MG Motor and Kia have posted their best ever sales figures for July as demand resurfaces following the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), both the British and Korean brands achieved record sales last month, registering 1846 and 9110 new cars respectively.
For MG, this follows another best ever volume in June, when it sold 2025 cars and achieved a record monthly market share of 1.4%, thanks to its ZS EV.
In July, the brand sold 78% more vehicles than in the same month last year, helped by the ZS EV and the MG HS SUV, which have together added more than 3500 sales this year. The company hopes its success can continue throughout 2020 with the new MG 5 electric estate and plug-in hybrid HS arriving in the second half of the year.
MG also registered more cars than Lexus (1309 cars) and registered almost as many sales as Fiat (1949) and Suzuki (1877) during the month.
Kia’s July 2020 sales volume beat its previous best July figures - 7417 in 2016 - by more than 2000 and is up 28% on 2019’s.
The Korean marque’s performance was driven by 2539 sales of its hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full battery electric Niros and the 2505 sales of its popular Kia Sportage.
Year-to-date, Kia is 37% down on the same period in 2019. However, CEO Paul Philpott said that it was “good to see a strong return in July”.
News of MG’s and Kia’s success comes after the SMMT confirmed an overall 11.3% year-on-year rise in new car registrations in July, following the reopening of dealerships in June.
The SMMT cites consumers being able to belatedly change into a new car and taking advantage of various manufacturer-backed incentive schemes as reasons for the rise.
July is the first month in which year-on-year registrations have increased in 2020, following four months of declines.
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Perhaps MG are offering value for money?
In Scotland, at least, MG dealers tend to be smaller, with a good reputation for customer service. My nearest dealer, in Edinburgh, seems to be doing well with MG and a quick look at their offers with 5 year 0% HP and 4 year 0% PCP would mean that the cars are still subject to the balance of their 7 year warranty when either agreement finishes. Attractive pricing is also a factor, considering the starting prices for some brands. When most cars start at nearly £20k, perhaps MG now offer a range that is affordable for those of us who baulk at spending their hard-earned on cars that may just be too expensive with no real added value.
Not a time to be supporting China........
............ I would have thought. They may look attractively priced, but built cheap as chips, imported, and sold at Western European prices withoiut providing R&D or manufacturing jobs in Euirope. At least the Koreans (with whom we have no political issues) build many of their cars in the Czech Republic
cambuster wrote:
Ignoring the racist part of this, MG's are actually pretty decent. I know a couple of people with them and they seem ok, no reliability issues and they seem pretty solid. It's a good point that they are often maintained by little dealers servicing a local area. those are the best type of dealer in my experience - we have a fiat in our family that's looked after by a little local firm and they are so helpful and honest, it's really refreshing.
MG - and that is despite them
MG - and that is despite them shooting themselves in the foot, releasing the new ZS with sharply improved interior and specification, but only with the largely panned 1.5 n/a engine and no auto option. Why? they had a far better received smaller turbo engine with auto box in the current ZS. (apparently this combo on the new ZS is due next year)