[sandeepmohan]

If you have watched the Top Gear China Episode, you will recall Jeremy Clarkson walk up to the camera and introduce you to fake Ray Ban sunglasses, a Louis Vuitton replica bag, his Armani jacket, Omega watch and the ipad and iphone knock off's. All very brilliant and well executed. These new MG cars, to me, seem to be just that. I am probably being too harsh here but this is what MG is today. You need to put behind anything that this brand was known for from the past. There is none of that today, sadly.

From what I see in pictures, there are design elements from pretty much all established automobile brands. The ERX5 looks like a larger and flashier VW Tiguan. The HS has a mix of quite a few cars. The Mazda front end and Porsche inspired rear. The Marvel X front end seems to have taken some design inspiration from an old Cadillac CTS. The EMG6 reminds me of the latest iteration of the Holden Commodore (or Opel) and some bits of the older C Class. If there is one thing the Chinese lack at doing, it is coming up with automobile design that is original. They do have a lot of their own design and very few appeal.

To MG's credit, I will say those interiors are brilliant. They appear to ooze quality. Yes; there is the same cloning and mix of design from other brands and it all looks amazing.

Drive train remains a big question mark. What are they like on refinement, Performance and longevity. I would not bother with a petrol only mill in India. It is better to start with a diesel + Diesel Hybrid power train.

I am glad that the E Motion will soon be a reality but they must think of something like the Toyota GT86. Brilliant as a car and accessible.

I do not think we will hesitate to splurge on a Chinese car. Hyundai or even Daewoo for that matter were not exactly popular in any part of the world. While the latter did end its innings pretty soon, Hyundai has been a runaway success. It is possible that MG can also do this in India. Show us anything that is flashy, has quality, is priced right and we will buy in to it.

I don't see myself running to the showroom to buy an MG for sure. I wish them well for their Indian innings.

Superb report.

[a_bharadwaj]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

China is, and has always been, a peculiar country – rich in history and heritage and perhaps, a tad aberrant.

Exceptional write up! Much better than the usual reviews - especially the into part.
I was more pleased reading through the paragraphs than looking at the actual cars

[arindambasu13]

Fantastic report. Detailed, but at the same time crisp and to the point. Lovely pictures to boot. Great job Suhaas! Must have been one heck of a trip to China.

I have to admit that like a lot of my car loving colleagues and friends, I knew absolutely nothing about the MG brand. It was just an obscure name that I had been seeing popping up every now and then on Team BHP as well as other automotive forums. This report, as expected, does give me a lot of useful information and certainly makes me more aware of what this brand is.

Having said that, I do not see this garnering substantial success when it finally launches in India. It will in all likelihood be priced out of reach for most average working class people, and those who can afford them, will have tried and tested alternatives available with better street cred. However, it is great that new brands are foraying into the Indian market, given that it is recognised as one of the toughest automotive markets to crack.

[FIAT3031]

A very well written report highlighting the brand MG and clarifying the Chinese Brand (Roewe & MG only) Stigma through test drive experience.

No doubts all good products are made in China now considering the low cost of manufacturing, however with low cost come the poor quality stigma.
A top down approach may not work for MG as no one would want to splurge on an unknown Chinese Brand.
Competitors are going to further fuel the fire by spreading a negative word of mouth for the brand (e.g: Jeep Sales Guy to customer: Sir where are you comparing a Chinese car with a renowned OIIIIIIIO JEEP brand)

Also one things that’s astonishing is that they didn’t offer the India centric Boujun models.... just the premium Roewe & MG models.
Why not the Baojun 530 / 510?
I’d have wanted to read more about those models than the ones that are not specific to our country

[dheepak10]

Thanks for the insight!
When I look at their SUVs - I can see VW Tiguan and Mazda CX-5. Anyone else see this?

[gururajrv]

Well, MG has a good lineup already. But their cars are a bit unique with no commonalities amongst their car lineup. Example are those grills. Majority of manufacturers in the premium lineup segment usually have similarities such as the grille that is the basic element in cars that will bear the similarities across their range. Not a big thing but was looking for commonalities and they all look unique which seems nice. Let’s see how they will create an impression in India.

[FrodoOfTheShire]

The cars look mouthwatering and jaw dropping good!! But SAIC/MG do have an uphill task as India is a very difficult market to break into. Product, pricing, service, reputation, brand value, everything comes into play. And like others have mentioned, they have to give the Indian car buyers some solid reasons to choose their products instead of the existing market leaders.

[low_rider]

"If its not German....its not premium". That's how the premium segment performs in India (leave apart the supercars obviously). Even Lexus which is considered premium throughout the world and definitely is more reliable than the Germans is struggling here. And Ford-Mustang and Nissan-GTR hasn't able to register any mindshare, leave apart marketshare.

Below 10 lakhs is a very risk averse market, thanks to 1st Gen Tata vehicles, which herded middle class to the safe zone of Maruti and Hyundai.

And whenever Indians went experiencing the new entrants (VW, Skoda, GM etc.) they found nothing but despair.

Let's see how the Chinese play the game. It would be interesting for sure

[ac 427]

I fail to understand why media drives happen in other countries?

I mean MG wants to launch in India. They are inviting Indian journos, to drive cars that might launch in India.
All the more reasons to do a jouno test drive in the country they want to launch.

Okay - a point of argument can be, hey but they are from China. Does that mean every Hyundai journo drive will happen in Korea?

These feel like gimmicks to make the test drive exciting or maybe to invite more journos?

Having said so, the report is nice and crisp. Though i would have loved it if there was more here about the history of the brand

cheers,
ac

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by karan561

Nice write up Suhaas & definitely a interesting line up by MG.

When the HS SUV launches in India is there any indication what will it be pitched against (price idea) ?

Also i see there is liberal use of competition names like Mercedes, Tesla, Porsche & JLR etc. were these your observations or during their presentations they were open & admitted taking these design inspirations from the above said brands

Thank you, Karan!

I'd like to clarify by saying that MG Motors had initially evaluated and explored the option of bringing the HS to the country, but that is not the case.

There was a lot of talk about how the car will be positioned above the Creta and that it's not a Creta rival.

We may not see the HS on our shores after all and that's a shame because it's truly a superb product. One could say that it's up there with the GLAs and X1s of the world in terms of overall feel and quality.

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Of course, they could do a Kwid/Ecosport and then really win - but otherwise, it does not seem to be an easy win for them in India.

The top-down approach is certainly one way to go about it. SAIC and MG has the MG3 in their portfolio, and such a car would slot in right where the Swift shares its space with the i20, but I get the feeling that the risks involved in such a segment are much higher. SAIC will be expected to shift big volumes in this space, and that may be a touch too optimistic for an unknown Chinese brand.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

If you have watched the Top Gear China Episode, you will recall Jeremy Clarkson walk up to the camera and introduce you to fake Ray Ban sunglasses, a Louis Vuitton replica bag, his Armani jacket, Omega watch and the ipad and iphone knock off's. All very brilliant and well executed. These new MG cars, to me, seem to be just that. I am probably being too harsh here but this is what MG is today. You need to put behind anything that this brand was known for from the past. There is none of that today, sadly.

I am glad that the E Motion will soon be a reality but they must think of something like the Toyota GT86. Brilliant as a car and accessible.

Superb report.

I remember that TG episode vividly

And yes, a small Miata-esque sports car from MG with that lovely grille and a nice 4-cylinder turbo motor would do that badge a great deal of justice. One can dream. *Wink*

Originally Posted by FIAT3031

A top down approach may not work for MG as no one would want to splurge on an unknown Chinese Brand.

Also one things that’s astonishing is that they didn’t offer the India centric Boujun models.... just the premium Roewe & MG models.
Why not the Baojun 530 / 510?
I’d have wanted to read more about those models than the ones that are not specific to our country

Au contraire, the top-down approach is the safest bet for SAIC in India. Many major companies used this approach to break into the volumes market.

Introducing the flagship cars from the company's portfolio at the very threshold, and then working their way down to the basic cars will help instill a sense of faith in potential customers.

Everyone wants to see your best foot forward from the get go. And making an impression is more important than anything else.

However, I do agree with you. MG should have showed us some of their India-specific models instead of indulging in this mere show-n-tell exercise. It's great that they're making genuinely premium cars, but to show them to us and not bring them to the country is a touch baffling.

Originally Posted by ac 427

I fail to understand why media drives happen in other countries?

I mean MG wants to launch in India. They are inviting Indian journos, to drive cars that might launch in India.
All the more reasons to do a jouno test drive in the country they want to launch.

Okay - a point of argument can be, hey but they are from China. Does that mean every Hyundai journo drive will happen in Korea?

These feel like gimmicks to make the test drive exciting or maybe to invite more journos?

Having said so, the report is nice and crisp. Though i would have loved it if there was more here about the history of the brand

cheers,
ac

I agree. Please see my response (above) to your concern.

Thank you!

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Au contraire, the top-down approach is the safest bet for SAIC in India. Many major companies used this approach to break into the volumes market.

Introducing the flagship cars from the company's portfolio at the very threshold, and then working their way down to the basic cars will help instill a sense of faith in potential customers.

Everyone wants to see your best foot forward from the get go. And making an impression is more important than anything else.

However, I do agree with you. MG should have showed us some of their India-specific models instead of indulging in this mere show-n-tell exercise. It's great that they're making genuinely premium cars, but to show them to us and not bring them to the country is a touch baffling.

I disagree with the last para. As part of the display to the media contingent, it makes sense to showcase the best the company can offer, which kinda sets the expectation for what the company can offer to the market down the line, depending on how things play out.

As for MG, I see a few of them around here in Australia. This is more interesting when you consider how much this market leans towards the Japs, Koreans and the Germans. At the moment, I am not sure if the local sales are more owing to the legacy of the MG brand or the price value proposition.

I wish them the best for their Indian innings.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by ac 427

Having said so, the report is nice and crisp. Though i would have loved it if there was more here about the history of the brand

cheers,
ac

Vidyut was invited by SAIC and MG to check out the brand's history and classic cars earlier this year.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/inter...tone-more.html (With MG Motor in UK - Brand history, Silverstone & more)

Originally Posted by benbsb29

I disagree with the last para. As part of the display to the media contingent, it makes sense to showcase the best the company can offer, which kinda sets the expectation for what the company can offer to the market down the line, depending on how things play out.

I'm not so sure. The reason is most of these cars are Chinese-market specific. They could have shown us the India-specific cars too. But as you say, brand building exercises such as this visit to the plant as well as the visit to their museum in UK do go a long way in helping establish the brand.

[Venkatesh]

MG E-Motion-based sportscar in the works







https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...e-works-417551

[kamilharis]

Checked out MG6 yesterday at the showroom here in Saudi. Had gone for TD of MG5 which was one of their entry level sedan priced around equivalent INR of 8 Lakhs. Was very unhappy with the MG5 sedan, that was the most horrible drive I have ever had in my life! The 1.5 L engine paired with a CVT was a disaster, I would sum up the drive of MG5 as " Not drivable "!

MG5 Sedan



I will share some pics of the beautiful MG6 Turbo which starts around equivalent INR of 12Lakh :

[TorqueIndia]

MG Marvel R EV announced for EU with an impressive spec sheet. This one looks like a better bet in India than all other models introduced by MG motor India so far.The design is typical Chinese yet likeable.

If it comes to India in 25-35lakhs bracket OTR, then it will garner some good numbers for MG. Also shows how SAIC is moving ahead with EV technology and what they are targeting at.

MG ZS EV sales crossed 15K units in EU in 2 years since launch.

The MG Marvel R Electric is a battery-electric SUV for a new generation of European motorists who highly appreciate design, luxury and performance, but also a comfortable range and fast charging capability for a smart and reasonable price.
With a range of over 400 kilometres (WLTP), the Marvel R Electric offers a great peace of mind, while drivers can count on quick charging capability at a public charging point (AC) due to the 11 kW on-board 3-phase charger. The battery is also suitable for fast-charging (DC) to fill it up to 80% in just 30 minutes. Meanwhile, the climate control with an internal heat pump guarantees optimal charging performance at low temperatures.
Another striking feature of the MG Marvel R Electric is the V2L system (vehicle-to-load). This technology allows the lithium-ion battery to supply energy to an external electrical system, for example an air pump, electric scooter, a laptop or even another BEV. This technology is considered as an important innovation for the clean energy transition and last-mile solution.
Powerful Tri-Motor drive technology
The MG Marvel R Electric not only exudes power, but also lives up to it with its performance. The drive technology uses an advanced all-wheel drive system with three electric motors: one on the front axle and two on the rear.
The vehicle boasts a maximum output of 212 kW (288 ps) with a 665 Nm peak torque. This allows the SUV to accelerate from 0-50 km/h in just 1.8 seconds and from 0-100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. The top speed is limited at 200 km/h. The Marvel R Electric will also be offered in a rear-wheel drive configuration with two electric motors.
Usability
The maximum towing weight of the MG Marvel R Electric is 750 kg. The car is suitable for towing a trailer or caravan. Or two e-bikes on a special bicycle carrier for example.

List of Provisional Specifications

MG Marvel R Electric
*Tri-Motor 212 kW / 665 Nm
*All-Wheel Drive (Tri-motor)
*400 km WLTP range
*1.8 sec (0-50 km/h acceleration)
*4.9 sec (0-100 km/h acceleration)
* 200 km/h (top speed)
*11 kW AC Charger (3-phase fast charging)
*30 min to 80% battery level fast-charging capacity
*750 kg towing capacity
*Digital cockpit with 19.4” floating screen
*MG Pilot – advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS)
*Climate control with heat pump
*V2L 2,500W power supply for external usage

#Specifications will be confirmed based on homologation figures