What is it?

The car that re-launched the MG brand to UK buyers under Chinese ownership.

Face-lifted for 2015, will the MG6 now appeal to Astra and Focus buyers? We tried the range-topping TL hatch to find out.

What’s hot?

• MG has tweaked the 1.9-litre diesel, now the only engine available in the MG6 and it’s now quicker to 60mph (8.4 seconds or 0.5 seconds faster). The good news for business buyers is that economy has jumped from 57.6 to 61.4mpg plus the CO2 has dropped 10g/km to 119g/km, putting the MG6 in road tax band C and the 21% charge. This engine is willing and torquey in character too.
• Along with the engine tweaks, there’s a new six-speed manual transmission which is reasonably slick in use, but not very quick in action.
• The MG6 is also a keen handler, there’s plenty of grip and it feels agile and responsive in corners – with body roll kept well under control.

• Our test car is the range-topping TL and for £17,995, the standard kit list is impressive and has power, heated and leather-trimmed seats, Bluetooth, Bi-Xenon headlights, cruise control, dual-zone climate control and the MG Touch infotainment system that includes a 7-inch touchscreen, iGO Navigation system and a DAB radio tuner.
• On top of the equipment, the MG6 has plenty of space inside. There’s room for five tall people to travel in comfort and a massive 498 litre boot that can be extended to 1,379 litres with that rear seat folded down.
• The MG6’s dashboard design is reasonably attractive, however the quality of the switchgear isn’t going to worry Ford or Vauxhall, but it’s logically placed and the instruments are easy to read.

What’s not?

• The quality of our test car was more ‘miss than hit’, the front doors in particular felt like they dropped on their hinges when opened. Plus, they shut with a cheap sounding clang. The dash top is made of soft, plusher feeling plastic, but the rest is made of shinier, cheaper stuff that doesn’t look like it will age well. Some of the quality issues are forgivable considering the price point, but we really would worry how robust the MG6 is in the long-term.
• The 7-inch touch screen system felt aftermarket and was overcomplicated to operate with too many small buttons.
• The 1.9-litre diesel is a strong performer, it’s just a shame it’s not more refined. At its worst from cold and at motorway speeds, too much diesel thrum and vibration make it into the 6’s cabin.
• The ride on the modest 16-inch alloys is comfortable, compliant, but sadly comes undone around town where it feels very crashy.
• Now only available as a hatch, facelift changes to the attractive exterior styling are minimal. However, we wonder if these changes are enough, as the MG6 starts to look quite dated when you park it next to the latest Ford Focus.

The Verdict

Good to drive, spacious interior, cheap to run and well-equipped – the latest MG MG6 has a lot going for it as an SME company car. There must be some question marks with this package? Well yes, two actually, the first being the disappointing build quality, the second being the lack of dealers.

Although the latter should be less of a problem over time, as MG expect to have 80 dealers by early this year and have gone as far as employing a new head of fleet recently – Ralph Bailey.

But how does it compare to key rival – the Ford Focus? Closest model to this 1.9-litre DTi-TECH TL, is the 95PS 1.5-litre TDCi hatch in Style trim. The MG gets off to a good start being cheaper by £500, the MG is also much more powerful and better equipped.

However, bring the emissions and tax band into the equation and things don’t look as good for the MG, with 119g/km and a 21% charge versus the Ford’s better 17% charge and 98g/km emissions.

MG MG6 1.9 DTi-TECH TL review

The Low Down…..

…..and what it costs