MG The IM6 interior isn’t massively different in style to the IM5. However, the IM6’s front seats don’t just offer heating and ventilation – they have a massage function too. I found this beneficial over my two-hour test drive, although it doesn’t have the range of options you get with a Lotus or BMW massage seat. Your primary reason for buying the SUV is space. There is more of it in the back seats than the IM5, and the rear luggage space is much greater too. The basic capacity is 665 liters (646 liters for the Launch Edition, because the air suspension kit takes up some of the space). This extends to 1640 liters with the rear seats down (1621 for the Launch Edition). This isn’t as much as the Tesla Model Y, and the Skoda Enyaqi iV offers a bit more too. But it’s still plenty of space for carrying a family’s luggage on a holiday trip or DIY materials back from the home improvement store. It's also worth noting that the IM6 (and IM5) can tow 750kg unbraked or 1,500kg braked, so pulling a small caravan or boat is possible with any of these cars. The IM6 is essentually the SUV version of the IM5. MG I drove the Performance version of the IM6 too, rather than the Launch Edition, so can’t comment on the efficacy of the air suspension. It wasn’t as relentlessly quick as the IM5, but still very capable of A-road overtaking and extremely composed on the highway. The Long Range takes 5.4 seconds to hit 62mph, while the Performance and Launch Edition take 3.5 seconds. With a 100kWh battery across all versions, the IM6 offers excellent range. The Long Range version can go 388 WLTP miles, while the Performance and Launch Edition go 313 miles. During my test driving of the IM6 Performance on the same route as the IM5. I managed 2.5 miles per kWh, which would equate to 241 miles. That’s not outstanding but certainly decent for a 2,410kg SUV with this level of performance. Also, with that extremely fast charging available, you won’t need to stop very long to replenish. MG IM Technology Although the general sense of quality of the IM5 and IM6 are a step above what MG has offered before, the tech is the area where these cars feel the most differentiation. Controls are Tesla/Mercedes-like, with a stalk on the right for choose drive and reverse. There are paddles for configuring the adaptive cruise control, which is standard on all models, and the steering wheel only has scroll wheels, no other buttons. I particularly enjoyed the exit mode, where the driver’s seat goes back automatically when you open the door, to facilitate getting out. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, although the built-in satnav is very responsive and usable, with live traffic included. I particularly like the way blind spot detection has been implemented on the IM5 and IM6. Not only do you get an amber light on the wing mirrors, but there’s also a camera view that pops up when you indicate and the edge of the wide display glows red. That’s plenty of warning to help you avoid an unnecessary accident when changing lanes. MG's IM cars are heavily imbued with cutting-edge technology. MG There’s plenty of other safety tech on these cars, and most of it is a lot more sophisticated than previous MGs. The camera-based driver distraction system is a little... distracting. But the automatic parking options are quite effective. You can detect spaces in a parking lot and the car will pull into one of these automatically and adjust itself right into the middle. The curbside option pulls the car over 6 inches left or right using 4-wheel steering, which is great if you parallel parked too far out. The most impressive capability is how the car will remember the last 100m of your driving. If you hit One Touch Reverse, the car will then back up exactly the way you came. So if you accidentally went down a narrow cul-de-sac and can’t turn around, this will help you get back out again. I tried it and it was unnervingly capable. Perhaps less essential but fun are the scene modes. The nap mode reclines your seat and triggers one of a couple of ambient lighting and sound options so you can have a rest. Rainy night clears the windows, puts the wing mirror cameras permanently on, and darkens the screens. The screens also have themes with some control over screen backgrounds, and there are loads of ambient lighting options. One other nice touch is that, while there is only one wireless phone charger, it’s ventilated so your phone won’t overheat while charging. Overall, the IM cars have mature and mostly well-thought-out technology. However, while the infotainment system does offer YouTube and (naturally, for a Chinese-built car) TikTok, the narrow screen isn’t ideal for watching either. The sound systems are solid, though. There’s a speaker in the head rest as well, mostly used for navigational directions, which takes some getting used to. Can IM Take MG To The Next Level? Both IM cars are very credible, refined and mature vehicles. After all, they’re only new to Europe – they’ve been on sale in various forms in China for a few years now. But even the infotainment seemed devoid of rough edges, as I’ve often seen with other new Chinese brands I’ve tested. Both cars are priced competitively too. The base Standard Range IM5 undercuts the Expensive Car Supplement in the UK at £39,450 ($53,000). It’s over £5,000 ($6,700) cheaper than the entry BYD Seal Design, while the IM5 Performance is almost identically priced to the BYD Seal AWD Excellence at £48,495, while being faster and offering a lot more range. The BMW i4 is a lot more expensive than any IM5 for any model and then goes considerably further north as you move up the range. The true competitor is the Tesla Model 3, which starts at under £40,000 ($54,000) as well and offers more range, much more efficiency, and better performance. However, the Long Range RWD is almost identically priced to the IM5 Long Range, with the same performance, although it gets almost the same range with 75% of the battery, so still wins out on efficiency. The MG IM5 and IM6 could be popular fleet choices. MG The true “cat amongst the pigeons” therefore is the IM5 Performance, which undercuts the Tesla Model 3 Performance by over £10,000 ($13,000) while offering similar acceleration and top speed, but more range. That is with less efficiency again, but this may not concern those with cheap home power or with fleet charging. Considering SUV sales, however, the IM6 could be the bigger seller. This starts at £1,000 ($1,300) more than the BYD Sealion 7, but you get better performance, a bigger battery and 88 more miles of WLTP range. It also undercuts the Tesla Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive while offering the same range and performance. The IM6 Performance is priced below BYD’s dual-motor options with comparable or better range and better performance. The Tesla Model Y Dual Motor is still the range king, but as there’s no Performance version yet, it lags behind the IM6 in speed. It’s not a clearcut win for MG, but both in sedan and SUV form the IM cars are clear contenders against other Chinese brands. They put up strong competition against the Tesla Model 3 and Y too. If MG can tempt fleet buyers to add the IM5 and IM6 to their offerings, they’re likely to be popular, high-quality alternatives.