The G6 feels a bit bathtub-like to sit in, the plunging bonnet and bodysides hidden from view from the driver’s seat behind quite a high beltline and scuttle. This, combined with the effect of that descending roofline at the rear, makes for quite an enveloping ambience, which it builds on to modestly luxurious effect in at least one respect.
At 4.75m in length, this is quite a big car for the price – almost 200mm longer than a Peugeot e-3008 and more than 100mm longer than a Skoda Enyaq – and, more than anywhere, it feels that way in the provision of second-row passenger space. Even taller adults will find room to stretch out in the back seats, which don’t seem to suffer from the ‘high floor syndrome’ that affects so many EVs. They also recline quite a long way.
Digital technology aside, though, you wouldn’t say the G6’s interior feels particularly lavish, though neither is it hard or cheaply kitted out. The perceived quality is a cut above that of MG and on a par with BYD and it certainly bears comparison with European brands.
Up front, there’s a slightly anonymous look to the dashboard and primary controls, but that’s mostly because there are so few features to look at here – and what is there isn’t very originally themed. The use of satin chrome switchgear and decorative trim against the charcoal grey of mouldings and cloth puts you in mind of a mid-level Mercedes business saloon, while the layout of a dominant central touchscreen, and so little elsewhere, is clearly from the Tesla playbook.
Unlike in a Tesla, the G6 does have an instrument display, but no head-up display, and it does have a ‘column shifter’ drive selector and an indicator stalk. The ‘thumb’ button consoles on the steering wheel spokes, meanwhile, double up to adjust door mirror positioning and motorised steering column adjustment, in a similar way to a Tesla, once the right touchscreen menu is selected.
There’s quite a bit of cabin storage in the front row, between a deep armrest cubby and the space below the floating centre console. However, while the boot is advertised at a voluminous-sounding 571 litres, its outright space is clearly shallower than in some squarer-bodied SUV rivals, and might not be suited to carrying the very bulkiest of loads.
Multimedia - 3.5 stars
The G6’s 15in landscape-oriented touchscreen has very little back-up from permanent physical controls. As a result, like so many we’ve criticised, it must provide heater and ventilation controls, audio system controls, trip computer information, and more – all at a fairly distantly stretched arm’s length from the driver.
Its first transgression is in not flipping its main vertical menu nav bar over to the right-hand margin of the screen for right-hand-drive users, which means you have to stretch all the way to the left when jumping around menus. That the lower shortcut nav bar makes the icons on it a little too small for easy at-a-glance identification is a more minor annoyance.
The system includes wireless smartphone mirroring for Apple and Android devices as standard. The twin, air-conditioning-cooled, 50W wireless smartphone charging pads are really great too and they work perfectly to keep your device topped up. But there’s no shortcut to easily switch between the native and phone-mirroring software, which makes for another protracted dive through several screens every time – something there’s a little too much of in any case.
