MG Gloster review, road test

Can MG’s new flagship disrupt the body-on-frame seven-seat premium SUV space?

Published on Oct 23, 2020 06:00:00 AM

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This is where the MG Gloster begins to shine. First, there’s the refinement, both from the engine and the running gear, at low speeds or high, which is really exceptional, with engine, wind and road noise very effectively muted.

The ride quality is also really good. Sure, you’ll get some of that lumpiness typical of a ladder-frame SUV at low speeds, but it smoothens out admirably as you go faster and isn’t nearly as choppy or bouncy as some of the others out there. And just as you’d expect from a hardy body-on-frame SUV, this one isn’t shy to go off the beaten path, and it suppresses broken roads without batting an eyelid.

Feels tough and suppresses bad and broken roads without batting an eyelid.

There’s a fair bit of body roll, which you would expect from such a tall vehicle, but you can still corner confidently, as the steering has a reassuringly fluid feel to it. In fact, the steering is the big surprise, because it is very light and allows you to come to grips with this behemoth’s dimensions in almost no time. And it manages to do this while giving you a reasonable amount of feedback and confidence at speed – not too sharp to be edgy, but not too slow to be ponderous either.

In fact, it’s safe to say the Gloster has the best ride and handling mix among all the large, ladder-frame SUVs on the market right now.