Thread: MG natrag na stazu?

Its been six years since MG collapsed and was snapped up by Chinas najveći car maker, SAIC.

A year later in 2006, on a swelteringly hot day, the international media gathered in a central London hotel to hear what ambitious planovi the new Chinese owners had for the ikonički brand. The press conference descended into farce as the gathered media were harangued by Chinese directors used to only facing acquiescent journalists who obediently accepted everything they were told at face value. Unlike the gathered European press corps who wouldnt take no for an answer and parried the harassed Chinese with a constant stream of questions – all of which went unanswered.

Since then little has surfaced about MGs European strategy, apart from a few MGFs assembled from Chinese parts at the defunct MG assembly plant on the outskirts of Birmingham. Even some of those remain unsold and the latest suggestion is that, after 16 years the little mid-engined two-sjedala ugriza the dust.

But earlier this week MG, complete with an updated Octagon značka, objavi its first challenger for UK and European sales. Due to be launched later this year the MG6 saloon and hatchback were designed and projektiran here in the UK and will, inicijalno, be powered by a third generation 1. 8-liter turbo version of Roversa K-series, now renamed N-series, and producing 147 bhp.

SAIC will ship 80 percent done cars to the UK where the powertrain, suspension and some struja will be installed at Longbridge to complete the cars.

Costing from 17, – to 20,000 ($27,500 – $32,300) these cars are being pitched into the very heart of one of the UKs and Europes fiercest market sektora fought over by Ford, GM, VW and, increasingly, upstarts like Kia i Hyundai. To survive in that sector the cars will have to be very good, to succeed they will need to be nothing short of brilliant.

In late 2012, the MG3 a traditional Euro-sized mini in the mould of Renaults Clio will arrive. Just how good that has got to be to make it in the market?

In China, where MG has no heritage, these conservatively styled cars could go on to be a success but, in the UK and Europe MG still conjures images of open two-sjedala sports cars. Not Mom and Pop family saloons and hatches, even if past British management of the MG značka squandered its legacy on some very dubious hatchbacks and saloons.

If SAIC want to succeed in the UK and Europe with MG, it is going to have to play the longest game yet seen when re-establishing a marque. Perhaps they need to adopt the words of Confucius as a new company motto, It does not matter how you go slowly so long as you do not stop.

Its been six years since MG collapsed and was snapped up by Chinas biggest car maker, SAIC.

A year later in 2006, on a swelteringly hot day, the international media gathered in a central London hotel to hear what ambitious plans the new Chinese owners had for the iconic brand. The press conference descended into farce as the gathered media were harangued by Chinese directors used to only facing acquiescent journalists who obediently accepted everything they were told at face value. Unlike the gathered European press corps who wouldnt take no for an answer and parried the harassed Chinese with a constant stream of questions – all of which went unanswered.

Since then little has surfaced about MGs European strategy, apart from a few MGFs assembled from Chinese parts at the defunct MG assembly plant on the outskirts of Birmingham. Even some of those remain unsold and the latest suggestion is that, after 16 years the little mid-engined two-seater bites the dust.

But earlier this week MG, complete with an updated Octagon badge, revealed its first challenger for UK and European sales. Due to be launched later this year the MG6 saloon and hatchback were designed and engineered here in the UK and will, initially, be powered by a third generation 1. 8-liter turbo version of Rovers K-series, now renamed N-series, and producing 147 bhp.

SAIC will ship 80 percent completed cars to the UK where the powertrain, suspension and some electrics will be installed at Longbridge to complete the cars.

Costing from 17, – to 20,000 ($27,500 – $32,300) these cars are being pitched into the very heart of one of the UKs and Europes fiercest market sectors fought over by Ford, GM, VW and, increasingly, upstarts like Kia and Hyundai. To survive in that sector the cars will have to be very good, to succeed they will need to be nothing short of brilliant.

In late 2012, the MG3 a traditional Euro-sized mini in the mould of Renaults Clio will arrive. Just how good has that got to be to make it in the market?

In China, where MG has no heritage, these conservatively styled cars could go on to be a success but, in the UK and Europe MG still conjures images of open two-seater sports cars. Not Mom and Pop family saloons and hatches, even if past British management of the MG badge squandered its legacy on some very dubious hatchbacks and saloons.

If SAIC want to succeed in the UK and Europe with MG, it is going to have to play the longest game yet seen when re-establishing a marque. Perhaps they need to adopt the words of Confucius as a new company motto, It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.