New MGS6 EV will be an all-electric Volkswagen ID.4 rival

MG’s had a little shuffle of its all-electric line up recently, launching the upmarket IM5 and IM6, while bidding farewell to the MG5 estate. But the firm has just given us a glimpse of its future by hinting that a new mid-size electric SUV could be in the works.

Speaking to Auto Express, David Allison, MG UK’s Head of Product and Planning, said the firm would need to “explore new segments to grow”, with one of those being an “all-electric C-segment SUV” that’ll apparently arrive in the next few years. 

When pushed on what cars MG’s new SUV might rival, Allison listed the “Renault Scenic, Volkswagen ID.4 and Nissan Ariya”, suggesting that the new car would sit below the recently-launched IM6 SUV, but above the MGS5 EV. 

With this in mind, we expect MG’s next mid-size SUV will feature a variation of the Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) that underpins the MG4 and S5 EV, rather than the new 800V architecture that the more premium IM5 and IM6 use. 

MSP is able to support wheelbases up to 3,100mm, meaning there’s plenty of room to extend the 2,730mm between the S5 EV’s front and rear wheels. That should also allow for a larger battery than the 64kWh unit found in the S5 EV Long Range, most likely the 77kWh unit found in the MG4 Extended Range. 

The S5 EV is the latest car to sit on MG’s MSP architecture and comes with up to 298 miles of range. We expect the larger car to easily eclipse this thanks to a bigger battery, rivalling the likes of the Skoda Enyaq, which can reach up to 356 miles on a single charge. Despite the MG4 and MG S5 EV sharing a platform, the hatchback can recharge up to 150kW while the S5 EV tops out at 139kW. We expect similar charging figures for MG’s new model.

Allison also told us to expect the new car’s styling to be “aligned with the MG S5 EV”, further emphasising it’ll be a different prospect to the IM6 and IM5, which introduced a wildly different design language to MG’s existing electric portfolio. 

MG’s parent company SAIC Motor registered patent designs in Europe back in March this year, giving us a hint as to how the new car will look. Clearly inspired by the S5 EV, the patented design shows a thin upper headlight with an additional light cluster below. The windscreen appears to sit far forward in the body, possibly due to the MG4 underpinnings, while to the rear we can see a similar full-width light bar to the S5 EV’s. 

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MG has already dabbled in the C-segment electric SUV market with the Marvel R, though that car never came to the UK. In Europe it was priced around 44,000 euros (roughly £38,000) and if the new car followed a similar pricing target it would sit neatly between the S5 EV (which starts from £28,495) and the new IM6 (from £47,995). 

For that price MG’s new model will have plenty of competition and if you’re interested in checking out great deals of family-friendly electric SUVs then check out the Auto Express Find A Car service. 

As for naming, MG recently filed trademark applications across Europe (and in the UK) for MGS6 EV – making it an obvious choice to sit above the S5 EV. There have been sightings of a new electric MG SUV testing for other markets already, though MG has yet to confirm if this will be relevant for the UK. We’ve also been told not to expect MG’s alternative to the ID.4 to arrive here for at least two years.

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