In terms of power, the IM6 Performance over-delivers in spades
With a continuous onslaught of Chinese EV brands arriving in Singapore and an ongoing penchant among local buyers for their relative bang-for-buck, it almost seems like there is a new brand launched every other week.
If you recall, the IM Motors brand was first previewed at the Singapore Motor Show earlier this year, but it wasn’t till Q3 that the IM5 Electric Sedan and IM6 Electric SUV were available for booking. In case you missed it, IM Motors was founded through the partnership of SAIC Motor, Alibaba Group, and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech.
With IM Motor’s sedan and crossover offerings (incidentally, a line-up offered by several other Chinese brands), there’s some similarity to the Tesla line-up, but hey, if something isn’t broken, why fix it?
Besides, this is nothing to begrudge the former over, because IM’s current two-model line-up effectively covers its bases as far as the average household’s executive and activity needs are concerned.
As with all the other Chinese EV debutantes, IM bandies about all the familiar terms that are de rigueur for the segment: intelligent, high-tech and premium.
There are hints of the Model Y in the IM6’s swoopy, crossover styling, while its rear treatment is mildly reminiscent of the Aston Martin DBX, especially with regards to that pert rump-end.
All this writer has to say is, for a crossover, it looks suitably dynamic and in “Performance” guise, is more than capable of taking the fight to sportier machines in the straight-line drag stakes.
EVs tend to boast more high-tech functions than one will ever need, but it is how intuitive they are to operate that makes all the difference. We prefer to be able to get-in-and-drive without undergoing a forty-five minute crash-course, especially with many Chinese brands incorporating Tesla’s features, but not its ease-of-use.
Happily enough, with its intuitive operation, the IM6 really lives up to the brand’s spirit of Intelligent Mobility. For starters, unlike some of its contemporaries, we like that the IM6 isn’t built around an oversized phablet.
A 10.5-inch secondary screen is neatly integrated into the centre fascia, which complements the main 26.3-inch immersive touchscreen. The former allows one to access the car’s key features, which is great given it is within easy reach of the front occupants. There’s even a “crab” mode to let the car slink laterally out of tight confines.
We’re in the high-powered IM6 Performance AWD, which is built on cutting-edge 800V architecture and delivers an electrifying 767hp and 802Nm. 0-100km/h comes up in under 3.5secs, but it also triggers an $8k road tax. To put this in perspective, a naturally-aspirated 5.2-litre V10 in all its screaming and strident glory attracts less than $6k in road tax.
The IM6 can be enjoyed in several less powerful variants (IM6 Luxury RWD and IM6 Sport RWD). Outright power aside, they all feature the same aura and key technology, including the excellent and very progressive four-wheel-steering system, as well as the full suite of ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance System) features, such as the One Touch iAD park functions.
The cabin insulation is absolute, which lets the occupants enjoy the 20-speaker sound system as they luxuriate in the electric crossover’s well-cossetted ride. The Performance model has the ability to hit hard with its ferocious turn of speed, but we’re more impressed by how tractable it is when driven moderately.
The IM6 Performance’s steering, power delivery, brake regeneration and four-wheel steering are properly posh and calibrated to deliver natural responses, as opposed to the overly reactive, on-off style that characterises lesser electric rivals.
Like the intuitive user interface, the IM6 Performance’s drive experience is easy for the thinking person to master, such that progress is smooth and swift, instead of choppy and disjointed.
It is often easy to overlook the software when you are bombarded from all sides by flashy hardware, but it is how the intangible elements work together that make or break an EV’s ownership proposition.
In terms of power, the IM6 Performance over-delivers in spades, and yet, this thinking person’s electric crossover impresses us far more with its well-measured abilities.
IM6 Performance AWD
Battery: 100kWh, 800V, dual-motors
Power: 767hp
Torque: 802Nm
0-100km/h: 3.48secs
Top Speed: 239km/h
WLTP range (combined): 505km
Kerbweight: About 2.4-tonnes
