Bugs take some shine off steroidal IM 6

The Chinese newcomer's luxe SUV punches above its weight in the performance sweepstake

- Christopher Tan

Two weeks ago, The Straits Times reviewed the IM 5, a premium electric sedan from IM Motors, a joint venture formed by leading Chinese automotive group SAIC, e-commerce giant Alibaba and high-tech industrial park developer Zhangjiang Hi-Tech.

Now, we look at the IM 6, a sport utility vehicle variant of the IM 5. The 6 is 4,904mm long, 1,988mm wide and 1,669mm tall, which makes it stouter and taller than the 5. It shares the same 2,950mm wheelbase as the 5, but at 2.4 tonnes, the all-wheel-drive (AWD) variant test car is noticeably heftier than the rear-wheel-drive (RWD) 5.

The extra weight comes primarily from its dual motors - the one in front makes 200kW/302Nm, while the rear makes 372kW/500Nm. The car's bigger 21-inch wheels contribute weight too.

At $372,888 with certificate of entitlement (COE), the IM 6 Performance AWD is around $120,000 pricier than the RWD 5, which makes its litany of glitches that much more glaring.

The test car often does not detect the key, which I then have to retrieve from my pocket so that the sensors can read it. The door handle regularly requires pulling twice to unlatch the door.

Android Auto reconnection is not automatic and has to be reactivated each time I get into the car. Sometimes, the music just stops. The top screen even goes blank intermittently.

Once, the air-conditioning goes to Lo for no reason.