MGS9 PHEV

“The MGS9 sits above the MGS6 EV and the MG HS in the manufacturer’s lineup” THIS is the largest MG ever made, the MGS9.

- 

Chinese brand's biggest car ever offers seven seats, but will it be a family favourite in the UK?

Despite that status, it's not actually the brand's flagship model because it's positioned below the all-electric IM5 and IM6 - which target a clientele with more premium aspirations.

Instead, the MGS9 sits above the MGS6 electric vehicle and the MG HS in manufacturer's lineup, using the same plugin hybrid powertrain as the latter. It's a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine combined with an electric motor that powers the front wheels to the tune of 224bhp. More importantly, however, the MGS9's 24.7kWh battery serves up 63 miles of pure electric range.

The MGS9's main point of differentiation from the HS is its size, which allows it to provide a seven-seat layout. As a result, MG now has a model to take on other plugin hybrid seven-seaters including the Jaecoo 8, Chery Tiggo 8, Kia Sorento and Peugeot 5008.

We can immediately discount the Kia, Peugeot and even the £45,000 Jaecoo as direct rivals, however, because the MG is astonishingly cheap for its size. The newcomer starts from £34,205 in Comfort trim, while the Premium version we tested is priced from £36,945. The Tiggo 8 starts at £33,545, but the MG is 255mm longer.

ESSENTIALS MGS9 plug-in hybrid Premium Price: £36,945 On sale: Now Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol + 1x e-motor Power/torque: 224bhp/340Nm Transmission: Two-speed automatic, front-wheel drive 0-62/top speed: 9.6 seconds/124mph Economy/CO2:471mpg/18g/km Size (L/W/H): 4,983/1,967/1,778mm