MG IM8 previewed in China – luxury 3-row REEV SUV considered for Malaysia with 430 km CLTC EV range

Malaysia will soon receive MG’s premium IM sub-brand, with the IM6 electric SUV set to arrive sometime in the third quarter of the year. The next phase in the marque’s global strategy will involve the company’s upmarket range extended EVs, spearheaded by the luxurious IM8 three-row SUV previewed to international media in China earlier this month.

Firstly, ignore the IM LS8 badging and model plates, as IM Motors is a separate brand in China. As its tentative name suggests, the IM8 will slot in way above the IM6, and nowhere is this more evident than in its size. It’s massive, measuring 5,085 mm long, 2,000 mm wide and 1,807 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 3,060 mm – and if you somehow think this is not big enough, China will sell you the flagship IM LS9 that shades it in length.

Distancing itself from the bulbous, baleen whale-like design of the IM6, the IM8 is altogether more chiselled, with an imposing upright body and more angular details. At the front, the large inverted-L headlights with their multiple projectors provide plenty of presence, and they are joined together by a U-shaped full-width light bar that frames the bonnet.

Further back, the wraparound windscreen design and fin-like body-coloured C-pillars bring to mind the Land Rover Discovery, while the undulating taillight bar provides a bit of a familial link to the IM6. As per that car, the Chinese-market version gets a dot-matrix display that can show messages and even a cute dog mascot, but don’t expect this to be offered overseas due to regulations. Wheel options measure from 20 inches on this base model to 22s.

The IM8 continues to impress on the inside, with an almost architectural dashboard design that plays host to the multitude of mini-LED screens. The instrument display and infotainment touchscreen are fused together into a single 27.1-inch panel, while the dash recess houses another 15.6-inch passenger touchscreen.

Helping to make the most of the uninterrupted screen real estate is the cut-down oblong steering wheel, paired with optional steer-by-wire. Meanwhile, the tall centre console houses the usual smartphone holders (surprisingly, the IM8 still has only one 50-watt wireless charger at the front) and cupholders for both the first and second rows.

The IM8 can be had as a five- or six-seater, with the front seats getting heating, ventilation and an optional (and very strong) “4D” massage function. Heating, ventilation and massage is also offered for the second row, which features a bench said to be inspired by legendary architect and designer Le Corbusier, itself with a one-touch “zero gravity” reclining seat and built-in ottoman on the passenger side.

The car you see here is the six-seater, which gets business class-style individual captain’s chairs with powered armrests, plus heated and power-reclining third-row seats. Incredibly, unlike virtually every car on sale today, the IM8 can be specced with a woodgrain rear floor with heating, something I have never seen in my years in this job.

Rear passengers also benefit from a fridge and an optional 21.5-inch roof monitor, hooked up to a choice of 18- or 25-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. With all seats up, the boot measures 250 litres on the six-seater (879 litres with four seats) and a cavernous 938 litres for the five-seater, the latter expandable to 2,576 litres with the rear pews folded.

The IM8 can be had in rear- and all-wheel-drive forms, the former producing 313 PS (230 kW) and 430 Nm of torque. So equipped, the car can get from zero to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds on its way to a top speed of 190 km/h. A 52 kWh LFP battery provides a pure EV range of 355 km on the admittedly lenient CLTC cycle, and with the 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder range extender and a 60 litre fuel tank, MG claims a total range of 1,573 km.

Stepping up to the AWD nets you 530 PS (390 kW) and 670 Nm, flinging this leviathan to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and boosting top speed to 220 km/h. The battery has also been swapped out for a 66 kWh NMC unit for an EV range of 430 km and a combined range of 1,605 km.

Incredibly, both models feature an 800-volt electrical architecture, and with a suitably powerful DC charger, the IM8 can be topped up from 10 to 80% in 19 minutes for the RWD model and just 16.5 minutes for the AWD one. A 6 KW vehicle-to-load function is also included.

Under the skin, the IM8 rides on standard-fit air suspension and adaptive dampers. All models come with up to 24 degrees (!) of rear-wheel steering, which not only usefully shrinks the turning radius to just 4.85 metres but also enables a crab mode function.

The IM8’s driver assists run on the advanced Nvidia Drive AGX Thor chip and incorporate a ultra-long-range lidar sensor, enabling highly-automated city and highway driving and remote park assist. These are all optional, with a barrage of Level 2 semi-autonomous driving features coming as standard.

Local MG representatives confirmed to us that the IM8 is under consideration for the Malaysian market, doing battle with the likes of the upcoming Zeekr 9X. If it does get the green light, expect it to come sometime next year, as the company is busy launching several models over the coming months, including not just the IM6 but also the new ZS Hybrid+.