MG 6 GT SE DTi

Regular Diesel Car readers will no doubt remember the MG 6 Magnette we ran as part our of long-term test fleet, and will recall that it was something of a disappointment with several irritating faults. Following this, MG Motor invited us to try the latest MG 6 on test for a month to see if the car had improved.

Finished in Regal Red, this particular model is a hatchback GT SE, as opposed to our long-term Magnette which featured the four-door-saloon bodystyle and range-topping trim. Inside, it’s largely the same, with cloth replacing leather. There’s still satellite navigation and reversing sensors all round, but the SE goes without the reversing camera, but this omission is a minor issue. The cloth seats are arguably more supportive and comfortable that the leather, meaning you’re seated more firmly something that you’d expect in a car claiming to have any real sporting pretentions.

The steering wheel’s leather trim seems to have improved greatly over the two years since our Magnette was built, though the overly sensitive steering wheel controls remain, as does the overall sombre nature of the cabin here is an interior dominated by blacks and greys. It’s a pity because with a little dash of colour, the MG6 could be a whole lot more pleasant. The fastback styling, combined with a massive boot capacity (498 litres with the seats up) gives the MG 6 an attractive combination of sportiness and practicality to suit family life.

On the road, the MG 6 proves to be as good a steer as it ever was, albeit the smaller wheels have the added bonus of reduced road noise and improved ride comfort. The 6 also seems to have benefited from additional sound deadening, with the car noticeably more refined at start-up and at motorway speeds, compared to our previous Magnette. But far and away the biggest problem with our long termer was the car’s repeated electrical gremlins from traction and stability control failures, through to alternator failures, the Magnette’s dash was regularly lit up like a Christmas tree. While there have clearly been improvements to the 6, some issues remain chiefly with the gremlins that lurk within the car’s electrical system.

Our test car would occasionally refuse to start, firing only after two or three presses of the key MG chalked this up to a faulty key dock and duly replaced this. Elsewhere the CD player was extremely selective about working it would either refuse to read the disc (a brand new CD) or locked down the unit completely, only coming back to life once the ignition was switched off and the car restarted. The stop-start system worked better than the previous Magnette, but this too demonstrated a fault on two occasions, failing to restart the car, together with the warning ‘system failure’.

So once again the MG6 proves itself to be something of a mixed bag engaging to drive, practical, well equipped and competitively priced. However a compelling package the 6 may be, that appeal is undone by the car’s questionable reliability. The MG6 competes in one of the fiercest sectors of the UK market, and while there’s plenty to commend it for, it’s a difficult car to recommend to anyone other than brand enthusiasts.