MG S6 EV Essence AWD 2026 Review

One thing you can say about the MG S6 from kick-off is that it is not an expensive medium SUV.

Available in a single Essence grade but with rear-or all-wheel drive powertrains, the range opens with the 2026 MG S6 Essence RWD priced from $49,990 drive away, while the top-spec Essence AWD is $56,990 drive away.

This puts the MG in the general price and size vicinity of other mid-size electric SUVs such as the Geely EX5, BYD Sealion 7 and the Tesla Model Y.

The MG S6 RWD is powered by a 180kW/350Nm single motor, offering 530km WLTP range, while the AWD delivers 266kW/540Nm from its dual motors, along with a 485km WLTP range. MG says it’ll accelerate from zero to 100km in 5.1sec.

The only difference (other than powertrain, performance and range) is that the AWD gets a panoramic roof and smaller 67 litres frunk, compared to the RWD’s 86L front storage bin.

The AWD also has a wider turning circle, at 12.4m versus 11.1m for RWD.

While you can get a more detailed spec run down here, key features across the range includes 20-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, V2L capacity, 11-speaker audio system with subwoofer, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated leather/suede seats and heated outboard seats in the second row.

Ambient interior lighting also features, along with a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, head-up display, wireless phone mirroring and charging, four USB-C ports, a pair of 12V outlets, satnav, voice control, integrated connected apps, and iSmart companion app (with 12 months free access).

No OTA updates are available.

The 2026 MG S6 EV has the MG Pilot safety system that incorporates the usual active safety features, with highlights including autonomous emergency braking, 360-degree camera, active cruise control with traffic jam assist, and seven airbags, including a front centre airbag.

MG expects that the S6’s five-star Euro NCAP result will also translate to a local five-star ANCAP score.

While there is a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty, this can be extended to 10 years, so long as all services are completed with MG. The battery pack is covered for seven years/160,000km. Scheduled service intervals are 12 months/25,000km, with capped price service costs over seven years totalling $1877 for RWD and $1987 for AWD.

The 2026 MG S6 EV Essence AWD is one of the better recent EVs for just getting in and going about your business.

The keyless auto start system – where the vehicle powers on by sensing the keyfob is in the car and by touching the foot brake – was without any glitches and the circular gear selector on the centre console is one of the more simple and intuitive selectors to use.

It seems to confuse drivers less than the column-mounted stalk gear selectors.

There’s plenty of space for five occupants and boot space is equally accommodating for a medium SUV. The seats are supportive — okay, bordering on too firm — but the fronts offer plenty of adjustment.

Outward vision is good, without any bad blind spots for the driver. The infotainment and dash cluster are simple with much of it fairly large, making it easy to see at a glance (not a given with some manufacturers packing a lot of small icons into a tiny display).

The increasing use of physical buttons is a promising sign that MG has been paying attention to general complaints in the industry about key controls all being embedded within a screen.

Power and torque are dolled out in a satisfying manner even in ‘Comfort’ driving mode, while the active cruise control and associated safety systems were unintrusive. The ability to get power to the (wet) ground without issue was impressive, too, without squirming or any other weird traction issues.

While we would need more time to get a feel for what power consumption averages look like, a 160km drive combining 110km/h freeway, 80km/h outer urban and 50km/h urban driving saw an average of 16.4kWh/100km.

MG only quotes the typically optimistic NEDC claimed average at 16.0kWh/100km, so the result we achieved isn’t bad. A full week’s review test might yield a different result.

The 245/50R20 Michelins do a pretty good job of maintaining grip, even on the slick road surfaces during testing.

The 2026 MG S6 EV Essence AWD we tested was suited up with the beige interior, which is an acquired taste. While the light hue makes the interior feel bigger and brighter, the combo of brown/fawn/off-white colours and fake blond woodgrain might be a bit too much for some. Horses for courses, but at least there’s the grey/black interior alternative available.

Low speed ride is firm, bordering on harsh. I wondered if the tyres were over-inflated (they weren’t). Resonances and (minor) rattles from the door cards made themselves known in the cabin over rough urban road surfaces, in a test car just 500km old.

Also relatively minor, but the wrap-around side indicators in the side mirrors seemed to direct a lot of light into the cabin at night — which was a bit distracting.

Even though it’s a predictable SUV to point through corners, the S6 is a long way from nuanced or ‘sporty’; although, in a medium SUV, does that really matter?

Like many recent EVs, you have to watch for when the active cruise resumes speed (after a car ahead slows and exits the freeway, for example) because even in Normal driving mode the S6 wants to launch itself back up to the set cruising speed – the way it resumes speed could be more progressive.

Active safety systems that false alert, or alert with vigour are present and accounted for in the MG S6. The main annoyance is the overspeed alert, linked to speed sign recognition.

It alerts visually and audibly if you go 1km/h over the speed limit, which it often misreads anyway. At least you can set a shortcut on the steering buttons to turn off much of this stuff.

Some of it stays turned off, while others you need to de-select on every power up cycle. This is not exclusive to the S6 – or even MG – of course. It’s an industry-wide active safety system problem some are better than dealing with than others.

While audio quality can be interpreted very differently, I couldn’t get the rich bass I was hoping for out of the 11-speaker system using the equaliser, whether in Custom mode or pre-selected modes. Also, fade/balance controls were oddly in a separate menu to the equaliser.

The 2026 MG S6 EV is a really good medium SUV — in parts.

The way it performs, its viable range, great features list for the price and well thought out interior packaging are all positives. The negatives come down to a too-firm ride, the lack of a spare wheel (or even space for one) and the excessive safety chimes.

At first blush, this appears to be a promising, if not exactly overwhelmingly brilliant, new alternative in the battery electric medium SUV class.

2026 MG S6 EV Essence AWD at a glance:
Price: $56,990 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Induction electric motor (front), permanent magnet synchronous electric motor (rear)
Output: 266kW/540Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 77kWh lithium-ion
Range: 485km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 16.0kWh/100km (NEDC)
Safety rating: Not tested

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