MG S9

Biggest MG yet is a seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV, priced from just £34k

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MG's product assault continues. In autumn 2020, the Chinese brand offered five models here; now it's 11. The S9 is the first to have seven seats, an SUV just under 5m long and offered with the plugin hybrid powertrain from the HS. That comprises a 140bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, a 228bhp electric motor and a 24.7kWh battery. MG says it has a single-speed transmission, but it's actually a bit more complex than that: the motor drives the wheels at a fixed ratio and the engine can too, but as often as not the engine will be working as a generator while the motor turns the wheels.

On electric power alone there's an official 62-mile range, while the fuel tank is a generous 65 litres.

It's front-wheel drive and has a 2000kg towing limit - MG's heaviest. There are two trims, Comfort (£34,205) and Premium (£36,945). The former is very well equipped but 90% of customers will go for the latter, which adds heated, ventilated and massaging seats with electric lumbar support, a 12-speaker Bose stereo and wireless phone charging.