland cabin aesthetics let it down.

Auto Express liked its involving handling and standard equipment but criticised the limited engine choice and poor interior quality. Evo said it was one of the best cars in its class to drive and well priced, though it did not expect a premium feel at that price. MSN Cars highlighted ride, handling and practicality, and it criticised interior plastics and fuel economy.

The first generation was recognised with awards. The What Car? 2012 Security Award went to the MG6. In the 2014 Auto Express Driver Power Survey it won the Best Handling award and placed sixth in the Best Car to Own ranking. In 2016 it took three honours: bronze in Best Family Car, silver in Road Handling, and the Caravan Club Tow Car of the Year class under 17,500 pounds.

MG 6 specifications