Background: MG Motors – the new electric size
Secretly on the rise
MG4 Electric
© press-inform – the press office
MG – was there something? The times when MG unleashed fun roadsters and elegant mid-range sedans with BMW technology on Brit-savvy customers are long gone. MG Motors has been part of the Chinese SAIC Group for years and is increasingly spreading its electric models, especially in Europe. Hardly anyone notices.
For more than ten years nothing has been heard of the MG brand on the European car market. But just when models like the MG Roadster and an MG ZS were slowly being forgotten, the once British car brand under the Chinese flag quietly rolled back into the local import ports. Hardly any marketing, no advertising – unlike other competitors, the brand, which now belongs to the Chinese car group SAIC, relies on the normative power of the factual. After the respectable mid-range crossover Marvel R and an electric station wagon like the MG5, the Chinese are finally getting serious. The MG4 Electric unashamedly attacks European home players like the VW ID3, a Peugeot e-308 or the Opel Astra Electric, offering a lot of electric car for the money. At the same time, MG is anything but a low-priced company, but instead relies on more cars for a little less budget.
Secretly on the rise
Volkswagen has its modular electrical kit and SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) is at least as proud of the newly developed MSP platform (Modular Scalable Platform) – largely variable, purely electric and for vehicles with a wide variety of battery packs, wheelbases, track widths (2.65 – 3.10 m) as well as superstructures. The first model on the new platform is the MG4 Electric, which in terms of proportions and vehicle segment can hardly hide a similarity to the VW ID3 or a Cupra Born, but is anything but copied. In addition to the good standard equipment, there are numerous driver assistance systems and a guarantee of seven years or 150,000 kilometers included in the price. At prices starting at just under 32,000 euros, the customer can choose between two battery packs with 51 and 64 kilowatt hours, which enables a range of up to 450 kilometers.
After the charging speed of the MG Marvel R was still lacking, the MG4 Electric refuels on its new platform with around 140 kW. “The MG4 Electric is another milestone in the long history of MG Motor,” said Xinyu Liu, CEO of MG Motor Europe, “it offers a smart alternative for customers who want more. As the first vehicle based on our technologically sophisticated and extremely flexible MSP platform, it combines impressive electrical performance, excellent handling and innovative assistance systems with ease of use and an exceptionally dynamic design.”
The MG brand and the SAIC Group behind it can definitely be satisfied with the year 2022 that is just drawing to a close. In October, more than 2,000 MG models were registered in one month for the first time. In November, MG had already achieved the 10,000 new vehicles that had been planned for sale in 2022 – this means that registrations have tripled compared to the previous year. And the current market share of one percent should not remain. “With the MG5 Electric and the MG4 Electric, we have added two extremely attractive vehicles to the product portfolio of MG Motor this year. We are pleased that they are making a significant contribution to the constantly increasing sales figures and that we have already reached our sales target of 2022 ahead of schedule”, summarizes Philipp Hempel, responsible for sales and marketing in the DACH region of MG, “our goals are ambitious. For the first time 2,000 newly registered cars in one month is a nice snapshot, but we are already working on taking the next step. Thanks to a committed team and no less committed agency partners, we will master the tasks ahead of us.”
The one millionth vehicle intended for export rolled off the production line in China in the summer, a model from the ZS series, which is available in Germany as the electric MG ZS. This made MG the Chinese brand with the most overseas exports for the third time in a row. Since the restart of the MG brand, vehicles are now available in 84 international markets. MG is not only particularly successful in its home market of China, but also in countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia. For the SAIC brand, the MG4 Electric on the new platform is just the first step towards a new, purely electric future. Xinyu Liu: “MG Motor aims to develop intelligent mobility solutions with affordable but well-equipped and high-quality cars that offer a great driving experience. And we’re committed to making these desirable vehicles accessible to everyone. By 2025, we will expand the brand’s portfolio to ten models to meet customer needs in different segments, from microcars to sports cars.”