I have mentioned before the increase in the numbers of MG (badged) cars on our streets. However, for many enthusiasts of the brand, MG sedans were never great sellers. The name MG was always associated with wind in the hair open convertible sports cars.
Unfortunately, British Leyland managed to kill their own good sellers and eventually BLMC imploded.
MG ended up in SAIC’s group of brands when it merged with another Chinese company, Nanjing Automotive, that had bought both MG and Rover from their British owners after the brands got in to financial difficulty.
Taken over by SAIC in China they maintained MG’s design and engineering center in the UK, but moved manufacturing to China. This resulted in some very plebian offerings which were unloved in the world of sporty cars.
But, SAIC Motor confirmed at the Shanghai motor show that its MG E-motion all-electric coupe concept is a goer for production within the next few years.
SAIC’s passenger vehicle product portfolio planning director Zhang Liang said the company had done a lot of the preparation in readiness for a production version of the 2+2 coupe.
At last, an MG sports car, complete with butterfly doors and quoted performance figures claiming 0-100 km/h in less than four seconds and can cover up to 500 km on a full battery charge.
This new MG marks a return to sports-oriented vehicles at the one-time British sports car brand to counter the mass-market hatchbacks, sedans and SUVs which have been given the famous MG Octagon.
The new MG is called the E-motion and is built on SAIC’s new electric modular architecture that will underpin other models in SAIC’s home-brand line-ups, including Roewe (pronounced “Rover” in Mandarin).
