Mg MG6 1.8 Turbo SE 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The MG 6's 1.8-litre Turbo engine produces 158 bhp at 5500 rpm and a torque figure of 158 lb-ft at 1750-4500 rpm pushing this large family saloon to a top speed of 120 mph. 0-62mph takes 8.4 seconds which is respectable for a car of this size.

The steering is a bit vague but overall the handling is excellent thanks to a surfeit of grip and a responsive chassis. The engine generates a little noise when working hard but wind noise is hushed within the cabin, making the drive comfortable. However, a lot of road noise finds its way into the cabin which is disappointing. Given that the MG6 was engineered in Britain, it should be able to drown out the sound of our rough roads.

The MG6 has clearly been designed by committee. It's not ugly, just instantly forgettable. MG have also clearly skimped on the interior and the cabin feels very cheap and nasty.

Standard features include power steering, central locking, stability control, alloy wheels, air conditioning, electric door mirrors, electric front windows and an advanced stereo system with both CD and MP3 connectivity. On top of this, the SE model also benefits from cruise control, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity and a built-in sat nav as standard features.

The MG6 is very spacious inside the cabin and even the rear seats can comfortably fit a couple of adults. The boot space is also very impressive with 498-litres on offer with the rear seats up.

A three year warranty for 60,000 miles is offered as standard but the interior doesn't feel like a quality product and if MG have cut corners in the cabin, what does this imply about the quality of the rest of the car?

In the Euro NCAP tests, the MG6 only managed a four star rating which is not really good enough now that a five star rating is the norm. All of the MGs main rivals scored five stars, making the MG6 the least safe car in its class.

Priced at £16,995 the SE model is only £1,000 dearer than the standard S model and offers a great level of in-car kit for the price. The price is still affordable when compared to other cars of this class and that gives it a clear advantage over its rivals.

Unfortunately, the lack of efficiency means running costs will not be the cheapest. The MG6 falls under tax band I due to fairly high carbon emissions of 184g/km. On top of this, the MG6 only manages 35.6mpg which is shockingly poor by modern standards.