Clearly, MGS9 buyers and buyers of seven seat SUVs in general will not usually be looking to drive with too much verve. While we wouldn’t want to make too many assumptions, that’s probably even more true of the specific MGS9 we tested with its interesting beige on beige colour scheme. The process of jumping inside the MGS9 will be exactly that for shorter drivers because you sit very high up. Even with the standard-fit electrically adjustable seats – which also add heating, ventilation and a massage function in Premium trim – in their lowest setting it’s quite a clamber.
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A simple black and silver colourway is available on the MGS9 but our car had a brown, beige and wood trim combination and while it might not suit all tastes, it certainly provided plenty of wow-factor and, on first impressions at least, a suggestion of luxury. Some elements of build quality did seem suspect – the wood trim itself felt cheap and flimsy in places, the side bolstering of the faux-leather front seats looked disjointed from the base and some unsightly bright-yellow cables were sticking out underneath the seats, too. However, after extensive prodding around and after several hundred miles of driving we didn’t notice any major rattles or creaks on the move.
As for the kit, the MGS9 is super impressive. The dual 12.3-inch touchscreens are taken from the HS, there’s a panoramic sunroof, plus climate control for all three rows of seats and five USB ports, too. Premium adds those extra functions to the front seats, plus a hands-free bootlid and a 12-speaker Bose sound system – which sounds better than the Sony system found in Cherys and Jaecoos.
