MG IM5 and IM6 explained: MG's premium EVs, prices, range and vs Tesla

The MG IM5 is a large electric fastback saloon built in China by IM Motors, the premium brand of MG’s owner SAIC, and sold through MG dealers from £39,950 in November 2026. The £45,495 Long Range covers 441 miles on the WLTP test and charges at up to 396 kW, which puts it squarely against the Tesla Model 3; its sister car, the IM6 SUV, starts at £48,495.

This hub covers who makes the IM cars, where they are built, every version with prices and range, how the IM5 compares with a Model 3, running costs, MG’s warranty, dealers and safety, reliability and what is coming next. For the other makes we cover, start from our electric car guides by brand.

Who makes the MG IM5 and IM6, and who owns MG?

The IM5 and IM6 are made by IM Motors, a Shanghai company set up in December 2020 that is 54% owned by SAIC Motor, with Alibaba and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech holding 18% each. SAIC also owns MG, which is why the cars wear MG badges in Britain. What Car? explains that IM has no UK presence of its own, so the cars are sold through MG’s dealer network under the MG name.

MG itself was founded in Britain by Cecil Kimber in the 1920s, according to Auto Express. After MG Rover collapsed, Nanjing Automobile bought the MG marque and the Longbridge plant in July 2005, and Nanjing merged into SAIC on 26 December 2007, giving SAIC full control. The UK sales company has been called MG Motor UK since 2009.

IM sits above the core MG range. MG UK’s director of product and planning, David Allison, told Auto Express in October 2026 that IM cars “offer technology that cannot be offered in the core range of cars”.

Where are the IM5 and IM6 built?

Both cars are built in China. The IM5 is the export version of the IM L6 saloon, which is assembled in Shanghai. MG’s cars are made exclusively in China, Auto Express reported in 2023; car production at Longbridge ended in September 2016. MG keeps a London head office and design studio, and an engineering team at Longbridge that sets targets for UK and European cars and tunes them for British roads.

How long have IM cars been sold in the UK?

The IM5 and IM6 have been on sale in the UK since 2025. Heise reported in August 2025 that IM would launch first in the UK, Norway and Switzerland under the MG umbrella, which makes the cars about a year old here. Auto Express reported in October 2026 that MG expects to sell about 6,500 IM cars in the UK in 2026, a small part of a predicted MG total of about 100,000.

Every MG IM5 and IM6 on sale: prices and range

MG sells three versions of the IM5 and three of the IM6. Prices are list prices in November 2026.

Version	Price (Nov 2026)	WLTP range	Usable battery	Max DC charging	Max AC charging	Boot
IM5 75 Standard Range	£39,950	304 miles	73.5 kWh	153 kW	11 kW	457 litres
IM5 100 Long Range	£45,495	441 miles	96.5 kWh	396 kW	11 kW	457 litres
IM6 100 Long Range	£48,495	388 miles	96.5 kWh	396 kW	11 kW	665 litres
IM5 100 Performance	£48,995	357 miles	96.5 kWh	396 kW	11 kW	457 litres
IM6 100 Performance	£51,495	313 miles	96.5 kWh	396 kW	11 kW	665 litres
IM6 100 Launch Edition	£53,495	313 miles	96.5 kWh			646 litres

MG IM5

The IM5 is a five-seat fastback saloon, 4,931mm long, with a 457-litre boot and rear seats that fold 60:40. The Standard Range has a 217 kW rear motor and reaches 62mph in 6.8 seconds. The Long Range is also rear-wheel drive and takes 4.9 seconds, while the four-wheel-drive Performance has 553 kW and takes 3.2 seconds. The two 100 kWh versions charge from 10% to 80% in 17 minutes, and every version can tow 1,500kg.

Auto Express’s testers rated the IM5 4 out of 5 in February 2026. They liked its strong straight-line performance, range, charging and price, and criticised indirect steering, the smaller battery’s average range and the cabin’s ergonomics. They found the 26.3-inch dashtop screen quick and simple, but the 10.5-inch centre touchscreen sits too flat and the climate controls are buried in it. What Car? named the Long Range the pick of the range.

MG IM6

The IM6 is a five-seat SUV on the same 100 kWh battery, with a 665-litre boot in the Long Range and Performance. The Long Range has a 300 kW rear motor and 388 miles of WLTP range; the Performance and Launch Edition have 553 kW, four-wheel drive and 313 miles, and reach 62mph in 3.5 seconds. The Launch Edition sits in insurance group 50A.

Electrifying.com’s review in July 2026 praised the IM6’s charging, range and standard equipment but found it uninspiring to drive, with a ride that bumps and shudders, mild regenerative braking and no vehicle-to-load socket.

MG IM5 vs Tesla Model 3: which is better?

The IM5 Long Range beats the cheapest Model 3 on range and charging speed, but costs £7,505 more. The Model 3 RWD costs £37,990 with 332 miles of WLTP range and 175 kW charging, according to Auto Express in February 2026; the Premium Long Range is £7,000 dearer, which puts it within £505 of the IM5 Long Range.

	MG IM5 75 Standard Range	MG IM5 100 Long Range	Tesla Model 3 RWD
List price	£39,950	£45,495	£37,990
WLTP range	304 miles	441 miles	332 miles
Max DC charging	153 kW	396 kW	175 kW
Boot	457 litres	457 litres	Larger than the IM5’s (What Car?)
Euro NCAP	5 stars (2025)	5 stars (2025)	Not covered here

What Car? found the IM5 costs about the same as a Model 3 in cash, though it can cost more on PCP finance, and that its boot is smaller and its rear visibility limited. Tesla’s main advantage is a longer UK record; our guide to the Model 3 Standard against the Long Range sets out what the Tesla trims give you.

If you are weighing several Tesla rivals, our ranking of the best Tesla alternatives in the UK compares them on price per mile of range.

The BYD Seal is the other Chinese electric saloon buyers cross-shop with the IM5, and our Tesla Model 3 vs BYD Seal comparison covers it.

What does an MG IM5 or IM6 cost to run?

The IM5 Long Range costs 1.4p a mile to charge at home on a 6.5p/kWh off-peak tariff, on EV Compared’s sums. We divide WLTP range by usable battery to get miles per kWh, then apply Intelligent Octopus Go’s 6.5p/kWh, the 26.32p/kWh price cap rate and Zapmap’s October 2026 public rapid average of 82p/kWh, as set out in our methodology.

Running cost	IM5 Standard Range	IM5 Long Range	IM5 Performance	IM6 Long Range	IM6 Performance
Miles per kWh (WLTP)	4.14	4.57	3.70	4.02	3.24
Full charge at home, 6.5p/kWh	£4.78	£6.27	£6.27	£6.27	£6.27
Full charge on a public rapid, 82p/kWh	£60.27	£79.13	£79.13	£79.13	£79.13
Pence per mile at home	1.6p	1.4p	1.8p	1.6p	2.0p
Pence per mile at the price cap	6.4p	5.8p	7.1p	6.5p	8.1p
Pence per mile on a public rapid	19.8p	17.9p	22.2p	20.4p	25.3p
8,000 miles a year at home	£126	£114	£141	£129	£160
8,000 miles a year on public rapids	£1,586	£1,435	£1,773	£1,632	£2,022
Hours to full on a 7 kW wallbox	10.5	13.8	13.8	13.8	13.8
List price per mile of WLTP range	£131	£103	£137	£125	£165

The IM5 Long Range is the best value IM on list price per mile of range, at £103. On a 396 kW charger it adds about 182 miles in 10 minutes on our sums, against 147 for the IM5 Performance and 160 for the IM6 Long Range. A home wallbox is what makes the 1.4p to 2.0p a mile figures possible; Best Chargers compares home chargers and installers.

No MG appears on the government’s list of cars eligible for the Electric Car Grant. Every IM5 is under the £50,000 threshold for the expensive car supplement, but the IM6 Performance and Launch Edition are above it, which adds £440 a year to road tax for five years from the second time the car is taxed, according to gov.uk.

What else does MG sell, and is an IM5 the right MG?

MG’s core electric range starts well below the IM cars. The MG4 electric hatchback costs from £29,995 as the Premium Long Range with 280 miles, or £32,995 as the Premium Extended Range with 338 miles, which works out at £98 of list price per mile of range on our sums. If you do not need the IM5’s space or 396 kW charging, an MG4 covers most of the same journeys for less.

Our guide to MG4 real-world range and charging times shows how far it goes away from the WLTP test.

Version	Price (Nov 2026)	WLTP range	Usable battery	Max DC charging	Max AC charging	Boot
MG4 Urban Comfort Standard Range	£23,495	201 miles	41.9 kWh	82 kW	11 kW	577 litres
MG4 Urban Comfort Long Range	£25,495	258 miles	52.8 kWh	87 kW	11 kW	577 litres
MGS5 EV SE	£28,995	211 miles	47.1 kWh	120 kW	7 kW	453 litres
MG4 Premium Long Range	£29,995	280 miles	61.7 kWh	154 kW	7 kW	388 litres
MGS5 EV SE Long Range	£31,495	298 miles	62.1 kWh	139 kW	7 kW	453 litres
MG4 Premium Extended Range	£32,995	338 miles	74.4 kWh	144 kW	7 kW	388 litres
MG4 XPOWER	£33,995	251 miles	61.7 kWh	140 kW	7 kW	388 litres
MGS6 EV SE Long Range	£37,995	329 miles	74.3 kWh	144 kW	7 kW	674 litres
MGS6 EV Trophy Long Range	£40,995	329 miles	74.3 kWh	144 kW	7 kW	674 litres
MGS6 EV Trophy Dual Motor	£43,995	301 miles	74.3 kWh	144 kW	7 kW	674 litres
Cyberster Trophy	£55,245	316 miles	74.4 kWh	150 kW		249 litres
Cyberster GT	£60,245	276 miles	74.4 kWh	150 kW		249 litres

The MGS6 EV is the closest core MG to an IM6: an SUV with a 674-litre boot from £37,995 and 329 miles, but with 144 kW charging against the IM6’s 396 kW.

MG also sells the HS Plug-in Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid SUV from £32,495 with 75 miles of electric range from a 23.2 kWh usable battery.

Should you go fully electric instead of the HS plug-in hybrid?

For most drivers who can charge at home, yes. The MGS6 EV SE Long Range costs £5,500 more than the HS Plug-in Hybrid SE but covers 329 miles on electricity against 75, so far more of your driving runs at home charging prices. The HS plug-in hybrid makes more sense if you cannot charge at home and often drive long distances, though without home charging it will run on petrol most of the time.

Warranty, dealers and servicing

Every new MG, including the IM5 and IM6, has a seven-year or 80,000-mile warranty, and the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. The first 12 months have no mileage limit, and claims in years four to seven need a complete service history, according to MG dealer Invicta Motors’ summary of the terms effective from 1 July 2026. The cover passes to later owners.

MG had more than 150 UK dealers in December 2025, according to What Car?, and IM cars are sold and serviced through the same network. MG registered 86,767 cars in the UK from January to October 2026, including 7,837 in October, up 85.1% on a year earlier, according to SMMT figures.

Are the MG IM5 and IM6 safe?

Both have five Euro NCAP stars. The IM5 rating, published on 15 October 2025, covers all three versions in left and right-hand drive; the IM6 rating was published on 8 September 2025.

Model	Rating published	Stars	Adult	Child	Vulnerable road users	Safety assist
IM5	15 October 2025	5	89%	85%	85%	87%
IM6	8 September 2025	5	90%	85%	83%	87%

How reliable are MG cars?

MG’s record has improved sharply, but the surveys disagree. In What Car?’s 2026 Reliability Survey MG ranked 9th of 30 brands with a score of 92.0%, up from last place in 2025; 22% of MGs in the survey had a fault and 89% of repairs were free. Auto Express’s Driver Power 2026 survey, published in August 2026, gave MG a reliability score of 83.94%, second-lowest of the brands it rated, ahead only of Jeep.

Neither survey gives separate results for the IM5 or IM6. They have been on sale here for about a year, so there is no UK reliability record for them yet, and resale values are not settled because there is little used market. The seven-year warranty is the main protection against both risks for now.

What is coming next from MG and IM?

A third IM model is due in the UK in 2027, Auto Express reported in October 2026, expected to be a large seven-seat electric SUV to rival the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. MG has not confirmed its name, price or range. Allison said it would be priced “substantially less than other competitors are able to do”.

In the core range, the boxy Cyber X SUV is now expected in 2028, not 2027, and Allison said it would “easily” start below £30,000, according to Auto Express.

Should you buy an MG IM5 or IM6?

Buy an IM5 Long Range if you want a long-range electric saloon with very fast charging for the price of a mid-range Model 3: £45,495 buys 441 miles of WLTP range, 396 kW charging, five Euro NCAP stars and a seven-year warranty. The IM6 suits a family that wants the same battery and charging in an SUV with a 665-litre boot. Both suit a driver who can charge at home and covers long motorway distances.

Look elsewhere if you want a bigger saloon boot, physical controls, sharp handling or a proven resale value; a Tesla Model 3 has a longer UK record and more boot space. Skip the IM5 Standard Range if range matters: at £131 of list price per mile of range it is weaker value than the Long Range. Our verdict rests on published data and other testers’ reviews: EV Compared has not driven these cars. On that evidence the IM5 Long Range is the strongest IM buy, and the main risk is how new the IM cars are to the UK.