No, hold your horses, it’s not available in South Africa just yet, but MG has introduced a diesel engine for the MG6 in the U.K. It’s called the 1.9-litre DTi-TECH and the 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engine develops 110 kW and a maximum torque of 350 Nm. It’s not exactly cutting edge, but it is bang on par with what is expected from modern day diesel engines.
According to MG the diesel derivative can reach 100 km/h from standstill in 8.9 seconds, before touching its top speed of 193 km/h. Most importantly for diesel consumers, the MG6 will 6.1 L/100 km in the city and 4.7 L/100 km on the highway, giving a combined figure of 5.3 L/100 km. CO2 emissions are rated at an admirable 139 g/km. The MG6’s drive is sent to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission, rather than the lacklustre 5-speed we tested earlier in the year in the turbocharged petrol.
Prices in the U.K. for the MG6 DTi-TECH start at around the equivalent of R235 000 in local currency and that includes the standard fitment of ABS with brake force distribution, hill hold, stability control system, emergency brake assist, air conditioning and electric windows. This is admirably close to the R239 900 starting price for the 1.8 turbo petrol MG6 we’ve tested in the past.
The Chinese-owned MG brand hasn’t had overwhelming success yet with its MG6 in the U.K. or Europe, but for many, that can be attributed to the lack of a diesel derivative in a diesel-mad environment. We look forward to its local arrival.
