Car Reviews

Honest John Reviews MG

MG 6 (2011 – 2016) Review

MG 6 (2011 – 2016) At A Glance

3/5

+Spacious cabin with enough room for a family and a large boot. Decent performance and handling. Much improved from 2015.

-Lacks quality. Lots of irritating quirks. Engines are gruff. Still not the most compelling purchase even after updates. MGs no longer assembled in the UK.

Insurance Groups are between 13–15
On average it achieves 97% of the official MPG figure

You could be forgiven for thinking MG was dead and buried but you’d be wrong. The brand has been revived by Chinese company Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and you can now buy MG models in the UK again, the largest of which is the MG6.

Initially there were two engines – a 160PS 1.8-litre petrol and a 150PS 1.9-litre diesel. Both offered fairly strong performance, with 0-62mph times of less than nine seconds. However, emissions and fuel economy figures lagged behind rivals - the diesel emitted 129g/km and the petrol a distinctly unimpressive 174g/km.

From 2015 the MG6 is much improved and the petrol engine has been dropped. The diesel now has emissions of 119g/km and economy of 61.4mpg, which isn't class-leading, but is far from poor. Performance is reasonable, with plenty of in-gear torque, but refinement could be better. The MG6 is reasonable to drive, with suspension that blends  good handling and ride comfort, while the steering is fairly well-weighted and accurate. 

Perhaps the best aspect of the MG6 is the cabin, which is spacious for a car that costs from less than £14,000. There is room in the back for two adults, plus there is a large boot. Material quality isn’t too bad, but the 6 is let down by irritating quirks like a confusing, unresponsive infotainment system and stranger push-start key sysetem. Fortunately the bizarre handbrake lever that traps your thumb has been replaced with an electric parking brake in updated models.

Standard equipment isn’t too bad but to get luxuries like navigation and leather you need a higher equipment grade. Thankfully MG listened to early criticisms of the 6 and lowered the starting price to a £13,995. Even so, if you can make do with a slightly smaller car there are plenty of choices out there that are superior. A Ford Focus is better to drive and better made, while a Skoda Rapid offers almost as much interior space for similar money. 

Road Test of MG6 GT 1.9DTI SE

Reviews for MG 6 (2011 – 2016)'s top 3 rivals

Hyundai i40
3/5
Quality look and feel inside. Neatly styled. Low CO2 engines. Well equipped and good value.
Chevrolet Cruze
4/5
Good value for money. Also comes with a six-speed automatic. Decent VCDi diesels. Driver and passenger...
Kia Magentis
3/5
Thoroughly competent large front-drive saloon with diesel engine and low price.

MG 6 (2011 – 2016) handling and engines

MG offered the 6 with two engines from launch – a 1.8-litre petrol and a 1.9-litre diesel. Both offered impressive power outputs and good performance. The turbocharged petrol produced 160PS and managed a 0-62mph sprint time of 8.4 seconds, but is now discontinued. 

Following an overhaul in 2015 the MG6 is only-offered with the 150PS, 350Nm diesel, which has been tweaked to improve fuel economy and lower emissions. It gets from 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds, while both cars are limited to 120mph to help lower insurance costs. 119g/km places the MG6 in a reasonable band C for VED, while economy of 61.4mpg isn't too bad at all. Before the improvements the MG6 produced 129g/km, placing it in a higher VED band. 

The MG6 is good to drive, thanks in part to a UK-based research and development centre. The suspension has been well set-up for UK roads, with reasonable firmness to keep body roll at bay and enough compliance to iron out lumps and bumps. The steering isn’t too bad, with a decent level of feedback and accuracy, while the gear change is fairly smooth.

It’s not all good, though. The clutch pedal on the diesel model we tested was very heavily sprung and it was subsequently tricky to feed in power gradually, which resulted in stalling when pulling away quickly. That would normally be little concern but an unfathomably weird push-key start system resulted in several cases of being stranded, with traffic behind.

Refinement isn’t great – tyre and wind noise is always noticeable at speed, while the diesel engine is a bit on the gruff side, particularly when pushed hard.  The diesel suffers from turbo lag too. It is not as bad as you’d get in diesels of years gone by, but compared to other modern engines from other manufacturers it’s just not up to scratch. 

Engine MPG 0-62 CO2
1.8 Turbo 38 mpg - 174 g/km
1.8 Turbo Magnette 36–38 mpg 8.4 s 174–184 g/km
1.8T 38 mpg 8.4 s 184 g/km
1.9 Diesel 58–61 mpg 8.4–8.9 s 119–129 g/km
1.9 Diesel Magnette 58 mpg - 129 g/km
1.9D 58–61 mpg 8.9–9.3 s 119–139 g/km

Real MPG average for the MG 6 (2011 – 2016)

RealMPG

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Average performance

97%

Real MPG

30–66 mpg

MPGs submitted

80

MG 6 (2011 – 2016) interior

Dimensions
Length 4651 mm
Width 2008 mm
Height 1472 mm
Wheelbase 2705 mm

Full specifications

The MG6 has a large, spacious cabin with some nicely finished materials. The seats are comfortable and easy to adjust in the front, while in the back they offer plenty of leg and headroom. The boot is a decent 472 litres with the rear seats in place, which is plenty for most uses including trips away. It has a high load lip, though, so heavy items might be tricky to get in and out.

The dashboard has a soft-touch covering and most of the interior plastics feel fairly durable, but the layout is on the confusing side. The infotainment controls are spread across two levels and various buttons, making the system hard to get to grips with. It can also be slow and unresponsive.

It’s not the only disappointing bit of the cabin – some of the trim elements feel cheap, like those on the centre console, while the handbrake will trap your thumb if you’re not careful in pre-facelift models. Fortunately this problem is fixed in the updated car, which has an electric parking brake instead.

More irritations include a reversing camera that's angled so steeply downward that you can't see anything through it until it's already very close, along with reversing sensors that continue to beep after you disengage reverse and come to a stop.

Entry level cars get air conditioning, heated seats, six-speaker audio and electric windows, while moving up to mid-spec TS trim gains buyers a navigation system, cruise control, parking sensors and Bluetooth. Top models get a parking camera and dual-zone climate control. 

Standard Equipment:

S models come with air conditioning, USB/Aux port, front and rear electric windows, heated folding door mirrors, heated seats, 17-inch alloy wheels.

TS trim adds a navigation system, cruise control and rear parking sensors, part leather seats, auto lights, auto wipers, Bluetooth and an improved audio system with eight speakers.

TL trim add dual zone air conditioning, rear seat vents, auto wipers, auto lights, reversing camera, xenon lights, full leather seats.

MG 6 (2011 – 2016) models and specs

Dimensions
Length 4651 mm
Width 2008 mm
Height 1472 mm
Wheelbase 2705 mm
Miscellaneous
Kerb Weight 1475–1615 kg
Boot Space 472–1379 L
Warranty 3 years / 60000 miles
Servicing 15000 miles
Costs
List Price £13,995–£21,195
Insurance Groups 13–15
Road Tax Bands C–I
Official MPG 35.6–61.4 mpg
Euro NCAP Safety Ratings
Adult -
Child -
Pedestrian -
Overall 4

On sale until July 2019

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.9D S 5dr £13,995 61.4 mpg 9.3 s
1.9D TL 5dr £17,995 61.4 mpg 9.3 s
1.9D TS 5dr £16,195 61.4 mpg 9.3 s

On sale until April 2017

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.8T Btcc Edition 5dr £17,005 37.7 mpg 8.4 s
1.8T S 5dr £15,465 37.7 mpg 8.4 s
1.8T SE 5dr £16,965 37.7 mpg 8.4 s
1.8T Tse 5dr £18,965 37.7 mpg 8.4 s
Saloon
Version List Price MPG 0-62
Saloon 1.8T 4dr £19,965 37.7 mpg 8.4 s
Saloon 1.9D Tse 4dr £21,195 57.6 mpg 8.9 s

On sale until December 2015

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.9D S 5dr £16,995 57.6 mpg 8.9 s
1.9D SE 5dr £18,195 57.6 mpg 8.9 s
1.9D Tse 5dr £20,195 57.6 mpg 8.9 s

On sale until October 2015

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
S 1.9 DTI-TECH 150 5dr £13,995 61.4 mpg 8.4 s
TL 1.9 DTI-TECH150 5dr £17,995 61.4 mpg 8.4 s
TS 1.9 DTI-TECH 150 5dr £16,195 61.4 mpg 8.4 s

On sale until September 2015

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.9 DTI-TECH S 5dr £16,995 57.6 mpg 8.9 s
1.9 DTI-TECH SE 5dr £18,195 57.6 mpg 8.9 s
1.9 DTI-TECH TSE 5dr £20,195 57.6 mpg 8.9 s
Saloon
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.8 TCI-TECH TSE 4dr £19,955 37.7 mpg -
1.9 DTI-TECH 4dr £21,195 57.6 mpg -

On sale until January 2015

Hatchback
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.8 TCI-TECH S 5dr £15,455 37.7 mpg -
1.8 TCI-TECH SE 5dr £16,955 37.7 mpg -
1.8 TCI-TECH TSE 5dr £18,955 37.7 mpg -

On sale until April 2012

Saloon
Version List Price MPG 0-62
1.8 Turbo S 4dr £15,995 35.6 mpg -
1.8 Turbo SE 4dr £17,495 35.6 mpg -

Model History

April 2011

MG6 launched

UK final assembly of the first all-new MG in 16 years, the MG6, started at MG Motor UK’s factory. Customer Car No 1 came off the final assembly line in the Car Assembly Building at the firm’s plant at MG Birmingham marking, to quote, "the start of a new era in the 87 year history of the iconic MG brand."

Three trim models of the 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol MG6 are available with prices ranging from £15,495 to £18,995 for the top-of-the-range highly-equipped TSE model. As well as have a very high level of standard equipment, the MG6 has particularly low levels of insurance. The entry model MG6 S is rated 13E while the SE and TSE are 14E – comparable rivals are several categories above, making the MG particularly attractive from an insurance perspective.

December 2012

MG6 BTCC Edition launched

The MG6 GT gets a sharper look to celebrate the marque's return to motor sport, receives a matt black roof and 18-inch alloy wheels with black gloss sills, door mirror covers, lower front air dam, rear bumper and rear spoiler. It's available in two colours - Arctic White and Union Blue.

The grille sports a BTCC badge and there are MG KX Momentum Racing team colours decals on the bonnet extension, front doors and wings behind the new chrome wing vent. The special edition receives the 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine (a re-engineered version of the old K-Series) developing 160PS (158bhp). Performance figures are 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds and a Maximum speed limited to 120mph.

Standard equipment includes built-in full colour European satellite navigation (including a lifetime subscription to Trafficmaster), sports driver and front passenger seats, Dunlop Sport 225/45R 18-inch performance tyres, electronic hill hold function, power folding electrically heated exterior mirrors, iTPMS tyre monitoring system, rear parking sensors, front fog lights, cruise control, CD audio with USB and auxiliary inputs for MP3/Ipod connectivity and a leather covered multifunction steering wheel.

Customers who purchase the MG6 BTCC Edition before 31 December will also receive a pair of VIP hospitality tickets to a 2013 race with a full hospitality package, including a grid walk and pit lane experience, and an MG KX Momentum team jacket and hat.

September 2016

Announcement that MGs will not longer be assembled in the UK.

What to watch out for

24-03-2015:

Complaint poor quality trim of MG6, including driver's window guides falling out.

07-10-2019:

Report of all four airbags deploying in 2013/63 MG6 when the ignition was switched on.

22-04-2020:

Report of repeated EMU problems on 2016 MG6. The fault affects the dashboard reading and eventually forces the car into limp home mode. Problem took MG service agent four months to fix.