MG is gearing up for an ambitious growth plan that it hopes will generate annual sales of up to one million cars by 2024 – the formerly British company’s centenary year.
Key to this growth target, which is more than triple MG’s global volume in 2019, will be a number of new and refreshed models, including an electric sports coupé designed to serve as a brand-boosting halo car from its launch in late 2021.
At the other end of the MG range, Autocar has learned, will be a new, value-focused electric supermini destined to become a significant volume grower in several European markets (see box on page 7).
It is hoped that both models will help MG, which is owned by Chinese car-making giant Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, to become known more as an international brand with global reach, according to SAIC vice-president Yang Xiaodong.
The as-yet-unnamed new two-door, four-seat flagship is conceptually based on the MG E-Motion concept that was revealed at the Shanghai motor show in April 2017. At the time, MG product planning boss Zhang Liang told Autocar that the concept would be produced if reactions were positive.
Despite various external domestic and global factors, including a market downturn in China and the wide-ranging disruption of the coronavirus pandemic, work on the E-Motion continued. And in June this year, patent images of the production version (which must be submitted prior to any car’s homologation for sale in China) were leaked online.
The patents reveal that the design has evolved noticeably from the E-Motion concept, although its basic shape remains. The current MG family ‘face’ that the concept featured has been evolved into a sportier shape somewhat reminiscent of an Aston Martin’s, while the glasshouse appears to have risen to make the two-door more accommodating.
The wide rear haunches and sloping rear end remain, but some concept details, such as the butterfly doors, aren’t expected to make production.
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MG is offering quite a range of affordable cars here now and sales are rising at an amazing rate. My local dealer tells me that MG Australia can't get them off the boat and delivered to customers quickly enough to meet demand, especially the MG3 auto. It's very similar to the Suzuki Swift and about two thirds of the price plus a very long warranty and "free" auto gearbox.
Driving around my part of Sydney you see one every few minutes and every car park has a least half a dozen.
They look really stylish: my next car?
Robbo
A View from Down Under
I've never seen a photo of the E-Motion concept before,it certainly shows what giant steps that SAIC/MG are making. The appearance of this coupe is very appealing not ground breaking but it has a solid meaty look about it that gives the message that the company is extending is model range beyond it's present limits. The compact EV could well be the car that propels MG into the big time, look at the MG5 which offers a lot of car for the money and with a decent range and if this can be replicated with the small car starting at say under £20K then the big time could beckon for MG