MG M9 first drive review

First things first - the MG M9 is a big car. At 5270mm long and 2000mm wide, it’s obviously large and very van-like in its appearance and dimensions. Understandably, all that size makes for a spacious cabin, focused heavily on the second row. 

There are massive lounger-recliner seats at the back, each of which is electronically controlled to adjust tilt, position, angles, and extension of the head rests and leg rests. The seats can also move around on rails within the cabin, but more on that later. These are incredibly comfortable and well-made seats, with premium materials and soft cushioning in use. Consider this on par with your lounger couch at home, and probably a bit nicer than typical business class seats on an airliner.

ALSO SEE: Volkswagen Tiguan R-line first drive review

The third row is surprisingly spacious itself, with enough room for three adults to sit comfortably. Leg room in the third row depends a lot on the positions of the second-row seats, but it’s possible to set it up to provide plenty of legroom everyone sitting in the second and third rows. There are also dedicated zone-based AC controls for all three rows, letting you set it to a comfortable temperature for yourself or your row without affecting the temperature for others.

Perhaps the only hassle with the third row is that you need to move through the gaps between the second row seats to reach it. Ordinarily, that would be through the middle of the two second-row seats, but you can also manually control the second-row seats through the armrest controls to create room to sneak in from behind. That will take time though; the seats don’t have a quick-tumble system to make access easy.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Stuff Magazine India (@stuffindia)

Like many electric cars, there’s a frunk on the MG M9, with about 55L of space; it’s enough to store the portable charging kit for the car to plug in out on the road. Boot space isn’t much with the third row upright and you’ll only be able to store small suitcases or backpacks, but dropping the third-row seats will open upto a massive 1720L of boot space.

The front row is reasonably well equipped itself, with comfortable and electrically adjustable seats, complete with ventilation, heating, and massage functionality. It definitely feels van-like at the front, but visibility out the front windshield is decent enough, and the outside rear-view mirrors are decent. You get a digital, camera-based inside rear-view monitor, which definitely provides better rear visibility than a traditional mirror would give in a car as big as this.

MG’s cars in India have been tech-focused offerings, and the MG M9 kicks things up a significant notch with the tech and features. While the front row has the standard set of features including a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and 7-inch digital instrument cluster, as well as electrically adjustable seat controls with ventilation, heating, and massage functions. There’s also a standard sunroof for the front, although the larger panoramic sunroof over the second and third rows is definitely a more interesting talking point.

I did find the infotainment screen and instrument cluster a bit small, but given the focus on the second row and the tendency of the car owner not really using the front a lot, it isn’t a deal breaker. That said, the infotainment system does have a fair amount of information and data on offer through the stock setup, and you can wirelessly connect to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay as well. There are also wireless charging zones at the front, so you won’t find yourself left out even if you spend more time in the front.

ALSO SEE: BMW iX1 eDrive20L review

The second row is where the actual tech package is, starting with two dedicated lounger-style seats which have 16-way electric adjustable movement. Apart from moving around within the cabin (towards or away from each other and the doors, as well as forward and backward), the seats tilt to almost flat and the leg rests and head rests also extend for a customised seat position. Interestingly, the left back seat will also automatically adjust the front passenger seat if needed - this happens when fully extending the seat which needs more space.

The second row seats have digital touch screens in the arm rests, accessible by sliding the arm rest top towards the back. These displays provide access to the seat position and angles, as well as to the heating, ventilation, and seat massage functions. You can also access the window controls for the whole car, including the sunroofs - MG calls this ‘boss mode’.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Stuff Magazine India (@stuffindia)

The larger panoramic sunroof covers nearly the entire second and third rows of the car, and can make for a flood of excellent natural light in the cabin. Other features for the second row include customisable ambient cabin lighting, fast charging USB Type-C ports, PM2.5 air filtration, and dedicated climate zones for the air conditioning. 

You can also get entertainment screens for the back as optional extras, but the system to use these is a bit iffy in terms of connectivity and a lack of truly useful built-in apps. Screen mirroring from your smartphone is an option, but I found these to be no better than basic headrest-mounted tablets - albeit with the power supply permanently hooked up.

ALSO SEE: Qubo Dashcam Pro 3K review

Other points worth mentioning on the MG M9 include the 13-speaker JBL sound system which is quite impressive and nicely spread out for all rows to listen properly, the digital inside rear view monitor which provides a clean view out the back without letting your chauffeur peek into what’s happening in the second and third rows, and a 360-degree camera system with level 2 ADAS to provide useful driving indications for enhanced safety. 

The camera system works intuitively, activating the right camera at the right time such as during lane changes, when parking the car, and more. There’s also a rather useful attention camera for the driver which can alert when the driver appears sleepy or fatigued. Other safety features include seven airbags, and a 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating for the MG M9.

Whether you intend to sit at the back or drive the MG M9 yourself, you should be concerned with the performance parameters; you don’t want to be stuck with a car that doesn’t get you there comfortably and quickly enough. That said, there’s nothing to worry about with the M9, despite the large size and distinctly van-like dimensions and feel.

The M9 is an all-electric MPV, with a front-wheel drive motor delivering up to 245bhp and 350NM or torque, and powered by a big 90kWh battery that should deliver about 400km of real-world driving range. The size and weight doesn’t hold the motor back too much, and you do get decent performance in terms of acceleration and the ability to get to high cruising speeds easily. Even at very high speeds, this car handles well, staying planted and giving enough confidence to keep the speed up.

ALSO SEE: MG Windsor EV review

Whether you’re in the front or at the back, the ride quality is excellent. Despite the size, body roll is manageable at high speeds, and you don’t have to try too hard to keep the car steady and in control. You can push the speed a bit without worry on good surfaces, and you don’t have to be more careful than usual even on rough roads. 

The electric motor delivers power at practical levels, making this a great car for Indian road conditions - especially if you spend a lot of time on the highways. The turning radius is also decent given the dimensions of the MG M9, although you will still need a lot of space to make u-turns on city streets.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Stuff Magazine India (@stuffindia)

Air conditioning for the front seats, headlight modes, and drive (eco, normal, sport) and regen (mild, normal, and strong) are all controlled through the infotainment display, rather than physical controls. This can be a bit bothersome especially for things you want handy such as headlights, but you can set that to auto and let the car decide when to turn those on or off. Wipers, indicators, and drive selection (drive, reverse, neutral, park) are controlled through the stalks behind the steering wheel - it all takes a bit of getting used to.

ALSO SEE: MG Comet review

The eco and normal drive modes are fine for practically all intents and purposes, delivering enough performance for practical driving while keeping battery consumption at reasonable levels. Sport mode is largely unnecessary, but it’s nice to have for the occasional need. Regen at the strong level is a bit too aggressive and causes noticeable deceleration as soon as you lift off the throttle, so it’s best to set this to the normal or mild modes to ensure a comfortable drive.

As nice as the MG M9 was to drive, this is the kind of car you’ll want to buy if you intend to have a a chauffeur do the driving for you. For that purpose, this car sits in a niche that not too many others can match up to. Sure, there’s the Kia Carnival and Toyota Vellfire, but the MG M9 has one big difference over them - it’s electric. It’s also expected to be priced somewhat between those two options, making it an interesting proposition.

Decent ride quality, excellent refinement and cabin quality, an impressive set of features, and space for up to seven to sit comfortably makes the MG M9 a very interesting car. It’s going to be sold through dedicated MG Select showrooms across 13 cities in India in limited quantities though. Expect it to be priced around Rs. 90,00,000; stay tuned for the exact number.