There’s a new luxury MPV in town. And it comes from an unexpected marque, at a seriously unexpected price.

The brand in question once used to manufacture small lightweight sports cars. But the MG M9 is not a lightweight sports car. In fact, it is anything but. This luxury MPV also technically isn’t an MG – rather, it is built by SAIC Motor, and its sister car is also sold in Singapore, badged under a different brand.

Considering that this is their first attempt at building a luxury people carrier, I do think that MG has done admirably well. But more on that in a bit, let’s first do a deep dive on what makes the M9 tick.

Minimalist Styling

When you have a car that oozes opulence, there’s really no need in adorning it with superfluous design elements for the sake of announcing your status. The size and presence alone is enough to get that message across. 

This simplicity in its design is apparent throughout the vehicle. There’s an almost stormtrooper-esque look to the front fascia of the vehicle. With no need for excessive amounts of cooling, MG didn’t feel the need to incorporate a large grille into the M9’s design. 

The DRL elements have been visually connected by a piece of trim in the middle, creating the illusion of a faux full-width lightbar. The actual headlights are mounted lower down, and in the spot where you’d typically expect to find a car’s side vents.

You’ll still find a hint of flamboyance in the styling of the rear 3/4s. The tail light clusters are massive, stretching from just below the window line to the level of the bottom of the tailgate. As is the trend in new cars today, a lightbar ties the two sides together. A Z-shaped chrome trim panel completes the side profile of the M9.

Middle Row Arm Chairs, But Front Row Seats

The M9 is a car you want to be chauffeured in. Don’t get me wrong – the front seats are actually very comfortable, and come with some of the accoutrements of the captain’s chairs in the middle, like massage and ventilation functionality.

But it is clear that the money has been spent on ensuring the middle row passengers are shuttled around in utmost comfort. As you’d expect from a car of its class, these chairs are reminiscent of what you’d find on a private jet. They can fully recline, come with an integrated leg rest, and each occupant here even has their own table. 

All of the functionalities can be accessed via armrest-mounted touch screen panels. However, I do need to point out that the UI isn’t the most intuitive, though it isn’t that difficult to navigate once you get used to it. And this is a recurring theme throughout the cabin too, as the infotainment screen can also be confusing to use initially. 

Head and legroom is still generous in the last row, and there’s little reason to believe a passenger would feel discomfort even seated back here on a long road trip. Material and build quality is also generally excellent throughout the cabin, which further adds to that luxurious experience.

You Don’t Drive an M9 – You Should Be Chauffeured in One

Powering this 2.5 ton MPV is a front-mounted electric motor that puts out 241 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. Despite its heft, the instantaneous power means it actually feels faster than what its performance figures would suggest. 

When driven sensibly, and once you master the art of one pedal driving, the M9 is smooth on power and equally refined on the anchors. An electric drivetrain really suits a car like this, as the lack of vibration and noise makes for optimal levels of comfort.

The suspension is stiff enough to resist excessive amounts of body roll, but compliant enough that most of the road imperfections are soaked up. I say ‘most’, because whilst it does a good job soaking up bigger bumps, the car does feel like it struggles to absorb the vibrations from the smaller ones.

Also, whilst its size looks intimidating, a good overall view out means it actually is fairly easy to place. But there’s no escaping from the fact that this is a very large vehicle. It fills up most parking spaces, and can be difficult to manoeuvre in tight spaces for the inexperienced driver.

Grand Ambitions

With 400+ kilometres of real-world range and copious amounts of space, the MG M9 Grand Trophy is perhaps the first fully electric luxury MPV of its kind to actually be practical and usable in the real-world.

It’d technically do a trip to KL on a single charge. And if you can find a 180 kW charger, its 90 kWh battery pack would be fully topped up and ready to make the return trip in a little under 30 minutes. This is the sort of car that is ideal for a trip like this, as you’d properly be able to enjoy the luxuries on offer.

And what does MG want for all of its capabilities? Just $274,888, which makes it incredible value in a sea of other luxury MPVs!

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