MG MGS6 EV Review: This Electric Family SUV Should Scare Tesla and BYD

The MGS6 EV is a car I have been waiting to drive for a while. It is a midsize electric SUV built on the same MSP platform as my own MG4. That means I came into this review with genuine curiosity, not just about whether it is a good car, but about whether it is better than the car I chose two years ago.

Short answer: in almost every way, yes.

It is longer, roomier, better equipped, and costs less than what I paid for my MG4 back then. That stings a little. But it also tells you something important about how fast the EV market is moving.

The MGS6 is not a perfect car. There is one flaw that I think MG needs to fix, and I will get into that. But taken as a whole, this is a compelling value proposition. It should make life uncomfortable for the Tesla Model Y, the BYD Sealion 7, and the Kia EV5.

Price and Key Features

The MGS6 EV comes in two versions. Both are called Essence grade, which means both are fully loaded. There is no stripped-out base variant to drag the price down on paper.

• Essence RWD (rear-wheel drive): $49,990 drive away
• Essence AWD (all-wheel drive): $56,990 drive away

These are drive-away prices, valid across the whole country. Whether you are in Brisbane or Perth, the price is the same. No surprise dealer delivery fees on top. That transparency matters.

The RWD is the one I recommend. It is $7,000 cheaper, delivers 530km of WLTP range, and comes with essentially every feature the AWD has except the panoramic sunroof. The AWD adds a second motor up front, more power, quicker acceleration, and that sunroof. But for most buyers, I think the RWD is the smarter pick.

Standard Features: Both RWD and AWD

MG has done something smart here. Both variants get the full kit. You are not choosing between a bare-bones entry model and a loaded top-spec. Both come with all of this:

• 77kWh NCM battery
• 20-inch alloy wheels with Michelin tyres
• Vegan leather and suede seating in grey or beige
• Heated and ventilated front seats (three stages of heat, single stage vent)
• Heated rear seats for the outer passengers
• Heated steering wheel
• 12.8-inch HD touchscreen with physical climate controls
• 10.25-inch digital driver display
• Head-up display
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
• 11-speaker premium audio with subwoofer
• 360-degree HD camera
• Electric tailgate with hands-free opening
• Front trunk (frunk)
• Vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging
• MG Pilot safety suite with Custom function
• Dual-zone climate control
• Wireless phone charger (50W with cooling)
• 11kW AC charging
• 144kW maximum DC charging

This is a genuinely long list for this price point. There is not much left to ask for.

AWD-Only Features

Spending the extra $7,000 on the AWD gets you:

• Second electric motor at the front axle (total 266kW and 540Nm)
• 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds instead of 7.3 seconds
• Full-time or on-demand four-wheel drive
• Panoramic glass roof with electric sunshade (nearly two square metres)
• 67L frunk instead of 86L (the front motor takes up some space)
• 485km WLTP range instead of 530km

If you regularly drive in snow or on unsealed roads, the AWD makes sense. If you just want the sunroof, that is also a valid reason. But if neither of those applies to you, save the $7,000.

RWD and AWD Variant Pricing at a Glance

Both weigh in under 2,100kg tare, and both can tow 1,500kg braked. Same towing capacity across the range, which is good to know.

Exterior Design and Size

This is where the MGS6 feels like a step change from older MGs. It has European design DNA, and you can feel it. MG’s UK design team had a heavy hand in shaping this car, and the result is something that looks at home next to a European SUV rather than looking like a budget alternative.

The front end is clean and sharp. The side profile is beautiful. You get a full-width LED light bar at the rear with what MG calls a constellation design. It looks good. There is also a green EV badge at the rear, which I think should have been silver to not stand out so much.

The dimensions are:

• Length: 4,708mm
• Width: 1,912mm
• Height: 1,664mm
• Wheelbase: 2,835mm

That puts it in proper midsize SUV territory. It is a touch smaller than the Tesla Model Y and the BYD Sealion 7, but noticeably bigger than something like the GAC Aion V. There is real room inside for a family of five.

It comes in seven colours including Piccadilly Blue, Stratford Gold, Diamond Red, Camden Grey, Sterling Silver, Black Pearl, and Dover White. Kudos to MG for giving Australian buyers some colour options.

Interior, Space, and Technology

Climbing inside, the MGS6 feels a notch above what you might expect at this price. The quilted suede and vegan leather combination looks premium. The grey option especially photographs well, but both grey and beige feel more upmarket than the all-dark interiors we have seen in most MGs until now.

This is the first MG EV sold in Australia to offer a light-coloured interior option. It makes the cabin feel much more open and airy, especially on a grey day.

The 12.8-inch screen is not the biggest you will find in this segment, but that is actually fine. MG has kept physical buttons for the key climate functions, so you are not poking around a touchscreen to change the fan speed. There is a dial for temperature, a toggle for fan speed, separate buttons for front and rear demist, and a volume control. It works well in practice.

The MG Pilot Custom feature is worth highlighting. It lets you save your preferred settings for all the safety alerts before you start driving. I live in an area with constantly changing speed zones, so being able to turn off the constant audible warnings is a huge quality-of-life improvement. Set it up once, press the button, and the car remembers your preferences.

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Back seat space is impressive for a car at this price. I am 1.91m tall. Headroom was not an issue at all. The floor is flat, so three adults across the back is genuinely possible. Rear passengers get two USB-C ports, adjustable vents, heated outer seats, and individual side lights on the roof lining.

Boot space is 581L with the seats up and 1,690L with them folded. The frunk adds 86L on the RWD or 67L on the AWD. There is no spare tyre from MG which is standard for most EVs.
You may be able to source a space-saver spare from aftermarket suppliers like Braumach and I would recommend doing that for longer trips.

One weakness. The MGS6 does not support over-the-air software updates. I asked MG directly at the launch. Their answer was that OTA capability is something they are looking into, but there is no commitment to whether current vehicles will ever receive it. That is not good enough for a $50,000 car in 2026. If OTA updates are important to you, this is a real consideration before you sign anything.

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Driving Experience

I drove the AWD version for two days, mostly in wet weather across Sydney and surrounding areas, including motorway driving. The Michelin e.Primacy tyres held the road well throughout. Given that I spent most of the test in the rain, that was reassuring to experience firsthand.

The suspension setup is MacPherson at the front and five-link multi-link at the rear, the same as the MG4. That matters because it means the MGS6 has a more sophisticated setup than a lot of rivals at this price, which often use a simplified rear axle to cut costs. The result is a car that handles bumps and speed humps without jarring you or bouncing around afterwards.

The ride is firm-ish rather than soft. Some people prefer a floaty, soft ride. I do not. This car feels composed and sure-footed. It does not feel like it is tilting through corners. The low battery height, described by MG as no taller than a soft drink can sitting flat under the floor, gives it a low centre of gravity that you can feel.

It is not a sports car. It is a family SUV. But it drives better than many EVs at this price because of the platform it sits on.

One-pedal driving works well here and I drove in that mode all the time. In the strongest regen setting, the car comes to a complete stop without touching the brake. There are five regenerative braking settings to choose from, which gives you real flexibility.

Drive modes include Normal, Comfort, Sport, and Snow. The AWD also gives you the option to run full-time four-wheel drive or on-demand, which is more efficient.

Overall, I was impressed. It is not the most exciting electric SUV you can buy. It is comfortable, well-rounded, and very livable. That is exactly what a family car should be.

Battery, Range, and Charging

Both variants share the same 77kWh NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) battery. This is worth addressing because some buyers may prefer an LFP (lithium iron phosphate) battery like the ones used in many BYD vehicles.

The case for NMC: it is significantly lighter. The RWD MGS6 weighs 1,908kg tare. That is meaningfully less than comparable EVs with LFP batteries, and it contributes to both handling and efficiency. You lose some of the deep-discharge resilience that LFP offers, but you gain a more agile car.

The official WLTP range figures:

• RWD: 530km
• AWD: 485km

Real-world AWD range based on my mixed driving was tracking closer to 400km. That is still very usable for most Australians, and it should be enough for a Sydney to Melbourne drive with two charging stops.

Charging specs:

• AC: 11kW (good for three-phase home charging or workplace)
• DC: up to 144kW peak
• 10-80% time at a 150kW public charger: approximately 38 minutes

The charge port is on the left side rear, which is a good spot for kerbside parking. The car also supports pre-heating for destination charging and has an intelligent high-voltage charging system.

V2L (vehicle-to-load) is included as standard on both variants. You can power devices or appliances from the car.

Warranty and Running Costs

The warranty story here is one of the MGS6’s biggest selling points. You get seven years of warranty as standard. Keep your car serviced at an MG dealer on the recommended schedule and that extends to ten years or 250,000km, whichever comes first. The battery carries its own seven-year warranty too.

This is one of the strongest warranty packages in the segment. It should give buyers real confidence, especially those planning to keep the car for the long haul.

The full detailed service schedule was not available at the time of the press launch. What MG did confirm is that servicing is due every 12 months or 25,000km. That 25,000km interval is genuinely useful for anyone who drives a lot. You are not dragging the car in every few months.

MG advised at the launch that the first five years of servicing will cost approximately $1,400 in total. For a midsize SUV, that is very affordable.

Roadside assistance is also included when you service with MG.

Should You Buy the MGS6 EV?

The MGS6 EV is one of the most competitive electric family SUVs on the Australian market right now. At $49,990 drive away for the RWD, it undercuts the Tesla Model Y and the BYD Sealion 7 while offering comparable or better range and a genuinely impressive features list.

The case for buying it is strong. You get 530km of real-world-adjacent range, a well-sorted suspension, a high-quality interior with physical controls, ventilated seats, a huge boot, V2L charging, an excellent warranty, and low service costs. The drive-away pricing removes the headache of negotiating dealer delivery fees.

The case against is shorter but real. No over-the-air updates is a genuine problem in 2026 and MG has not given a clear answer on whether existing owners will ever get them. Some buyers will also prefer an LFP battery for its longevity characteristics, even if it means a heavier car.

My recommendation is the RWD at $49,990. It has everything you need, more range than the AWD, a tighter turning circle, and a $7,000 saving. Unless you specifically need all-wheel drive traction or really want that panoramic roof, the extra spend on the AWD is hard to justify.

Put this on your test drive list. It deserves to be on your final shortlist.

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