When the original MG6 launched in Britain in 2011, it was the beginning of the comeback of a British marque that was revived by China's SAIC. It was a CKD unit made by Britain until MG decided to bid farewell to its Longbridge plant along with the MG6 in it. However, in China, the MG6 lives in its second generation and this is the Chinese equivalent of the Honda Civic Type R that Britain didn't get.
It's called the MG6 XPower, a high-performance PHEV version of the second-generation MG6. I got it as a prize car from the ongoing Forza Horizon 5 FORDZATHON series update and before getting my dibs on China's answer to the Honda Civic Type R, let's get to know about the MG6 that Britain never had.
Unveiled in late 2016, the second-generation MG6 incorporates the brand's new design language and it runs on the same mechanicals as the Roewe i6. It received a minor change in the summer of 2020 and a year later, the MG6 XPower was launched. Based on the MG6 PHEV, the XPower's 1.5L turbocharged engine was bolted to an electric motor, generating a total power output of 300PS of power and 480Nm of torque, capable of hitting 0-100kph in six seconds.
For a super saloon that was known to be China's answer to the Civic Type R, the MG6 XPower really is something the Brits are missing since the MG6 left several years ago. Should the MG6 stay in Britain to show off its second-generation model, it could have been spectacular on British roads and can easily upset the likes of the Honda Civic Type R and the Renaultsport Megane but sadly, it's too little, too late for that.
Despite this, it drives like a Civic Type R even though it has a PHEV drivetrain which sounds uncanny for a car like this. Driving around Horizon Mexico's sights and sounds in this car and I'm having the strangest feeling that I'm like a Kung-Fu martial artist in a business suit. It's got a kick into it when I go nuts with this car. Gotta admire Chinese car manufacturing in a nut shack.
Speaking of which, it's time to see how much of a car the MG6 XPower is and with that, I went back to the Festival to have a one-on-one duel with its TCR equivalent.
No joke. This is the TCR equivalent that I won from the Storm Season Playlist. Built to compete in the TCR Asia series until the smaller MG5 XPower touring car took over, the MG6 XPower TCR is powered by a 2.0L turbocharged engine producing 340hp of power and 410Nm of torque. It's mated to a 6-speed Xtrac sequential paddle shift gearbox.
Can the MG6 X-Power be as good as its TCR equivalent? Let's find out as we roll the tape.
After a hot lap, here are the results;
2021 MG MG6 XPower - 1m21.165s
2020 MG #20 MG6 XPower - 1m17.027s
A near-four-second gap between the road car and its TCR equivalent, which is quite surprising for a car like this.
To me, the second-generation MG6, in XPower form, is the MG6 Britain should get if they gave the MG6 a second chance in life but sadly, it's a clear NO from the Brits, which is too bad because this PHEV monster has the dynamics of a super hot hatch and the makings of a Nurburgring record holder for PHEV front-wheel-drive cars, which sounds unlikely but anyone can dream right? Ha ha ha... Wrong.
With the Forza producers' newfound fondness for the People's Republic of China, I don't think they'll stop featuring even more Chinese cars like this, even though we never asked for one in the first place. Kowtowing to Beijing is the main reason why we got Chinese cars in this game and the MG6 is one of them. Sigh...
Anyway, enjoy your new ride.
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