Another week, another new brand name, although in this case it’s actually a new sub-
brand. It’s called IM and it’s the new premium electric division of MG. Think Lexus to
Toyota, Genesis to Hyundai, etc.
And just to confuse matters further we’re told that its complete name is ‘IM Presented
by MG’. Good luck with anyone actually adhering to that. To keep things simple, we’ll
just stick with the IM nametag here.
The two first models are the IM5 and IM6, not to be confused with MI5 and MI6 which
are the UK government’s Spy Catchers. We’re told it stands for Intelligent Mobility.
IM5 is a sedan, IM6 is an SUV, both around the same length with variations of
fastback styling but with the IM6 around 200 mm taller.
IM6 comes in three variants. The entry-level Premium has a 75kWh lithium-ion
battery charging a single, rear-mounted battery. It’s priced at $60,990 driveaway.
The mid-spec Platinum model uses a 100kWh Nickel-metal hydride (NMC) battery,
also with a single rear motor. Driveaway price is $69,990.
Top of the range is the IM6 Performance, priced at $80,990. It uses the same
100kWh NMC battery as the Platinum, but has a second, front-mounted motor
providing all-wheel drive.
STYLING
Design of the IM6 is very smooth with none of the boxiness that used to identify
SUVs. In that respect it can easily be mistaken for what’s likely to be its closest
competitor, the Tesla Model Y.
The most common feature that attracted attention from passers-by was the unfamiliar
badge that sits on the front and rear of the vehicle. It features two bars at a 45-degree
angle with small round dots on either side. Just for fun, we checked and found that
dot-dash-dash-dot in Morse Code represents the letter P.
While we couldn’t find any significance to this, there is a functional aspect to the
badge at the rear where, pushing the left-hand dot opens the boot.
The only clue to the IM’s family connection is also at the rear where the ‘MG Motor’
badge appears on the left side.
There’s a patterned black plastic trim along the side and also at the rear below a full
width light bar.
As expected, all lighting is LED with the front wraparound headlight assemblies
incorporating the turn indicators sitting above vertical daytime running lights.
A full-length fixed panoramic glass roof is standard on all variants. It’s double-glazed
but doesn’t come with a sliding sun blind.
Entry-level Premium runs on 20-inch alloy wheels, with Platinum and Performance
step up to 21-inch alloy with differing designs. Performance includes red brake
calipers.
Five exterior colours are available. Athena White is standard. Ares Black, Rembrandt
Grey, Raphael Beige and Nevis Blue are $1000 options.
INTERIOR
The dashboard has two screens. Spanning most of the top of the dashboard is a
26.3-inch screen that combines touchscreen multimedia features on the left and an
adjustable driver’s instrument cluster on the right.
A smaller, 10.5-inch, touchscreen sits on an angle at the base of the dashboard within
easy reach of the driver. Virtually every feature that operates the vehicle is controlled
from here, many in combination with two rollers on the steering wheel. Even adjusting
the side mirrors is done here.
We’ll look at this issue later in our Driving section.
There is a choice of two quilted soft-touch synthetic leather seats in either Dover
Beige or Highland Grey.
A ventilated wireless smartphone charging pad is standard.
Boot space in the IM6 Performance is 646 litres with the rear seatback folded,
expanding to 1600 litres when they are folded. There’s also a 32-litre front storage
space, ideal for keeping charging equipment. No spare wheel, only the typically
unreliable tyre repair kit.
Both driver and front passenger get powered seats with heating, ventilation and
adjustable thigh support. Rear seats are also heated.
POWERTRAIN
IM6 is powered by two motors that combine to provide outputs of 572 kW and 802
Nm from
The IM6 Performance is based on the same 800V architecture that’s been used in
vehicles such as the Kia EV 6 and Hyundai Ionic 5. That higher voltage provides
greater power delivery and faster charging times.
Driving range on the WLTP combined cycle starts at 450 km from the Premium 75
kWh up to 555 km in the Platinum 100 kWh, dropping down to 505 km with the
heavier Performance.
The CCS Type 2 charge port is located at the rear left-hand side with an 11kW on-
board charging unit.
Maximum DC charging power from the 100-kWh battery is listed at 396 kW with a
claimed DC charge time from 30 to 80 percent of 15.2 minutes.
There is a Vehicle to Load (V2L) feature with a maximum of 6.6 kW.
INFOTAINMENT
There are only two USB ports in the IM6, one in the front and one in the rear. Both
are USB-C.
Audio in all variants is through a bespoke 20-speaker system that includes four sky
speakers in the headliner that can be paired with the vehicle’s 256-colour ambient
lighting system.
IM6 is compatible with the MG iSMART smartphone application to remotely control
functions monitoring, charging and checking vehicle location and route planning.
SAFETY
MG IM 6 was tested by ANCAP in July 2025 and received the maximum five-star
rating. All three variants get the same features including the MG Pilot suite.
In addition to seven airbags there is a comprehensive Advanced Driver Assistance
System (ADAS) with a large range of features include autonomous emergency
braking, adaptive cruise control, lane support system, hill hold, blind spot detection,
rear cross-traffic alert, driver monitoring system, 360-degree camera and sensors,
rainy night mode, and automatic parking assistance.
DRIVING
Entry through the pop-out flush door handles is keyless either by touching the door
handle, pressing on the key fob, using an NFC key card or the MG iSmart mobile
app.
Large windows and side mirrors provide excellent visibility in these directions
enhanced by side camera images that are projected onto monitors on either side of
the dashboard when turn indicators are activated.
The big problem, and it’s quite serious, is rear vision. Although the rear window is
quite large it lies at such an angle that it only provides a narrow slit from the driver’s
mirror.
To compensate, there is a rear-pointing camera that is activated from the steering
wheel buttons and displays the view onto a third monitor, this one in the centre of the
dash. There are three timing options, 10 seconds, 30 seconds and 2 minutes after
which the image disappears.
Call me old-fashioned, but I want to be able to see what’s behind me at all times.
The IM6 Performance model comes with air suspension that is operated by buttons
on the side wall of the boot. It can adjust ground clearance across a range of 70 mm.
There’s bi-directional steering that can turn the rear wheels up to 12 degrees of rear-
wheel articulation that allows a low-speed ‘crabwalk’ mode to assist access to tight
parking spots.
Turning circle is a class-leading 10.2 metres. By way of comparison the MG ZS small
hatchback needs 10.4 metres.
With virtually every feature controlled through one or other of the touchscreens
there’s we were faced with the usual dilemma of having to locate and adjust even the
most basic of features.
There is no start/stop button. All that the driver needs to do is depress the brake
pedal, select either Drive or Reverse and move away.
Being an EV acceleration is instant and spectacular, to such an extent that the zero to
100 km sprint can be done in just a claimed 3.4 seconds. That’s supercar territory.
Acoustic glass windows, active noise cancellation and soft-touch materials combine
to provide an impressively quiet cabin.
The air suspension in the IM6 Performance contributes to excellent ride quality.
SUMMARY
The new MI brand takes MG into a level that the ex-British, now Chinese, brand could
hardly have envisaged a decade ago. Gone is any suggestion of the ‘cheap and
cheerful’ tag that early MG models carried.
While it’s certainly not cheap for an MG, it is when compared with its mainly
European rivals.
Technophiles will love the IM5 and IM6 and will revel in working through the myriad of
high-tech features. Traditionalists – guilty as charged – will be frustrated by the
reliance on the same thing and by the lack of physical controls.
To keep it in perspective there is plenty of scope for creating shortcuts including the
ability to turn off some ADAS features with a single touch as well as voice activation
to minimise using the screens and the annoying alerts.
RATINGS
Looks: 8.5/10
Performance: 9/10
Safety: 8/10
Thirst: 7/10
Practicality: 7/10
Comfort: 8.5/10
Tech: 6/10
Value: 7/10
AT A GLANCE
MODEL LINE-UP
MG IM6 Premium 75 kWh RWD: $60,990
MG IM 6 Platinum 100 kWh RWD: $69,990
MG IM 6 Performance 100 kWh AWD: $80,990
Note: These are drive-away prices.
SPECIFICATIONS (IM Presented by MG IM6 electric five-door wagon)
POWERTRAIN
Battery: 100 kWh / 800-volt Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM)
Front Motor: 200 kW / 302 Nm
Rear Motor: 372 kW / 500 Nm
Combined: 572 kW / 802 Nm
Range: 505 km
On-board Charging Unit: 11kW
Maximum DC Charging Power: 396 kW
Estimated DC Charge Time (30%-80%): 15.2 minutes
DRIVELINE: Single-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT, AND CAPACITIES
Length: 4904 mm
Width: 1988 mm
Height:1669 mm
Wheelbase:2950 mm
Turning circle: 10.2m
Kerb weight: 2410 kg
BRAKES
Front: Ventilated disc
Rear: Ventilated disc
STANDARD WARRANTY
Seven years / unlimited kilometres vehicle and battery
