MG Motor

MG Motor UK Limited (MG Motor) is a British automotive company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, and a subsidiary of SAIC Motor UK, which in turn is owned by the Shanghai-based Chinese state-owned automotive SAIC Motor. MG Motor designs, develops and markets cars sold under the MG marque while vehicle manufacturing takes place at its factories in China and Thailand. MG Motor is the largest importer of Chinese made cars into the United Kingdom. The marque returned to competitive motorsport in 2012, and won the 2014 British Touring Car Manufacturers Championship.
History.
Following the collapse of MG Rover in 2005, the Chinese automaker Nanjing Automobile acquired the Longbridge plant and the MG marque for £53 million ($97 million). Nanjing Automobile formally established NAC MG UK Limited as a holding company for the plant and marque on 12 April 2006. In March 2007, Nanjing Automobile unveiled the first MG vehicles manufactured in China, the MG TF, MG 3 and MG 7.
Assembly of cars restarted at Longbridge in August 2007, with production of the MG TF LE500.
In 2007, Nanjing Automobile was acquired by SAIC Motor, and in early 2009 "NAC MG UK Limited" was renamed "MG Motor UK Limited".
The first all-new MG-branded model for 16 years, the MG6, was officially launched on 26 June 2011 during a visit to MG Motor's Longbridge plant by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.
By March 2012, SAIC had invested a total of £450 million in MG Motor. Sales in the UK totalled 782 vehicles in 2012.
The MG3 went on sale in the United Kingdom in September 2013.
MG Motor was voted third place for the 'Best Manufacturer' category in the "Auto Express" 2014 Driver Power survey. 2014 also saw MG Motor celebrate the MG brand's 90th birthday. They enjoyed further celebrations with a record-breaking year that saw the company lead UK car industry growth in 2014. The brand's sales rose by 361% during 2014 part thanks to the introduction of the MG3 to the product range, with a total of 2,326 cars sold in the UK.
During 2014, MG was the fastest-growing brand in Britain as shown by official figures issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Currently, MG Motor has the fastest-growing network of dealers in the UK.
On 23 September 2016 MG Motor announced that all car production had ceased at Longbridge and henceforth MG vehicles would be imported into the UK.
in 2018, SAIC Design opened a new advanced design studio in London, which deals with the advanced design of MG and Roewe vehicles.
In May 2019, the company unveiled a badge engineered version of Baojun 530 SUV as MG Hector.
Operations.
Facilities.
MG Motor continues to operate at the historic Longbridge plant. Formerly home to Austin, British Leyland, Rover Group and, later, the MG Rover Group. While production no longer continues at Longbridge, there is a major research and development facility at the site which employs around 500 people, together with a design studio. MG has a £30 million flagship dealership in the heart of London's Piccadilly, which was opened in July 2015. Its location is 47-48 Piccadilly, opposite the historic Fortnum & Mason store.
MG Motors now has dealers across Australia and New Zealand, including Auckland, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Christchurch and the Hawkes Bay.
Development.
MG vehicles are designed between the Longbridge and Shanghai facilities in the United Kingdom and China, respectively, and are then manufactured in China.
Longbridge has been retained and Research and Development is currently undertaken at the Longbridge Facility, with Longbridge being home to SMTC, which has significant design and engineering input into SAIC products.
In 2018, SAIC Design who are responsible for MG and Roewe's design, opened an Advanced Design Studio in Central London. The studio is based in a newly renovated building in the heart of London on the Marylebone Road. The new creative space is SAIC first facility, to specialise in Advanced Digital Design Technology, and will work in conjunction with the automotive manufacturer's other studios to support future product designs for brands including MG and Roewe. Advanced London is the second SAIC Motor design studio to be established in Europe, following the studio in Longbridge, which opened in 2011. The London Design Studio will focus more on advanced design research projects and creative exploration of conceptual ideas. London makes use of advanced virtual reality technology to design vehicles, which allows for the designers to fully immerse themselves into the design concepts, greatly improving the level of detail at which ideas can be reviewed before they are turned into more costly physical models. Using state-of-the-art functions such as this will allow Advanced London to explore innovative design concepts, broadening design possibilities." Advanced London is managed by SAIC Design European Advanced Design Director, Carl Gotham.
Production.
After MG Rover collapsed, Nanjing Automobile continued production at the Longbridge plant. Nanjing used Longbridge to produce the MG TF, which they mildly redeveloped.
SAIC took ownership of the MG brand, and from 2010 onwards, the newly released MG 6 was produced in China. However, from 13 April 2011, MG Motor produced the MG 6 at Longbridge. From 2013, the MG 3 also saw some limited final assembly at the same factory.
Activity at Longbridge was gradually reduced. It was announced in September 2016, that production at the Longbridge facility was to be stopped in 2016 and moved to China, with Matthew Cheyne, head of sales and marketing at MG Motor UK citing "moving production abroad was a necessary business decision". Twenty-five employees were made redundant as a result of the move and other employees moved to different areas. It marked the end of MG production in the UK. and production was fully moved to China, with a later factory in Thailand.
In 2019, MG Motor is set to open a fourth factory in China, The factory will be in Ningde, Fujian Province. The factory will specialise in producing electric vehicles, with the new all-electric production sports car being produced at the factory. MG and Roewe's upcoming SUV, codenamed IS 32 (MG) and IS 31 (Roewe) are also set to be produced at the factory.
Products.
Current models.
MG 3.
In 2010, MG unveiled the all new MG 3, which was shown in concept car form as the MG Zero. The car was initially launched in China with a choice of 1.3L or 1.5L petrol engines, and underwent a face-lift in 2013, with sales in the UK following in September 2013.
Also introduced with the MG 3 was the Xross model, which similar to the Rover Streetwise and the earlier NAC produced MG3 SW, features chunkier off-road styling, raised suspension and roof bars.
The MG3 was voted the '10th-Best Car To Own' in the "Auto Express" Driver Power survey of 2015.
For the 2016 model year, the MG 3 was upgraded for the UK Market. The existing SMTC developed 1.5L petrol engine was tuned to meet EU 6 Emissions. The engine was upgraded to include the new stop start feature and new two-tone paint schemes were introduced.
in 2018, the MG 3 underwent a full face-lift. The face-lift featured updated exterior styling, which incorporates MG's new design language, an upgraded interior with a 7-inch touchscreen, and a refined engine.
MG 5.
The MG 5 was originally unveiled at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show as a concept model. It is a Ford Focus-sized hatchback using the same platform as the Roewe 350, It was released for sale in China in 2012 but has never been exported to the UK.
The MG 5 is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol four cylinder "VTi-Tech" engine, producing 80 kW (109 PS; 107 bhp) and 135 N⋅m (100 lb⋅ft). There is a choice of five-speed manual or four speed automatic transmissions. An updated 1.5-litre turbo version was launched in November 2013, producing 95 kW (129 PS; 127 bhp) and 210 N⋅m (155 lb⋅ft). The turbo engine was mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with a claimed top speed of .
The MG 5 was redesigned in 2020 as a compact sedan to rival the Toyota Corolla. The car is 4675mm long, 1842mm wide, and 1480mm tall. It uses either with a 1.5-litre petrol four-cylinder producing 88kW or a turbocharged version producing 127kW. New features include a digital dashboard, leather-lined steering wheel, large multimedia touchscreen, push start ignition and a sunroof.
MG 6 & eMG 6.
In November 2017, the second generation and successor to the previous MG 6, was unveiled at Nanjing Jiangsu Wantrack International circuit. The next generation of MG 6 incorporates MG's new design language "Emotional Dynamism" which was launched with MG's second SUV, the MG ZS in 2016. The new grille which is an important part of MG's new design language is called 'Star Rider'. The second-generation MG 6, is yet to appear in right hand drive model and as a result is yet to appear in the UK and other RHD markets such as Australia, New Zealand and India. Along with the MG 6, a hybrid plug in version of the MG 6 is available. The hybrid system is used with a 1.0L 3-cylinder engine to achieve 229 PS and 722 NM of torque. Battery life of the eMG 6 is 705 km/438 miles.
MG ZS & ZS EV.
Unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November 2016, It is MG's second SUV and uses the same name as the earlier Rover 45 based MG ZS. The MG ZS was launched in March 2017, for the Chinese market. It is to be announced at the London Motor Show in 2017 and is set to commence production for the UK market afterwards in late 2017. The MG ZS is smaller in size than the MG GS and will be positioned below the MG GS in MG's model range.
There will be two engines available: a new version of the SMTC NSE 1.5L engine called NSE Plus which has 120 hp and 150 Nm with a six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission, and a brand-new 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo based on the joint venture by GM & SAIC in the SGE family of petrol engines. The 3-cylinder engines have 125 hp and 170 nm, with either a 6-speed DCT or a 6-speed manual transmission.
Revealed in the 2018 Guangzhou Motor Show. The ZS EV is MG first production electric car, and is based on the existing MG ZS.
It has a single electric motor driving the front wheels and producing 148 bhp and 350 Nm—enough to take the 4.3-metre-long crossover from 0-31 mph in 3.1 seconds, 0–60 in 8.5 seconds. Battery size is 45kWh with declared WLTP ranges of 163 miles for combined and 231 miles for city. UK versions of the ZS EV have CCS charging (via a charging socket located at the front of the car, behind the MG badge) and reviewers are reporting charging rates of up to 80 kW but this has not been confirmed by MG.
Standard equipment in the ZS EV models includes adaptive cruise control and collision avoidance.
MG HS.
The MG HS is MG's third production Crossover SUV, which officially launched in 2018. The HS replaced the earlier GS. like the previous GS, the MG HS shares the same platform as the Roewe RX5.
MG GT.
The MG GT is a small saloon, also known as the New MG 5 in some markets, which officially debuted in a box on the 2014 Chengdu Auto Show. The MG GT uses the same platform as the earlier MG 5 and subsequently the Roewe 350. Power is provided by 2 different engines: A 1.5L petrol engine producing 105PS & a turbocharged 1.5L petrol engine producing 130PS.
MG Hector 
Concept models.
MG E-Motion.
The MG E-Motion is an electric sports car concept that was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show 2017.
The E-Motion features eye-catching butterfly doors and has a four-seat layout inside. It uses advanced connectivity systems and touchscreen infotainment for both the front and rear passengers.
The E-Motion uses an all-electric power-train that has been developed in-house by SAIC and is part of SAIC's modular electric system.
It is claimed to be capable of 0-62 mph in less than 4.0 seconds. And also has a range of over 310 miles.
MG X-Motion.
The MG X-Motion is a SUV concept that was unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show 2018. Like the E-Motion, it previews a production model, which for the X-Motion was the new HS.
MG Icon.
MG unveiled the MG Icon concept car at the Beijing Auto Show in 2012.
It is the first SUV concept car from the company and was created by the MG global design team headed by British director Anthony Williams-Kenny. The MG Icon takes inspiration from some of the legendary brand's most famous sports cars including the MGA and MGB GT.
MG CS.
The MG CS is a SUV concept that was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show 2013. The CS previews MG's first production SUV. The design team was led by MG's Global Design Director, Anthony Williams-Kenny.
The concept car is designed to slot into the compact SUV sector, one of the fastest-growing areas of the global automotive market where style and sports utility dominate fashion trends.
MG EV.
The MG Dynamo EV concept car was unveiled in 2014 based on the Roewe E50 to celebrate the marque's 90th anniversary. The EV has a claimed acceleration 0–50 km/h—5.3 seconds and 0–100 km/h—14.6 seconds with a top speed—130 km/h.
The LFP battery generates 52 kW and working in conjunction with the regenerative braking system enables a range of over 100 km.
The battery retains more than 80% capacity after 2,000 charging cycles, equivalent to approximately ten years of typical use. The battery takes six hours to fully charge on a standard charge (220–240 V), while a fast charge (380–400 V) takes just 30 minutes.
MG3 Trophy.
MG unveiled the MG3 Trophy Championship concept car at the MG90 event at Silverstone in June 2014.
The MG3 Trophy Championship concept, based on the MG3 production vehicle platform and created to highlight in-house engineering, design and calibration capabilities by SMTC UK at Longbridge, continues the MG tradition of club racing.
The racing concept was created solely by a team of engineers, managed by Vehicle Engineering Specialist Adrian Guyll, and based at SAIC Motor's European Design and Technical Centre (SMTC), located alongside MG Motor UK at the Longbridge site in Birmingham.
Specifications:
204 BHP 152 KW (increased from 106PS)
Torque 250 Nm (increased from 136 NM)
Boost 1.0 Bar
1.5 Vti Tech engine
Full body-lightening programme without compromising on stiffness
Limited slip differential
Fully adjustable Macpherson strut front set up
Bespoke anti-roll bar
Adjustable front splitter
Twin plane adjustable rear spoiler
MG TF.
The MG TF brand was relaunched in Britain during 2007. An updated MG TF model produced in a limited edition of 500, called the TF LE500, was assembled at the Longbridge plant by NAC MG UK. This was followed by a TF 135 model and a further limited-edition TF 85th Anniversary, of which only 50 were produced. Production of the TF at Longbridge was suspended again in October 2009 and finally ended in March 2011. MG have said that they will first concentrate on building passenger cars, and have not given a release date for the TF's successor.
MG3 SW.
The MG3 SW, was based on the Rover Streetwise, and was manufactured and sold in China between 2008 and 2011. The MG3 SW only received minor changes over the original Rover Streetwise.
MG 6.
The MG 6, which is based on the Roewe 550, was announced in April 2009, and also went on sale in Europe in May 2011.
In the UK at launch, the MG 6 GT received generally poor reviews, and the initial single engine choice (1.8-litre petrol) received some criticism. A 1.9-litre diesel engine was added in December 2012. It also had mixed reviews from some in the media as regards the quality of the lower-dash plastics, though some reviewers said the drive and handling made up for it.
A saloon version of the MG6, the MG6 Magnette, named after the earlier MG Magnette of the same name, made its debut in June 2011.
The MG6 won the "What Car?" 2012 Security Award. In the "Auto Express" Driver Power survey in 2014 it won the 'Best Handling Award', and came 6th overall in the 'Best Car to Own' category. In 2016 the MG6 won 3 awards: "Auto Express" Driver Power Best Family Car Bronze Winner, "Auto Express" Driver Power Road Handling Silver Winner, and The Caravan Club Tow Car of the year class winner under £17,500.
The MG6 facelift was launched in 2015, with an exterior, and improved interior design. Enhancements were also made including a reduction in weight to assist in reducing the emissions and improving fuel economy.
The MG6 was withdrawn from sale in the UK in 2016. It is still produced for some markets, however.
MG GS.
The MG GS is MG's first production SUV launched in 2015, with sales in the UK commenced. The MG GS features front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive variants. The MG GS starts at £14,995, with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine delivering 166 PS and 250NM torque. The top-of-the-range model also comes with the option of a 7-speed automatic transmission. The MG GS is also available with a 2.0L Turbocharged 4 Cylinder engine, with 220PS. All-wheel-drive and the 2.0L engine is available in the UK along with Android Auto and CarPlay.
Motorsport.
In January 2012, MG Motor announced that it would enter the 2012 British Touring Car Championship through the newly established MG KX Momentum Racing team. In its debut season the team ran two MG6s driven by Jason Plato and Andy Neate. Plato ended the season in third place, with the car yet to find its feet in wet conditions.
The team returned in 2013 with Sam Tordoff driving, who performed well in his debut year having joined through the KX Academy scheme. Plato once again came third, with Tordoff sixth.
In 2014, MG won the Manufacturer's Championship to break Honda's four-year reign. After just three years of competition, the MG6 GT sealed the title by 95 points at the season finale at Brands Hatch.
Drivers Plato and Tordoff racked up seven wins and 20 podiums in the 30-race calendar. Plato finished the Driver's Championship in second place, behind Colin Turkington, while Tordoff finished seventh. The 2014 season also saw a third MG6 GT on the grid, driven by Marc Hynes and also maintained by Triple Eight but in a new livery which did not resemble the other two MG cars. Hynes finished his debut season in 18th.
For the 2015 campaign MG fought to regain the Manufacturers / Constructors title with a new driver lineup. 2013 Champion Andrew Jordan and young gun Jack Goff paired up in the MG6 to fight against Honda, BMW and Infiniti for the title. MG finished second in the Manufacturers / Constructors title challenge, with Andrew and Jack in fifth and ninth position, respectively, in the drivers' standings.
MG announced a new three-year contract extension with Triple Eight Racing for the 2016 BTCC campaign. The team plan was to bring in young and up-and-coming drivers with an intention to grow its own champion over the duration of the contract. Josh Cook, a former 2014 Renault UK Clio Cup Vice-Champion, and BTCC 2015 Jack Sears Trophy winner (award for the top rookie) and Ashley Sutton, graduating to BTCC after leaving the Renault Clio Cup as reigning 2015 champion, were announced as the new line up for MG. After a hard-fought campaign the MG drivers finished in 12th and 13th place, respectively, with Ash picking up the Jack Sears Trophy for the top rookie.