New MG IM brand makes Goodwood debut with EV saloon and crossover

Built to tackle Tesla’s best-sellers, MG’s new IM5 and IM6 have plenty to shout about. From aggressive pricing to clever Continental brakes, here’s our full report from the Festival of Speed.

Who’s this fresh face, then? That’d be MG’s new-to-us spinoff brand: IM.  

New-to-us, as the Chinese EV marque has already been doing the rounds in Asia for a for a while, but now, MG feels the time’s right for it to venture far and wide throughout Europe — and even the UK. 

Nestled under the SAIC parent company umbrella, the IM moniker is reserved for MG’s flagship offerings — a little like Lexus’s relationship with Toyota. But should you be excited about what this newcomer has to offer? 

We think so. On the one hand, you could argue that the British car market is already saturated with affordable, but overly homogenised, Chinese EVs. On the other, few of those can claim to compete with IM’s compelling combination of price and performance.

Starting with IM5 —MG’s Tesla Model 3 rival— there are three flavours to pick from. First up, there’s the keenly priced (£39,450), standard model. With its 75-kWh battery, this entry-level machine is not only a little cheaper than the comparable RWD Tesla, but should also cover over 300 miles per charge. And, while MG hasn’t confirmed the performance, we expect it to mirror the equivalent Model 3’s sub-six second 0-60 mph sprint. 

A Long Range version is the next most expensive IM5 (£44,995) and does what it says on the tin: boosts range. With a 100 kWh battery on board, the Long Range should muster over 440 miles when fully topped up. And, just like the base model, the leggier IM5 sends its power exclusively to the rear wheels.

Last but not least: the quick one. Actually, scrap quick, ballistic is more apt. Based on the assumption that the UK market car will be mechanically identical to the existing foreign market model, the most potent IM5 will pack a whopping 767-bhp punch. What’s more, that power will be shared across all four wheels for a blistering 3.2-second 0-60 mph dash. To put that into perspective, that’s faster than BMW’s latest track-ready M3 CS, which also ran up the hill this year in [dramatic] style. Unsurprisingly, though, such vicious firepower will rob the hottest IM5 of some driving range.  

MG’s new IM6 crossover is equally intriguing. As you can tell, it sits a little higher than the IM5 and is larger in every dimension — in keeping with its Model Y rival. Mechanically, though, the two cars are highly similar. That means in Long Range and Performance guises, the IM6 features the same powertrain. So, both acceleration and range are broadly similar to the saloon, albeit with a slight penalty owing to the added weight and aerodynamic drag. Meanwhile, your wallet will also pay the price when it comes to that larger crossover body: like-for-like, the IM6 costs around £2,000 more than its little brother. 

Anything else you should know? Well, both cars boast spacious and well-equipped interiors as standard. Sure, the cabins aren’t exactly dripping with design flare, but a large 26-inch display spanning the dashtop and a 360-degree camera system, are sure to appease Tesla loyalists. 

Oh, and don’t forget those innovative brakes. Developed by Continental — yes, the tyre people — they offer Hydroplaning Stability Control to reduce sliding or drifting by nearly 80% compared to standard electronic stability systems. What’s more, working together with the tyres — our show car was wearing Pirelli’s versatile P ZERO rubber — the IM5 can pull up from 62 mph in just 33.8m. That’s no mean feat for a relatively hefty electric vehicle.

As premium spinoffs go, there’s little we can criticise about MG’s new IM brand. But do you think it’s a stroke of genius, or a stretch too far, for the Chinese-owned marque? Either way, order books are set to open any day now with the entry-level IM5 sneaking under the UK’s luxury car tax threshold by a whisker. Look out Tesla, there’s a new kid in town…

Hero image credit: MG