MG wants to sell one million cars annually by 2024, which will mark the centennial of the MG nameplate. To get there, it’s readying a lot of product.
Autocar reports the company – now owned by Chinese giant SAIC Motor – will help drive sales in key markets like the UK by introducing seven new models over the next 18 months
According to SAIC vice president Yang Xiaodong, three of these products will be all-new and not just revisions of existing models, like the upcoming facelifted ZS (above).
The goal of a million annual sales is ambitious as, even though MG is growing, it sold just 298,000 vehicles worldwide last year. Just under half – 139,000 – were in export markets.
It’s unclear what the three new models will be and whether all-new means entirely new, or just new to the brand.
MG has said its best-selling model in Australia, the MG 3, will likely be receiving a refresh and not a total redesign.
The company is launching a new electric wagon in the UK this year called the MG 5, which will likely be a rebadged version of the Ei5 wagon (above) from fellow SAIC-owned brand Roewe. It’s not on the radar for Australia.
MG’s head of sales and marketing in the UK, Daniel Gregorious, told Autocar that, should the MG 5 and upcoming plug-in hybrid HS succeed, the next product for the brand will be a production version of the E-Motion concept car.
Revealed at the 2017 Shanghai motor show, the E-Motion is a slinky, dual-motor battery-electric 2+2 that can reportedly do the 0-100km/h dash in under four seconds.
The company is also investing in rolling out 5G connectivity and Level 3 autonomous driving technology, as well as updated infotainment to help the brand appeal to younger buyers.
MG has been expanding its product range in various markets.
While both the UK and Australia have stayed with the trio of MG 3 hatchback and ZS and HS SUVs, the company has tapped into the product range of corporate cousins LDV (aka Maxus) and Roewe to enter new segments elsewhere.
New MG products have included the MG Gloster and G10 in India – a rebadged LDV D90 SUV and G10 van, respectively – as well as the MG Extender ute and V80 van in Thailand, which are rebadged versions of the LDV T70 and V80.
MG’s also borrowed the RX5 and RX8 SUVs from Roewe to sell in select Asian markets.
