2026 IM IM6 Review

Following the debut of the high-end Cyberster electric roadster, MG Motor Australia has pushed further into the prestige market with two new all-electric offerings: the MG IM5 and the MG IM6. Both originate from IM Motors, SAIC Motor's premium luxury division. The IM6 electric SUV has now been on sale locally for over six months, marking a crucial milestone in MG's expansion into premium electric SUVs.

The IM6 is a coupe-styled luxury SUV from IM Motors—an acronym for "Intelligence in Motion"—founded in 2020 as a joint venture between Chinese manufacturing titan SAIC Motor and e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Recognising the uphill battle of launching an unfamiliar badge abroad, SAIC Motor strategically positioned IM under the umbrella of MG, its most established brand in Australia (a strategy also mirrored in the UK). As a result, the brand is marketed locally as "IM Presented by MG Motor," with an "MG Motor" badge affixed to the tailgates of both the IM6 and its IM5 sedan sibling. This differentiates them from the Chinese domestic market, where they are designated as the IM LS6 and IM L6 respectively.

Yet whatever you choose to call it (calling it an "SUV" might itself be a misnomer), this IM6 electric newcomer is a seriously capable piece of hardware. It serves as a compelling benchmark against established EVs selling for identical or even higher price tags.

What powers the 2026 IM6 range?

The entire IM6 lineup supports 6.6kW Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) external power export to run external electrical appliances.

How does the 2026 IM6 look from the outside?

From the outside, the IM6 leans toward athletic and muscular styling. Its closed front fascia is sleek and understated, while the aerodynamic bumper air curtains channel airflow to reduce drag rather than serving merely as decoration. The side profile is muscular and fluid, accented by striking petal-style five-spoke two-tone alloy wheels that add visual sophistication. Sizable side glass improves daylighting and outward visibility, while the rear full-width light bar and ducktail spoiler reinforce its performance SUV stance.

While its silhouette echoes the somewhat bulbous profile of the Tesla Model Y, the IM6 distinguishes itself with bold wheel packages, heat-insulated glass roof surfaces, and dynamic headlight and tail-light illumination sequences.

Measuring longer than a Tesla Model Y, the IM6 is positioned as a large luxury electric SUV.

Exterior and interior colour options

• Standard Interior: Highland Grey
• Optional Interior: Dove Beige (+$990)
• Standard Exterior: Athena White
• Metallic Paint (+$1,000): Rembrandt Grey, Nevis Blue, Ares Black, Raphael Beige

How is the interior of the 2026 IM6?

Setting aside the niche MG Cyberster roadster, the cabin of the IM6 exhibits a level of sensory sophistication higher than anything else in MG's current portfolio. This is anchored by widespread use of synthetic vegan leather across the dashboard, door cards, and seats. The seat stitching, contoured upholstery, and metallic speaker grilles on the doors project genuine prestige, though cost-conscious plastics are still noticeable in the lower bridge bin and door-base speaker surrounds.

A sweeping 26.3-inch ultra-wide high-definition touchscreen spans two-thirds of the dashboard, anchoring a futuristic layout. The display is razor-sharp and intuitive: the left section handles navigation and media, while the driver's display on the right organizes digital gauges and trip data. Lower down on the floating console rests a 10.5-inch tilted auxiliary touchscreen, a setup that will feel immediately familiar to Porsche Taycan drivers.

This dual-tier digital interface manages nearly every vehicle function—from powertrain drive modes and climate control to active driver assistance. As a result, physical switchgear has been cut back to column stalks, steering thumb-rollers, and window switches.

Clever shortcut gestures help offset the lack of physical buttons: a two-finger vertical or horizontal swipe across the lower display adjusts fan speed and temperature without diving through sub-menus. A quick upward flick of the right steering wheel roller summons the rear camera feed, while a configurable steering button provides a one-touch shortcut to silence active safety chimes.

Menu navigation follows modern Chinese EV interface standards: a persistent left-hand dock allows swift access to primary features, backed by clean graphical icons. Given the extensive feature set, spending time exploring the interface in a showroom is the best way to get acclimated, though the layout becomes intuitive with regular use.

Storage options are practical throughout, including a cavernous tray under the floating console, a ventilated cooled armrest bin, and deep bottle holders in the doors. The front seats meet everyday executive expectations with power adjustability, memory, heating, ventilation, multi-stage massage programs, and multi-way power lumbar support.

Rear legroom is vast thanks to the 2,950mm wheelbase. Adult passengers up to 185cm enjoy ample knee, toe, and headroom, and the elevated SUV ride height yields a more natural seating posture than comparable sedans. Although under-thigh support could be a touch more generous, the seat base provides good under-seat foot clearance.

The rear seatbacks recline across multiple angles, and the centre section folds forward into a broad armrest equipped with cupholders and phone slots. Deep cushion padding provides excellent long-haul comfort. Up front, the manually extendable driver and passenger under-thigh supports—reminiscent of BMW's sport seats—significantly improve long-distance ergonomics.

Rear-seat air vents are fitted, but there are no independent physical controls for second-row temperature, fan speed, or seat heating. These adjustments must be handled via the front 10.5-inch control screen. While voice commands can manage them in theory, the voice assistant on Australian models struggles with speech processing, frequently misunderstanding basic requests.

Seatback map pockets, fold-out armrest cupholders, and wide door pockets handle daily utility, but the complete omission of overhead passenger grab handles is an annoying oversight. Furthermore, the panoramic glass roof lacks an integrated power-operated sunblind. While the glass incorporates effective thermal insulation coatings and a clip-in manual sunshade is available from the accessory catalog, a built-in power blind remains the cleaner and more practical solution—especially when rivals like the BYD Sealion 7 and GAC Aion V include one as standard equipment at significantly lower price points.

Admittedly, competitors like the Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X also forgo power sunblinds.

Cargo volume is substantial. Rear-drive variants provide 665 litres with the seats upright, while the Performance AWD variant offers 646 litres due to its air suspension hardware. Folding the 60:40 split rear seats expands volume to 1,640 litres and 1,621 litres respectively. While it lacks the power-release seatback latches found on the Model Y and the folded seats do not drop completely flat, the air suspension allows users to lower the rear loading lip via dedicated buttons inside the cargo bay.

A hidden sub-floor compartment provides useful private storage, though the vehicle makes do with a tyre repair kit rather than a spare wheel. Under the bonnet, a modest 32-litre frunk accommodates smaller items and charging cables, though it is noticeably smaller than the deep storage bin in a Model Y.

What is the warranty and servicing coverage for the 2026 IM6 range?

MG backs the 2026 IM6 lineup with:

• 7-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty (reduced to 5 years if serviced outside the official MG network)
• 8-year/160,000km traction battery warranty
• 5-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty covering the air suspension and four-wheel steering systems
• Service intervals: 12 months / 20,000km
• Total 5-year capped servicing cost: approximately $2,815 AUD for RWD and $2,983 AUD for AWD

For commercial use (such as rideshare operations), warranty terms revert to 5 years or 160,000 kilometres.

Capped-Price Servicing Schedule

How safe is the 2026 IM6?

The 2026 IM6 holds a five-star safety rating under ANCAP and Euro NCAP crash testing protocols. Standard active safety systems include:

• Autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist, and junction detection)
• Driver monitoring system
• Acoustic vehicle alerting system for pedestrians
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Active lane change assist (paired with adaptive cruise control)
• Lane keep assist, lane centring assist, and emergency lane keeping
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Adaptive cruise control with intelligent speed limiter
• All-around parking sensors (front, side, and rear)
• 360-degree surround-view camera system
• Tyre pressure monitoring system

Driver assistance hardware is driven by the NVIDIA Orin platform, incorporating:

• 12 ultrasonic sensors
• 9 high-definition exterior cameras
• 3 millimetre-wave radar units

Speed alert chiming can be managed via a customizable shortcut: assigning the ADAS toggle to the steering wheel roller lets you silence overspeed alerts with a single click and a quick screen tap on startup, avoiding cumbersome menu digging.

Which 2026 IM6 variant should you choose?

2026 IM6 Premium Standard Specification:

• 20-inch aero alloy wheels with Pirelli Scorpion tyres
• Four-wheel steering with Crab Mode
• LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, panoramic glass roof, power tailgate
• Automated parking assistance
• Ultra-soft leatherette upholstery (heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear outboard seats)
• 12-way power driver's seat with 4-way lumbar support, memory, and easy-entry function
• 256-colour ambient cabin lighting
• 26.3-inch panoramic dual display integrating instrument cluster and infotainment
• 10.5-inch lower centre console touchscreen
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• 20-speaker premium audio system
• Ventilated wireless phone charging pad
• iSMART connected-car suite with remote app functionality

2026 IM IM6 Platinum Upgrades (in addition to Premium):

• Upgraded 21-inch alloy wheels

2026 IM6 Performance Upgrades (in addition to Platinum):

• Dual-chamber adaptive air suspension
• Continuous Damping Control (CDC)

What is the 2026 IM6 like to drive?

On the move, the IM6 delivers a composed, well-sorted driving experience.

Outright performance in the IM6 Performance lives up to its flagship designation. The front motor generates 200kW and 302Nm, while the rear motor outputs 373kW and 500Nm, delivering a combined 572kW and 802Nm. Supported by dual-motor all-wheel drive, its claimed 0–100km/h sprint of 3.4 seconds proved repeatable in our instrumented road testing, registering roughly 3.5 seconds.

Regenerative braking is calibrated to engage progressively without aggressive deceleration. It does not offer a true one-pedal driving mode, but the transition between regen and mechanical braking avoids the grabby or dead sensations found in some EV pedals.

The flagship's adaptive air suspension isolates the cabin from high-frequency road chatter, handling speed bumps and broken tarmac with composure. Paired with 21-inch alloy wheels and staggered Pirelli performance rubber (235/45 R21 front, 265/40 R21 rear), mechanical grip is exceptional.

Freeway cabin refinement is outstanding, helped by acoustic acoustic laminated double-glazed side glass, insulated roof panels, and a 20-speaker audio system with Road Noise Cancellation (RNC). Aside from a faint electric motor hum under load, the cabin remains hushed.

A key technical highlight across the range is standard four-wheel steering with Crab Mode. With the rear wheels able to steer up to 12 degrees out of phase, the 4.9-metre SUV achieves a tight 10.18-metre turning circle—rivaling compact hatchbacks like the Toyota Yaris in tight city parking structures.

Local ADAS calibration has also seen notable refinement, with driver alerts proving far less intrusive than earlier Chinese offerings, aided by the steering wheel shortcut to quickly manage safety chimes.

Dynamic Gripes

• Rearward visibility through the conventional rear-view mirror is severely compromised by the raked tailgate; while the steering roller quickly summons the rear camera feed onto the main screen, a permanent digital camera rear-view mirror would be far better.
• Adaptive cruise control maintains overly conservative following distances on Australian highways, even in its tightest setting. Drivers must choose between full ACC, lane-centring Pilot mode, or turning systems completely off, with no traditional fixed-speed cruise control mode available.

Real-world efficiency falls short of class leaders like Tesla. Taking delivery of a test vehicle showing an initial trip computer average of 22kWh/100km over 9,000km, our two-day test brought the Performance AWD variant's average to 19.9kWh/100km. Given its near-800hp dual-motor output, this figure remains reasonable. In comparison, testing the single-motor IM6 Platinum RWD over a 150km mixed loop yielded 18.5kWh/100km, representing a solid efficiency return for a 2.3-tonne luxury SUV.

How much does the 2026 IM6 cost?

Official Australian Drive-Away Pricing (AUD):

• 2025 MG IM6 Premium: $60,990 AUD
• 2025 MG IM6 Platinum: $67,990 AUD
• 2025 MG IM6 Performance: $77,990 AUD

Benchmarked against premium competitors like Lexus and Volvo, the IM6 delivers a comprehensive standard equipment manifest. Equivalent variants of the direct-rival Zeekr 7X command approximately $3,000 AUD more across comparable trims.

Options include Dove Beige interior upholstery for $990 AUD, while premium exterior paints (Rembrandt Grey, Nevis Blue, Ares Black, and Raphael Beige) add $1,000 AUD over standard Athena White. Accessories include tailored floor mats ($219 AUD), a clip-in roof sunshade ($109 AUD), and Mag Pro magnetic mounts ($89 AUD) that pair with MagSafe cases to mount tablets on seatback anchor points.

2026 IM6 Review: Final Verdict

The IM IM6 demonstrates how aggressively Chinese automakers are pursuing the luxury EV segment.

For Australian buyers navigating personal purchases or corporate novated leases within Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption thresholds, the IM6 hits an attractive pricing window. The $60,990 AUD entry RWD variant includes four-wheel steering as standard, providing the tight turning maneuverability of a compact runabout in daily commuting and crowded car parks.

At $77,990 AUD, the Performance flagship adds dual-chamber air suspension, electronic damping control, and 3.4-second sprint capability. It undercuts the Tesla Model Y Performance on price while offering quilted upholstery, front-seat massage, an expansive display setup, and composed ride quality. While aggressive driving yields higher long-range consumption (around 24.1kWh/100km) and the cabin omits a traditional passenger glovebox and rear physical climate switches, the IM6 establishes itself as a competitive luxury challenger in the $60,000 to $80,000 AUD EV space.