Driving around in traffic is a smooth affair. With smooth throttle inputs, you and your passengers are in for a comfortable ride
Driving the MG M9 EV
The M9 EV comes with a single motor that drives the front wheels and puts out 242 BHP and 350 Nm. It gets a 90kWh NMC battery pack. Lift your foot off the brake pedal, and the car gets off line smoothly. There’s enough power on tap to get you up to speed quickly. Driving around in traffic is a smooth affair. With smooth throttle inputs, you and your passengers are in for a comfortable ride.
While the company hasn’t released an exact figure, MG says the M9 EV is capable of doing a 0-100 kmph sprint in under 10 seconds, which is impressive given the size of the vehicle. This is especially useful on the highways during overtaking. There’s instant torque, which helps you make those overtakes pretty easily.
There are three levels of regen – Low, Standard and High. Standard mode feels the most natural to use, while regen in Low mode feels a bit negligible. It is at its strongest in the High mode, where the M9 EV can be driven with a single pedal. Like the drive modes, the regen can only be toggled via the touchscreen, which will require your chauffeur to take his eyes off the road.
You are always aware of the M9 EV’s big dimensions, especially while driving through narrow streets and making U-turns. That being said, the turning radius is quite manageable. The 360-degree camera offers good resolution and helps place the car in tight spaces. There’s also a segment-first digital IRVM on offer, which is helpful given the sheer length of the vehicle.
There are three drive modes on offer – Eco, Normal and Sports. We feel the Eco and Normal modes suffice for 90 to 95 per cent of this MPV’s use cases, as there is sufficient power available and it is delivered in a jerk-free manner.
Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)
Being an EV, the M9 is a silent operator. The cabin is very well-insulated from the outside noise. We didn’t hear any tyre or suspension noise in the second row. While some amount of traffic noise does manage to seep into the cabin, it never feels intrusive. As mentioned earlier, it is the loud warning chimes and beeps coming from the speakers that feel more pronounced inside the cabin.
Range
At the time of writing this review, MG hasn’t released the official range figures for the M9 EV. The global-spec model gets a WLTP-claimed range of 430 km, and we can expect a similar figure for the India-spec model as well. This is a large car with not the best aerodynamics, so the real-world range might fall around 350 km. While this should be good enough for a Mumbai-Pune round trip, the M9 EV will be more comfortable in an intra-city use case rather than for intercity trips.
Charging
The M9 EV’s 90kWh battery pack can be charged from 30-80% in just 30 minutes with 160 kW DC fast charging. Full charge will take up to 90 minutes, though. Owners can also install an 11kW home charger, which can top up the battery in about 9.5 hours.
Suspension
Ride Comfort
The suspension duties on the M9 EV are handled by MacPherson struts up front and multi-link independent suspensions at the rear. Given the weight of the car, the suspensions have been a bit stiffly sprung for better body control. It is reflected in the MPV’s high-speed stability. We also didn’t experience any excessive wallowing at highway speeds, and the vehicle was quick to settle down after passing through uneven surfaces. On the flipside, the low-speed ride isn’t the most plush, as sharp rumble strips tend to register in the cabin. We also noticed a bit of body movement when driving over cobblestone road surfaces at low speeds.
Handling & Dynamics
For a car of its size and shape, the body roll is well-controlled as long as there are no sudden inputs to the steering wheel. The car’s lower center of gravity, due to the battery pack in the floor, helps in this aspect. For all its intended purposes, the handling is decent. The car felt stable while making lane changes. Overall, the car is well-suited to wide, open and smooth roads.
Steering
The two-spoke steering is leather-wrapped and feels nice to hold, but it feels a size smaller. Controls on the steering get a glossy finish, and the physical toggles have a nice tactile feeling to them. The steering wheel also gets two assist modes – Standard and Sport. The latter adds a bit of artificial weight to the steering.
The electronic steering on the M9 EV is light and makes manoeuvring this behemoth of a car a tad bit easier. It isn’t the most direct and lacks feel, but nothing serious to make it a deal-breaker.
Braking
The M9 EV gets disc brakes all around, and the braking feels decent and progressive. Don’t expect much feel from the pedals, though. Like the steering, the brakes also have two modes. The stopping power felt decent in wet road conditions, but here again, the size of the vehicle will require a longer stopping distance than your normal vehicle.
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