MG Motor has a long and interesting brand history. Started in 1924, MG saw many partners and owners before being acquired by SAIC Motor from China. SAIC is one of the largest automobile conglomerate in China selling close to 7 million cars annually and has partnership with Volkswagen, GM and other brands too. SAIC has announced to bring a new C-Segment SUV in India with MG Motor in 2019 followed by an all-electric SUV. SAIC recently organized an event for Indian media in China to showcase their existing global portfolio. Here’s a look at it-
SAIC sells personal vehicles under two brand names – Roewe which used to be Rover brand and MG also known as Morris Garages. While Roewe cars are sold domestically in China, MG is for the global markets including that of India. The agenda of the event was to make us understand what the MG Motor brand is all about and good their cars are. We not only drove the almost entire MG and Roewe portfolio, we also visited the brand’s facilities to understand the operations and scale.
We got to perform a time trial in the hybrid eMG 6 sedan, Ice simulation and slalom test in the MG HS SUV to check the braking abilities, and ride quality test in the Roewe Marvel X and MG HS SUVs. While SAIC may be relatively new brand in the world of automobiles, they have fast embraced the future and are using the right mix of hybrid vehicles, electric powertrains, and autonomous technology to tap the domestic and global markets.
Take for instance the eMG 6 hybrid sedan in which we performed time trials. The plug in hybrid gets a turbo three-cylinder engine coupled with an 82bhp electric motor that generates 228 bhp and massive 622 Nm torque. The sedan looks inspired from many other existing products, but seamlessly integrates these design inspiration to create an identity for itself. The petrol and electric units worked seamlessly together and we were impressed with the overall handling, power output and the packaging of the MG6.
But the one car that left everyone wondering was the Roewe Marvel X. Priced at 300000 Yuan for the fully loaded car, the SUV gets a 500 km range battery, all-wheel drive system, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and a very German looking cabin. The all-wheel drive version is equipped with a 222 KW motor with 665 Nm torque and has an acceleration of 0-100 in 4.8 seconds.
All in all, SAIC managed to impress us with overall built quality and features they are offering in their current lot of vehicles, raising our hopes from the upcoming brand in India. The design and cabin are also premium. However, it won’t be easy for MG in India with the C-Segment SUV they are planning.
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