The IM6 has one of those shapes that makes you do a double take every time you see it. In person, it has proper presence. It’s wide and low slung for an SUV, and carries itself with that new age premium EV confidence.
Part of the IM presented by MG Motor range, ours was draped in Nevis Blue, with orange brake calipers. It looked fantastic, particularly in all-wheel drive Performance trim that included a Dover Beige interior.
The combination gave it just enough attitude to remind you that this thing is not just some soft electric family cruiser. Measuring 4904mm long, 1988mm wide and 1669mm tall, the IM6 has a substantial footprint, but its styling helps hide some of that size.
It looks long, sleek and premium rather than bulky or awkward. Sporting a grille-less, minimal EV face with slim headlights and a rounded nose, it’s aggressive, with a nod to futurist modernism.
Around the side, the IM6 leans into its coupe SUV shape, with a flowing roofline, flush door handles and a clean shoulder line that gives it a properly premium stance. It has the kind of silhouette that looks like it should cost more than it probably does.
At the rear, there is a hint of Aston Martin about it. The thin full width lighting, smooth rear haunches and curved tailgate design give it a grand tourer look rather than a boxy SUV finish. It is elegant, almost sporty, and gives the IM6 a much more expensive feel.
Step inside and the IM6 immediately starts punching above its weight. The interior feels open, plush and properly premium. The seats form a big part of what can be described as a comfy couch.
They are soft, supportive and have the kind of plushness you would expect to find in something like an S-Class. That might sound like a big statement, but the first impression really is that the IM6 is chasing comfort hard.
Ultra-soft synthetic leather seats feature heating and ventilation up front, with warming for the second row. Rear adjustable backrests and a panoramic glass roof give the cabin a proper high end feel, and you’ll also find MagSafe style mounting points around the cabin.
This essentially allows passengers to use the included IM phone mount in different areas of the car, including the rear seats, the passenger side of the dashboard, and even in the boot (which could be handy if you’re grabbing a kip).
The dash design is minimal. There are not many traditional buttons, which gives the cabin a clean, futuristic look (that not everyone will love). The cabin is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 chip and uses a huge 26.3-inch immersive touchscreen display.
That’s paired with a 10.5-inch central touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included. The infotainment presentation is bold, sharp and very screen focused. It gives the IM6 a proper spaceship feel, especially with the wide display across the dash.
There’s a ventilated wireless charging pad, voice control, digital radio, Bluetooth, iSMART connectivity and a 20-speaker audio system that includes four sky speakers. Driver assistance tech is also stacked.
The IM6 gets a 360-degree HD camera, adaptive cruise control, lane centring, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, driver monitoring and a long list of advanced driver assistance systems.
The brochure lists a series of “one touch” offerings, including Park, Kerbside Parking, Pull Out and Reverse, which is basically the IM6 trying to remove as much parking stress as possible. There’s a Rainy Night mode too, that uses cameras to help improve visibility.
It’s a clever idea, especially for Australian roads where heavy rain at night can turn even a basic drive into a guessing game. Boot space is strong, with 646-litres available the Performance model we’re testing.
Fold the rear seats down and that expands to 1621-litres. There is a 32-litre frunk, which is perfect for storing charging cables or the random bits and pieces you do not want to roll around in the main boot.
The rear seats fold in a 40/60 layout, and the overall cabin space is helped by the IM6’s wheelbase. The Performance model is incredibly quick. MG claims a 0-100km/h time of just 3.4 seconds, which is completely ridiculous for a family-sized SUV.
That sort of acceleration used to be supercar territory, and now here it is in a smooth electric vehicle with plush seats and a big boot. Its dual motor all-wheel drive setup delivers a combined 572kW of power and 802Nm of torque.
The result is instant, brutal and almost hilarious acceleration. You press the throttle and the IM6 just leaves. No drama, no noise, no waiting for gears, just immediate electric shove. It also gets the good chassis hardware.
That includes advanced air suspension and continuous damping control, helping it balance comfort and control. Add in intelligent four-wheel steering with Crab Mode, and the IM6 has more going on underneath than you might expect.
The Performance model use a 100kWh NCM battery to deliver 505km of range. Built on 800V architecture, it can top up from 30 to 80 per cent on a 396kW DC fast charger in just over 15 minutes. Real-world charging varies, of course.
That will always depend on the charger, temperature, battery condition and all the usual EV fine print, but on paper, the IM6 has the kind of capability that makes long distance driving feel a lot less painful.
It has vehicle-to-load capability with up to 6.6kW output, which is handy for camping, worksites, appliances or just showing off by powering something unnecessary in a carpark. At $77,990 drive away, the IM6 Performance will catch a lot of people off guard.
It has the looks, size, tech, and plush interior that people desire, and the acceleration and performance to back it up. It’s easy to look at the badge and think this is just another MG product, but the IM6 feels far more serious than that.
It does not come across as a budget alternative pretending to be premium. It feels like a proper premium EV, with its own identity. The IM6 is available in five exterior colours, including Athena White, Ares Black, Rembrandt Grey, Raphael Beige and Nevis Blue.
There are two interior options; Dover Beige and Highland Grey. It’s backed by a 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty and 8-years or 160,000km on the battery. You can find out more on the IM presented by MG Motor website, or by talking to your local dealership.
To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by MG Motor Australia for independent review purposes. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
