2005 was a year that many thousands of people remember for the closure of the once huge conglomerate that was MG-Rover, a few owners later and we have MG Motors UK, the company that builds cars in both China and Thailand, and imports cars to the UK.
The first of these was the MG6, then the MG3, and now the MG GS Crossover, the MG6 was removed from the UK and we are left with two really good cars, and it is one of these cars we have been testing out over the last week, the GS, in top trim level, Exclusive, with the seven speed DCT automatic transmission.
The car looks the part, it is a good looking, well proportioned car, the lines flow from front to rear, and the lighting is well designed to that it fits in with the total design, the doors are well weighted, and shut with a very solid thunk, nothing tinny or cheap feeling here, you do not need to put too much effort into closing it either.
Once inside the car you can manoeuvre the seats and steering wheel in a multitude of directions so that you can get comfortable, and once you get into position, everything it near and handy, no stretching for buttons, switchgear or to utilise the very intuitive touchscreen, which is one of the better ones i have come across.
The 1.5 litre TGI engine is really good, it's not the same 1.5 litre powerplant you will find in the MG3 though, this has more "get up and go" and does it go, not 'arf, driving the car along at a steady speed and you really do not notice the seven speed auto change gear, and even with some poke, the gear change is still not that bad at all, the start/stop system assists in keeping the fuel consumption under control and the brands claimed figures of :-
- URBAN - 36.6mpg
- EXTRA URBAN - 53.2mpg
- COMBINED - 45.5mpg
are not that bad for a car in this class and with the weight of the car at 1467kg (Unladen) helps with the fuel consumption too.
There is more than sufficient space in the rear seats for three adults to sit in comfort, i had the car with five adults and it was still swift, comfortable and a pleasure to drive, there is more than enough glass for you see all around the car, and the larger than expected wing mirrors, which fold in on locking the car, give you a good view of what's behind you at all times.
The boot space is not the biggest in the class, but it does offer enough for most people, and in our car at least, it came with a spare wheel, which these days is very rare, anything to shave a few kilos of the car's weight is something most brands do.
The CO2 of this car is a tad on the high side at 141g/km, and the 55 litre fuel tank will give you a range, if you get the claimed figures, of 644 miles, however, you will be very lucky to achieve this, as most people tend to have a little lead in their right foot.
The car comes with a tonne of kit as standard and this model is equipped with
- 18" Alloy Wheels
- LED Daytime Running Lights]Front Fog Lights
- Leather Sports Seats
- Lumbar Seat on Drivers Side
- Electrically Adjustable Front Seats
- Leather Steering Wheel with Audio Controls
- Paddle Shift
- iGO Navigation
- DAB Radio
- Auto Air Con
- Bluetooth
- Auto Headlamps
- Auto Wipers
- Cruise Control
- Rear Parking Sensors and Camera
- Electrically Adjustable and heated Door Mirrors
- Stop/Start
- Hill Hold Assist
- Side Step
- Lazy Locking
And many more, so for the total price including options of £22,344.98 you are getting a large well made, well equipped and decent car, the options on this model were 18" Wave black alloy wheels @ £900, black exterior trim @ £199.99 and the leather lux pack @ £249.99.
On the road the car is quiet and grips really well, you can "throw" the car about and you never seen to unsettle it in any way, it keeps up with the traffic, and on the motorway can cruise nicely at 70mph and should you need to overtake it can easily and quickly build up some speed to do this without the worry of it struggling.
Around town and again the car copes well, the gearbox is really intuitive and it seems to always be in the correct gear, when you need it, however, an emergency braking manoeuvre does get the rear end to wiggle a little but nothing that you can not cope will and correct.
The downsides of the car, well, there are a couple, firstly the optional side steps, they are a real pain, trying to get out of the car is nigh on impossible if you want to not rub your legs against them, i know i did every time i got out, and i have ended up with more trousers/jeans to wash this week than normal, and the other issue, the rear view camera and tailgate, the camera gets very dirty very quickly.
This in turn means you can not see what's behind you when you need it most, and the design of the built in handle again means you get really dirty, opening and closing the tailgate, so, thats the only issues.
OVERALL
Well, apart from the optional side steps and the tailgate/camera, this is really a good car, very good for the money, the range stars at £15k and that model comes with some kit as standard, more up to the next and it gets better, and then move it on further to the top of the range and you truly get a car that should be seling in numbers far more than it does already, but that will come in time.
If the car and kit does not do it for you, well, throw in a full five year factory backed warranty, lowish insurance level (16E), and a car that draws looks and comments from others, as this is what happened when i was out and about in the GS, and to be honest, when i am ready to change my own car, i will seriously be looking at this, as i was mightily impressed with the entire package of the car.
You would be wrong to not consider this when you are looking for a brand new car in this class.
