MG’s electrification journey can best be described as a trajectory. The speed at which the brand has improved and innovated its EV lineup is immense! Announced in 2019 and officially on the ground in 2020, the ZS EV was the brand’s first pure electric vehicle to be sold in New Zealand. It was also the country’s first sub-$50k brand new EV! Yes, you could tell that there had been compromises on quality and technology but it was responsible for greatly improving EV uptake in the country.
The MG4 followed suit in 2023, becoming the country’s first sub-$40k brand new EV at the time of its local launch. This time around, the 4 represented an improvement in quality and thanks to a rear wheel drive set-up, it quickly gained recognition as one of the more enjoyable drives in the EV space. MG ran with this and soon after debuted the mighty fast X-Power version in 2024. In the two years that has since passed, the brand has continued to improve its pure electric offering and today boasts the likes of the MG4 , MG4 Urban, IM6, S5 and S6 models (the latter two not to be confused with the sporty duo hailing from a certain German manufacturer).
Excluding the premium IM6 offering, the MG S6 is the brand’s electric range topper here in New Zealand. Two trim levels are available, the ‘Essence RWD’ and ‘Essence AWD’, both of which are being reviewed here. At a glance, there’s clearly no way to tell the above two cars apart, aside from the obvious colour difference of course. To help you follow along with this article, the entry level ‘Essence RWD’ is always on the left side and painted in ‘Stratford Gold Metallic’ while the range topping ‘Essence AWD’ is on the right and painted in ‘Diamond Red Metallic’. However, before I go into the specific differences between the two vehicles, I’ll speak more broadly of the model itself.
The S6 isn’t just MG’s range topper where price is concerned but also in its size, the electric SUV measures in at 4.7m long, 1.9m wide and 1.67m tall. On the exterior at least, the S6 is not the most compact of vehicles and neither is it the largest, it prefers to sit somewhere in between on the SUV scale. Either way, it’s quite hard for the untrained eye to tell the difference between this and the smaller S5 unless you are looking closely for the badges.
Like much of MG’s lineup, the S6 isn’t really eye catching but neither is the design terribly offensive. It makes use of trendy elements like the rear light bar and a split headlight cluster. There’s a smattering of chrome framing around the windows and bumpers accompanied by some shiny roof rails for those who enjoy their bling. While the design approach may be conservative, the variety of paint options is broad, seven in total including the two highlighted in this article. There’s no extra cost for selecting a paint colour so I’d recommend giving ‘Piccadilly Blue Metallic’ a look if the two featured shades don’t float your boat. The 20 inch wheels are standard across the range and comes with a repair kit if such an event arises!
It’s worth noting that the S6’s cavernous dimensions make for a rather generous boot, 581 litres in fact regardless of trim level. Drop the seats and this will expand out to a whopping 1,690L, a powered tailgate naturally allows for easy access of this space. Both models come with a frunk too, the RWD gets 87L of space in the nose while the AWD has to make do with 67L, both provide enough room to store a set of charging cables and a puncture repair kit, leaving the boot for groceries, luggage and anything else you might want to throw in!
If it’s space you’re after then the AWD model is the one to go for, particularly because it comes with a panoramic glass roof as standard, important to note that you strangely can’t have this at all on the RWD, not even as an option. Having given both cars a thorough once over, the glass roof was really the only physical point of difference that I could identify, good thing it came with a blind so you can block out the sun if you need to.
Surely then, there must be significant difference between the two cars on the inside?! Hate to be the bearer of bad news here but that’s not quite the case. Be it the RWD or the AWD model, both cars come with ‘vegan leather’ seating and suede upholstery for a premium feel. There’s lots of soft surfaces on both the dashboard and door cards making the interior a generally comfortable and quiet place to be.
Both cars are well equipped yes but given that the entry level Essence RWD has all the trappings of the range topper make the RWD’s proposition even more attractive! Both front seats include electric adjustment (6-way for the driver & 4-way for the passenger), both are heated and ventilated too, the steering wheel is also heated. The two outer rear seats also feature 3-level heating elements, plus there’s dual zone climate control to really make the cabin a comfortable place to be! Ambient lighting options add an extra layer of customization to the overall experience.
A “premium 11-speaker audio system” is standard on both the RWD and AWD cars but the system is highly average at best if you leave the equalizer on its default settings as I had done during my time with the RWD vehicle. Thankfully, an audiophile (probably Driven’s Damien O’Carroll) had driven the AWD vehicle before I did, adjusting the equalizer to produce an at least satisfactory experience this time around. Still, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto along with integrated apps like Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube allow for seamless connectivity regardless of platform or phone preference.
As far as technology goes, the audio system may not add a wow factor but the MG Pilot safety suite certainly does! Seven airbags coupled with high-strength steel in all the key impact areas allow the S6 to protectively cocoon its occupants. While the feeling of safety is certainly there, the downside is that the car tends to beep at you a lot. Veering from the middle of the lane, a straying gaze, travelling downhill etc are all infraction inviting behaviours and will cause the car to beep at you in an effort to correct this. This is a wider issue with most modern cars but MG are one of the more notorious offenders.
Thankfully though, the S6’s overly cautious view to safety can be redeemed by the innovations in its battery technology. Both cars are built on MG’s ‘Modular Scalable Platform’ or ‘MSP’ which bases the vehicles on an ultra-thin 77kWh NCM (Nickel-Cobalt-Manganese) battery which can then deliver the power to either the rear wheels or all wheels depending on the model selected. The battery can take a maximum of 144kW of DC charge, providing a predicted 10%-80% charge time of 38 minutes.
If range is a priority for you then S6 RWD is the winner, offering 530km of WLTP range from its battery. Power is rated at a respectable 180kW and torque at 350Nm, offering a 0-100 time of 7.5s. A heat pump for climate control and a one pedal driving feature will help you get the most range out of the battery. In fact, I recorded an impressive average efficiency of 15.9kWhr/100km over the 298 kilometres that I covered during my week with the RWD vehicle.
On the other hand, if power is what matters most to you then the AWD is the car to get. Range is compromised but a 485km WLTP figure is not bad from a battery of this size. Power and torque are massively upped to 266kW and 540Nm respectively, helping the car go from 0-100 in 5.1s, much quicker than its RWD counterpart! During my week with the AWD vehicle, I recorded an average consumption figure of 17.8kWhr/100km over 2800 kilometres of driving, not a bad result for the AWD model.
Of the two, I funnily found the RWD model to be more entertaining to drive, what it lacks in sheer power, it makes up for with a more engaging drive around the corners. With that being said, both cars are competent for longer motorway drives as well as short bursts through the city, providing enough room for all occupants and their luggage!
The Verdict
It really is that simple, for those that want the greater range, the RWD S6 should be the car of choice while the AWD S6 is for those that prioritize power. Interestingly, both are well equipped inside and out, to the extent that they are indistinguishable barring a panoramic glass roof. They both perform well on motorways, city roads and everything in between while providing enough room and comfort for all passengers. MG Pilot offers a comprehensive safety suite on both vehicles, although its warnings can be a bit overzealous at times. Then there’s the price difference, $56,990 for the Essence RWD versus $63,990 for the Essence AWD, a gap that I can’t seem to justify as the RWD model provides enough for most!
2026 MG S6 EV RWD & AWD: 4/5
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Car courtesy of MG Motor New Zealand. Pictures and words by Matthew D’Souza.
