There are vastly different ideas of what luxury means. For some, it is craftsmanship – the quality of the materials, the precision of the detailing and the sense of occasion that comes with them. For others, it is exclusivity, space or technology. But perhaps the most valuable form of luxury today is something considerably harder to manufacture: time.
The freedom to spend a journey exactly as you want, without worrying about the road ahead, is the kind of luxury the MG M9 is built around. And nowhere is that more evident than in its Presidential second row.
Leaving Mumbai behind for Karjat, the M9 turns what could be a routine road trip into something rather different. The traffic, the road surface and the distance to the destination are still there, but they no longer need to occupy the passenger’s attention. The second row has been designed to make the journey itself the experience.
The two Presidential Seats are the obvious starting point. With 16-way electric adjustment, heating, ventilation and eight massage functions, they offer considerably more than simply a comfortable place to sit. Their leg rests can be extended, allowing you to get that ‘putting your feet up after a long day’ experience, and the backrests can be reclined. And particularly with Boss Mode moving the front passenger seat forward, the available space is nothing short of vast.
It is the sort of environment in which work can be done without feeling like work. Every major seat function is within easy reach thanks to the intelligent armrests. Not only can passengers adjust their seats’ position and temperature and regulate the AC, they can even get a massage, activate the sunroof or alter the ambient lighting. Once the laptop is closed, the M9 can change character just as easily.
The dedicated second-row climate zone means passengers can set the temperature to their liking, while 64-colour ambient lighting allows the atmosphere to be changed from bright and functional to subdued and relaxing. The panoramic, yacht-style dual sunroof adds another layer to the sense of space, bringing natural light into what already feels more like a lounge than an MPV cabin.
The M9’s 13-speaker JBL audio system, complete with amplifier and subwoofer, takes advantage of the cabin’s excellent isolation. Even the details that are easy to overlook have been considered. There is a wireless charger, an air purifier and sunshades for the rear windows. The front seats are heated, ventilated and massaging too, while the third row gets its own air-conditioning vents and USB connectivity. This is a seven-seater, after all, and the M9 doesn’t treat the occupants furthest from the driver as an afterthought.
But it is the Presidential second row that defines the M9. And as the journey progresses, its importance becomes increasingly apparent. Mumbai’s roads aren’t always smooth. There are bumps, undulations, and speed breakers that arrive with little warning. Yet the M9’s suspension works quietly underneath, muffling sharper edges and keeping the cabin composed.
What community is saying on the M9?
That refinement is complemented by the electric powertrain. A 90kWh NMC battery feeds a front-mounted motor producing 245hp and 350Nm, with a claimed range of 548km. But for those in the back, the more important numbers are the ones that don’t appear on a specification sheet: how little noise enters the cabin, how smoothly the M9 gathers speed and how rarely the occupants are reminded of the machinery doing the work.
As Mumbai’s traffic thins out, the road begins to wind through the green, mist-covered hills approaching Karjat, and the monsoon transforms the landscape into a succession of views worth looking at.
The M9 takes the inherent practicality and space of an MPV and reorganises them around the passenger. Its Presidential second row isn’t simply a collection of luxury features; it is the point around which the entire vehicle’s character revolves.
And the response has been encouraging. The M9 has found more than 2,500 buyers in less than a year, the surest sign that the idea of luxury is changing. It is becoming less about arriving with a sense of occasion and more about making the journey itself feel effortless.
Because when someone else is worrying about the road, the greatest luxury isn’t necessarily having somewhere better to go. It is having the time – and the space – to enjoy getting there.
