MG 6 1.5T Trophy
There’s really been no solid reason as to why liftbacks have sort of faded away. Some say it’s a costlier design while others argue it’s noisier, but there hasn’t been a real consensus. Regardless, it’s making a comeback of sorts and props to MG (Morris Garages) for doing a modern throwback of the liftback with the MG 6 1.5T Trophy.
In case you’re wondering, liftbacks are just like hatchbacks in that their rear doors are hinged at the roof, but while the latter’s doors are vertical, the former’s is more horizontal, and with more of a fastback-type of a profile.
Educational moment out of the way, let’s talk about this vehicle’s looks. It appears big and wide for a compact car, and it’s partly because of rounded body panels and very minimal lines. One of its best pieces is the grille, albeit looking a little bit like Mazda’s. It has a thick chrome border and gorgeous elements in the mesh that create a tunnel-like illusion that effectively draws people’s gaze to the emblem in the middle. The LED projector-type headlamps could be slimmer but at least it comes with daytime running lamps. It has slots for foglamps in front, but there aren’t any. Oddly enough, it has rear foglamps. The C-pillar is rather thick to accommodate the weight of the rear door and the glass. Like most liftbacks, it has a longer rear overhang. Wraparound taillights use LEDs and I appreciate that it fittingly follows the flow of the shoulder line. There’s a fair amount of chrome garnishes on it, from the front fenders, doors, daylight opening and trunk lid, and then there’s the front lip and the dual exhaust tips as well.
The Trophy badge may only be found on the right rear panel but I actually like that it wasn’t just slapped on wherever possible. Most China-made vehicle like to flaunt so thank goodness this didn’t. It’s a complete exterior package, understated yet stylish and its simplicity actually makes it look elegant.
Push a button on the door handles and voila, the vehicle unlocks. The cabin feels a little tacky with the red and black leather combo but it kind of grew on me after a couple of days. A darker shade of red would have been better though. There’s a very colorful eight-inch touchscreen with the usual Bluetooth and phone integration features. It streams audio to six speakers and comes with two USB ports just in front of the gear shifter.
The driver’s seat is six-way power adjustable so it doesn’t take much to get into the proper driving position. There are a lot of other classy stuff in the cabin like the visible red stitching, a sunroof, a D-shaped multifunction steering wheel, and several faux carbon fiber trims give off a sporty/sophisticated vibe. Space is good, including legroom, so it can comfortably fit five without a problem.
It’s slightly heavier than some of its counterparts but its 1.5L turbo engine seems ample enough for its needs. Output of 166-PS and 250-Nm of torque is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission. Take-off is smooth and the engine note on first to second gears is music to my ears, but it loses that rumble up the gears. It doesn’t feel sluggish on the road or even on the highway, and can easily maintain 100 km/h without breaching 2,000 rpm. The gearbox struggles in stop-and-go traffic and sometimes take a while to figure out if it shifting up or down. The electronic power steering surprisingly feels slightly weighted, which gives better feedback, especially along corners and bends. The suspension handles sharp turns very well, which means rollover resistance is very high (despite it being taller than others in its segment) but the NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) level could be better. Maybe it’s because of the body type or the 17-inch wheels, or something else, but it needs to improve for sure. Also, more seat bolstering would be better for a vehicle you can have fun with on winding roads. But if it's a sedate drive on neatly paved roads, then expect docile sedan comfort that can hold its own against Japanese brands.
Acknowledging the fact that this is just a second-gen. model, the people at SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) who’ve been making MGs since 2010 have done a commendable job. It looks beautiful, is versatile (424 liter of boot space with rear seats up, 1,170 liters when down), and fuel efficient (89 kilometers of mixed driving yielded 15.3 km/l). There’s some room for improvement but it’s on the right track.
If you’re looking for a liftback, well, you’ve found a legit one in the MG 6 and you’ll love the fact that this top-of-the-line variant goes for just P1,188,888 million.