Palatial Experience Goes Electric

The MG M9 aims to shake things up in the luxury multipurpose vehicle (MPV) space by offering opulence along with an alternative source of propulsion. We were in Goa to see how that translates into reality.

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MORE OFTEN THAN not, people belonging to a higher social class prefer to flaunt their status. That applies to conveyance, too, for they prefer to be driven around, hence the term “chauffeur-driven”. That is where a luxury MPV enters the picture. In India, a luxury MPV normally evokes the Toyota Vellfire, Lexus LM or Kia Carnival, all of them having an internal combustion engine for propulsion or a hybrid setup in the case of the Vellfire. That's all set to be shaken up with the entry of the M9 by JSW MG Motor India.

First showcased at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo earlier this year and part of the premium MG Select brand, the M9 aims to introduce a fine balance of luxury and alternative sustainable propulsion to the luxury MPV segment as this is an electric luxury MPV. Is it possible? Well, we got to spend some time behind its wheel on a wet day in Goa.

Luxury full-size MPVs haven't really been my cup of tea in terms of design because many of them have a very familiar boxy theme. Yes, the MG M9 does have some of that boxy, luxury van appearance, but there are curves, especially up front, where the bonnet blends in nicely with the fascia and fender. Complementing this are the sleek LED daytime running lights (DRL) and the vertically stacked headlamps. Its 19-inch wheels look fairly proportionate with the rest of the car’s body which has an imposing presence, being 5,270 millimetres long and 2,000 mm wide. The wraparound connected tail-lamps round off a design that will make people take a second look.