MG IM6 2026 Review: Is It Worth Buying Now?

If you’re trying to figure out whether the MG IM6 is worth buying in 2026, here’s my short answer: It’s one of the most loaded electric SUVs you can get for the money, but it’s not perfect, and I’ll get into why below. I went through spec sheets, owner reviews, and road tests from the UK, Australia, and Thailand to put this together.

The MG IM6 is an electric SUV made by IM Motors, a brand owned by SAIC, the same company behind MG. It comes with a 100kWh battery, up to 388 miles of WLTP range, an 800V charging setup that can hit 396kW, and a dual-motor Performance trim with 751hp that does 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds.

What Exactly Is the MG IM6?

Many buyers find this aspect confusing, and I understand why. This car isn’t built by MG in the way you’d expect.

It comes from IM Motors, which stands for “Intelligence in Motion”, a brand that launched back in 2020 as a joint venture between Shanghai Auto (SAIC) and Alibaba. 

SAIC also owns MG, so the company put the MG badge on these cars in markets like the UK and Australia to use that brand recognition.

In China, the same model is sold as the IM LS6. It retains the model name “IM6” but wears the MG badge in the UK and Australia. The naming setup trips people up more than it should, but once you know the backstory, the car makes a lot more sense.

Why MG Chose This Naming Strategy

MG wanted a model that could go up against premium electric SUVs without messing with its budget-friendly image on other models like the MG4 EV or MG ZS.

By launching the IM6 under a separate identity, MG can go after buyers looking at something like a Tesla Model Y or BMW iX, while still keeping its cheaper electric cars aimed at value shoppers.

MG IM6 Specs: Battery, Range, and Power

The MG IM6 comes in two main setups, and which one you pick depends on what matters most to you.

Long Range trim: single rear motor, 402 bhp, 0-62 mph in 5.4 seconds, WLTP range up to 388 miles

Performance trim: dual motors with the ‘Hurricane Motor’ setup, 742-751 hp combined, 0-62 mph in 3.5 seconds, and WLTP range around 313 miles.

Both versions use the same 100kWh battery pack (96.5kWh usable), built on an 800V architecture, and this is the part that impressed me most.

An 800V platform lets the car take in much faster charging than most rivals still running 400V systems, including a lot of versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.

You can check MG’s own published numbers on the MG Motor Europe IM6 page if you want to compare trims side by side.

How Fast Does the MG IM6 Charge?

MG says this car can go from 10% to 80% charge in around 17 to 20 minutes on a charger that can deliver up to 396kW. That’s a fast number on paper.

But in real-world testing by What Car? In the UK, the car topped out at 217 kW on a 400 kW Ionity charger, not the claimed 396 kW.

That gap matters. Charging speed depends on the battery’s state of charge, the battery temperature, and whether the charger itself can actually push out its rated power.

Most public chargers in the UK, Pakistan, and the Gulf region don’t go above 350kW yet, so a car rated for 396kW often never gets a chance to show what it can do.

MG IM6 vs Tesla Model Y: How Do They Compare?

Since this car was built to go after the Tesla Model Y, here’s how the two stack up:

Range: The Long Range trim offers 388 miles WLTP, just one mile more than the Model Y Long Range RWD’s 387 miles.

Charging: This car can hit 396 kW; the Model Y maxes out at 250 kW.

Acceleration: the Performance trim does 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds; the Model Y Performance is close but hasn’t been tested head-to-head against it yet in 2026

Boot space: the Model Y holds around 854 liters total; this car offers 665 liters plus a 32-liter frunk.

Price (UK): This model starts around £47,995; the Model Y Long Range RWD starts closer to £44,990.

From what I’ve seen across these reviews, the MG IM6 wins on charging speed and matches the Model Y on range, but the Model Y still has the edge on cargo space and on how the car feels in corners.

If charging speed on long trips matters to you most, the 800V system gives this SUV a real edge.

Interior, Technology, and Daily Comfort

Get inside the MG IM6, and the first thing that grabs you is the screens. A 26.3-inch ultra-wide display stretches across the top of the dashboard, covering both the driver’s instrument cluster and the main infotainment. Below that sits a separate 10.5-inch touchscreen angled toward the driver.

I’ll be honest, this dual-screen setup won’t click with everyone. Reviewers at What Car? and Top Gear both pointed out that switching between the two screens for everyday stuff like climate control gets distracting while you’re driving.

On the plus side, the system runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip, so menus load fast and the graphics look clean.

Rainy Night Mode and Driver Assistance

One feature that comes up in pretty much every review I read is Rainy Night Mode. It uses the car’s radar, cameras, and sensors to build a clearer picture of pedestrians, other vehicles, and obstacles on screen during heavy rain or low visibility.

For drivers in places with monsoon seasons or heavy fog, like parts of Pakistan and Southeast Asia, this isn’t just a gimmick on a brochure.

This model also gets four-wheel steering as standard, which gives the MG IM6 a tight 10.18-meter turning circle despite being nearly 4.9 meters long.

The Performance version also has a ‘crab mode’ that lets the car move diagonally at low speed, which is handy for squeezing into tight parking spots.

Space, Boot Capacity, and Practicality

This SUV gives you 665 litres of boot space with the seats up, growing to around 1,621 litres with the rear seats folded down in a 60/40 split.

Throw in the 32-litre frunk under the bonnet, and you’ve got enough room for a family’s weekend luggage without much fuss. Rear passengers get a flat floor, a panoramic glass roof, and double-layer soundproof glass that keeps road noise down to a hum.

Is the MG IM6 Safe?

The MG IM6 carries a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating based on 2025 testing protocols.

Standard safety gear includes seven airbags, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, and a 360-degree camera setup using nine HD cameras and twelve ultrasonic sensors.

Where it dropped points was on front passenger ISOFIX mounts, which aren’t fitted as standard the way they are on some rivals.

MG IM6 Price and Where It Sits Among Affordable Electric SUVs

Pricing for the MG IM6 depends a lot on where you are. In the UK, this model starts at £47,995 for the Long Range version and runs up to around £53,495 for the performance Launch Edition. In Australia, the Performance trim starts at AU$80,990 drive-away. In Thailand, it starts at 1,399,900 Baht.

I wouldn’t put this car in the cheapest electric car category. If you’re after the most affordable EV options, the MG4 EV or MG S5 EV sit at a much lower price point and are aimed at buyers who want an affordable EV without the premium positioning of this range.

What this SUV gives you is a lot of equipment, range, and charging speed for the money compared to other mid-size electric SUVs in its class.

Running Costs and Warranty Coverage

MG backs this model with a seven-year warranty covering up to 80,000 miles, plus an eight-year warranty on the high-voltage battery, capped at 160,000 km in most markets. 

Servicing is needed every 12 months or 20,000km, and Australian pricing data shows service costs average around AU$585 per visit, with one visit costing a lot more because of coolant and filter changes on the dual-motor versions.

If you’re weighing up total ownership costs, this is worth keeping in mind. A Toyota bZ4X, for comparison, has reported five-year service costs nearly half of what the performance trim needs over the same period, according to Chasing Cars’ breakdown.

Should You Buy the MG IM6 in 2026?

I’d go for the long-range trim over the performance version if I were buying. The extra power in the Performance trim is fun for a few minutes, but it adds weight, drops the range from 388 to 313 miles, and doesn’t make the driving experience noticeably better on normal roads.

If you drive long distances a lot and care most about charging speed, the 800V platform and near-400kW charging make this one of the strongest picks among mid-size electric SUVs in 2026.

If you’d rather have sharper handling or the lowest possible price, look elsewhere; the Kia EV6 drives better, and the MG4 EV and other affordable electric cars cost a lot less if budget is your main concern.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the MG IM6 a good car?

A: Yes, if you want long range, fast charging, and a roomy interior. It does well on comfort and equipment but loses points for its confusing dual-screen infotainment and a ride that several reviewers call unsettled on rough roads.

Q: What is the real-world range of this car?

A: What Car?’s real-world testing put the Long Range version at around 299 miles on a mild day, against its claimed 388 miles WLTP. The Performance version, claimed at 313 miles, would likely land closer to 230-280 miles in everyday driving.

Q: Who owns the MG IM6 brand?

A: The MG IM6 comes from IM Motors, a joint venture between SAIC (which also owns MG) and Alibaba. It’s sold under the MG name in the UK and Australia, while in China the same IM Motors lineup is sold under the IM brand without the MG badge.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: In the UK, prices start at £47,995 for the Long Range, £51,495 for the Performance, and £53,495 for the top Launch Edition trim. Pricing changes by region, with Australia starting around AU$80,990 drive-away for the performance trim.

Q: Does it charge faster than the Tesla Model Y?

A: On paper, yes. The 800V architecture supports charging up to 396kW, while the Model Y caps out at 250kW. In real-world tests, this car has hit over 200kW on the right chargers, still ahead of most Model Y charging sessions.

Conclusion

My honest take after going through all this is that this electric SUV makes the most sense if you put real miles on your car and don’t want to spend half your trip at a charging station.

If you mostly drive around town, go test drive both this and a Tesla Model Y before deciding, because how each car feels day to day matters more than what’s on the spec sheet. Either way, it’s earned its spot as one of the more interesting electric SUVs to keep an eye on in 2026.