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MG has firmly established itself as a mainstream brand and it believes an influx of new products will help drive more growth and ward off fresh Chinese competition.
The company has just launched the new version of the MG3 small car, which brings a range of styling, tech and safety advancements, including a hybrid option.
Progress comes at a cost, though, as the price jumps about $7000 compared to the old one.
MG Australia’s Head of Marketing David Hearty, said the new MG3 is not just a minor facelift.
“There is a significant amount of investment that has gone into [safety], but it's not only there. The car is a different car bumper to bumper.”
“This isn't a facelift, this isn’t a major facelift, this is an entire new platform.”
The move upmarket means the MG3 is no longer the cheapest new car in the country and is more in line with the Mazda2 and Toyota Yaris Hybrid.
MG has withdrawn from the cheapest end of the market, which made it so popular, and now leaves it open to attack from a range of new budget-focused carmakers from China.
The company isn’t too phased by the impending cut-price arrivals, though.
“Not really, competition is good for the customer,” said an MG spokesperson when asked if new Chinese brands were a concern.
“Competitors go beyond just Chinese brands. Our competitors are also European, they're also American, they're also Japanese. We compete with the whole market and not just the Chinese,” he said.
“We are confident in our product and in our technology and safety that we're bringing and the value that we're bringing into the market.”
The new products due in the next 12-18 months include a new ZS compact SUV, HS mid-size SUV and the long awaited arrival of a seven-seat SUV.
The seven-seat SUV is the one glaring gap in the Chinese brand’s local line-up, but Senior Product and Strategy Manager Akshat Ahuja said the seven-seater is definitely coming next year.
“This is something we know is extremely important for our market and the demand from the customers point of view and competition point of view,” he said
“So we are definitely working on this project and in 2025 we would have the MG seven-seat SUV in the market as well along with the other new project that we are going to launch.”
The ZS is in line for a pricey glow up like the MG3 just received, according to the brand.
“ZS is definitely not far away,” said Ahuja. “It will be an all-new generation. It carries the same new design language like we see in the MG3. So an all-new exterior and interior as well as a massive upgrade in technology. “
“So it's a significant upgrade from the current ZS and it’s not far away.”
Hearty sees this new product as necessary for the brand to continue to grow its sales.
“With new products coming through, especially really important products such as new HS and ZS, we definitely focused on providing those great offerings to the market. And we imagined in the future we would see those vehicles make their ways into more homes,” he said.
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