Photography: Akshay Jadhav, Saidatta Naik
With its M9, MG Motor is entering the small but highly lucrative luxury MPV segment in India, one that’s been popular with celebrities, business families and CXOs. And what makes the M9 interesting is that besides being MG’s first luxury offering in India, it’s also the country’s first electric luxury MPV! Effectively, the M9 has well-established names like the Toyota Vellfire and Kia Carnival in its crosshairs. And the M9 will also be the first MG to be sold out of its more premium, MG Select dealerships. But does the M9 impress as a luxury vehicle meant to be snapped more by paparazzi than enthusiasts? Half a day behind its wheel (in its second row more precisely!) helped me find answers.
First things first, the M9 is HUGE! It is in fact the longest MPV in India now given its length of 5,270mm. It’s also 2,000mm wide and 1,840mm tall, while the wheelbase is 3,200mm. That makes it longer than the Mercedes-Benz GLS and Toyota Vellfire, both really big automobiles. The design is unique and even futuristic, especially with the long and slim DRLs, positioning of projector beams for the headlamps and the front bumper design. The shape is boxy, typical of MPVs and from the sides, the large dimensions also dwarf the 19-inch wheels. An interesting bit about the M9’s tyres is that these are self-healing tyres from Continental. Effectively, punctures up to 5mm deep will be taken care of, meaning lesser ‘down time’ for the boss sitting in the second row.
Ground clearance is good too despite the floorboard packing in a 90kWh battery pack, and the M9 should have no trouble clearing speed breakers. The rear end is dominated by sleek and sharp looking tail lamps, and their design is in sync with the DRLs at the front. Overall, the design is simple and the design language leans more towards offering a sense of grace, rather than trying to look overly stylish. This being an EV, you also get a 55-litre frunk under the hood, besides generous storage space in the boot. Boot space can be increased too, by moving the third row ahead, which sits on rails.
When it comes to the interiors, I’ll want to talk about the second row first, where you get a set of captain seats that look more like armchairs than seats in automobile. And even with an unusually tall person like the great Khali, or even a Dwayne Johnson in front of you you’ll still have a lot of legroom and knee room there. The seats are also very plush and comfortable and felt more luxurious than some of the business class seats in aircrafts I’ve sat in, at least on domestic flights. The seats are swathed in leather and suede which adds to their sense of occasion and given the M9’s positioning, MG has also ensured second row occupants are pampered to no end. You get a list of dedicated controls, all accessed via touchscreens on the armrest.
You can move and adjust the front passenger seat to make more space, recline your seatback and extend the leg rest for a full VIP experience. The touchscreen on the armrest is fixed and does not move though, which means once you’ve reclined the seatback fully to relax, you can’t really access the screen unless you sit up. That said, the screen lets you do a lot, like controlling the dedicated panoramic sunroof for the second and third rows, move the front passenger seat, control music on the 13-speaker JBL music system and more, all while choosing from eight different massages. The second row seats also get 16-way power adjust along with heating and ventilation, and effectively, you’re talking business class seats for travelling on tarmac. However, the sun shades for the second row are manual and not electric, which is surprising given everything else on offer.
Your chauffeur and PSO (Personal Security Officer) in front won’t feel left out too, as both front seats get heating, ventilation and a massage function too though controls for these are hidden deep in the touchscreen’s menu options. Same is the case with accessing basic functions like seat memory settings, which can be a distraction while driving. The cabin offers a sense of luxury throughout, as there’s good use of soft touch leather and plastics and suede on the dashboard too, but some of the plastic panels and trims do not feel up to mark in terms of quality. And despite its reasonably large size, the M9’s 12.3-inch touchscreen looks a little too small given the size of the dash. The instrument cluster display is an even smaller, 7.0-inch unit and looks out of place. Besides the aforementioned features, the M9 is also equipped with ADAS, adding to its safety quotient.
MG Motor is yet to announce the ARAI-certified range per charge but our test car showed over 400km as per the WLTC cycle when fully charged, so it’s safe to assume around 450km per charge. A front axle-mounted electric motor puts out 245PS and 350Nm, but what’s even more impressive is the way the power is put down. Given its positioning as a chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle, the M9 puts its power down progressively to ensure second row occupants stay comfortable. That said, delivery is strong and acceleration linear and you also get modes like Normal, Eco and Sport, but overall, power delivery is tuned for comfort. The M9 also focuses on offering a plush ride and soaks up potholes and undulations well. There is a bit of body roll given the size but the M9 feels planted and there is a likeable feel to its road manners.
To sum it up, it’s interesting to see MG Motor get ambitious, especially since it will be celebrating its sixth anniversary in India soon. Priced at Rs 69.90 lakh ex-showroom, it should help MG carve a niche in the luxury vehicle segment with its space, features and comfort. Also let’s not forget, MG has made a name for itself as an EV maker already with launches like the ZS EV, Comet and more recently the Windsor, which has been quick to become India’s bestselling EV. And the M9 isn’t just a follow-up to those products, it’s also an excellent example of the wide spectrum of EVs that MG Motor has to offer. So if you are someone who hobnobs with Page 3 celebrities, or want a quiet and ultra-luxurious MPV to be chauffeured around in, the M9 is certainly a good option.
