All-Electric MG SUV To Launch In 2020

Photo of MG X-Motion Concept used for representiational purposes only

MG has announced that it will be one of the pioneers of all-electric vehicles in India, that too in a relatively affordable segment. This was announced at the ongoing MG global product and manufacturing prowess showcase in Shanghai, China.

The first SUV from MG will be based on the Baojun 530, an SUV made by the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture in China that’s also marketed under the Wuling brand in Indonesia. Details about the all-electric SUV are scarce - there are no details about the powertrain, battery size/storage, range, charging facilities, and other important information. The only detail the company has revealed is that all MG products in India will be differentiated from the competition with technologies like built-in Wi-Fi, AI-enabled services, cloud-based services and over-the-air updates.

MG’s first SUV, based on the Baojun 530, will be a 5-seater SUV and will take on the likes of the upcoming Tata Harrier, Jeep Compass and to an extent, the Hyundai Creta too. It will be offered with petrol and diesel engines, though specifications of both have not been confirmed yet.

Here’s what MG had to say about the same:

Press Release

MG Motor to launch global electric vehicle in India

Shanghai, Oct. 15: As part of its commitment to the Indian market, MG Motor India today announced the launch of its second product for the Indian market - a global pure-electric SUV within one year of its first vehicle launch. Showcasing its world-class facilities and range of products in Shanghai, the company has confirmed its plan to bring the latest technology to the Indian customers beginning next year.

“MG will launch a globally-competitive pure-electric SUV in India, to make our contribution to India’s energy and environmental strategies. The pure electric SUV will be a breakthrough chapter in the EV space in India, being one of its kind in the market. This is in addition to the first SUV which we plan to launch in the second quarter of next year,” Michael Yang, Executive Director of International Business, SAIC Motor & President of SAIC Motor International Company.

The ongoing transformation in the automotive industry globally would be the key differentiator for the MG brand. “With cars getting transformed with internet, artificial intelligence, big data and cloud computing etc. – MG can take advantage of this transformation and will use it as its key differentiator, enabling it to stand out from the crowd,” Mr Yang added.

MG Motor India is in the process of finalizing around 45 dealer partners to begin its sales next year, with around 100 touchpoints across India in the first phase. The carmaker will hire close to 1,500 employees by the end of 2019, compared with a strength of 300 employees at present.

“As part of our commitment to this market, we are fast ramping up all our pre-launch activities, beginning with product roadshows for consumers in India next month. This will be followed by various brand-awareness initiatives to get closer to our prospective customers. All our products will be designed and engineered in UK and China with the support of Indian engineers. These vehicles will be heavily localized, built at our plant in Halol by our engineers conforming to global quality standards and validated and customized for India to suit the Indian road and driving conditions,” said Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India. The current capacity at its Halol manufacturing facility stands at 80,000 units per annum; which will be expanded to 200,000 units going forward depending upon the requirement.

Building a strong foundation for its future operations, MG Motor India is focused on key pillars internally within the organization such as diversity, innovation and SPEED culture. The carmaker clearly aims to break the glass ceiling as far as women hires are concerned, setting a new benchmark in the automotive industry, with 26% of its workforce comprising women, and the target is to increase it to 30% by the end of this year. As announced earlier, with an aim to foster a spirit of innovation, MG Motor India is also in the process of partnering with various technological partners, institutes and industrial stakeholders in India.