MG MOTOR launched the MG6 midsize hatchback this week at the Guangzhou Motor Show in China. Although we’ve already seen various images of the new MG, this week’s event marked the car’s official launch into the international market.
The MG6 represents the company’s first clean-slate design since the TF. MG, now wholly owned by Chinese conglomerate SAIC, hopes it will reinvigorate its vehicle line-up and boost production at its Birmingham plant in the UK.
“MG has begun the international launch of an all new model that has been designed and engineered here in the UK, for the global automotive market,” Guy Jones, Sales and Marketing Director for MG Motor UK said.
“Currently we only build and sell the mid-engined TF sports car here in the UK, but we can now look forward to expanding the range of MG products.”
Chinese-market MG6 models will be built at MG’s new plant in Lingang next month; a start date for UK production has yet to be announced. The MG6 will go on sale in China in January 2010, with an international roll-out to follow.
A five-seater, five-door hatchback, the MG6 is based on the Chinese Roewe 550. It is roughly equivalent to the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback in size - although a little larger and lower.
Power is expected to be supplied by two 1.8-litre petrol inline fours, one a 99kW naturally aspirated version and the other a 118kW turbocharged unit.
A number of smaller vehicles are also believed to be in the pipeline for MG Motor. A replacement for the ZR hatchback is rumoured to be on its way, and a new ZT large sedan is expected to debut within the next few years.
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Sooo…….. will it come to Aus?
And what is the build quality like? 1.8 Turbo? Why not a 2.0?
Safety too?
Hi Matt,
It’s difficult to say whether the MG6 will come to Aus, as the brand no longer has any official representation down under. But we’re looking into it, and we’ll update this post once we have some details.
Cheers!
Here’s me thinking MG was completly kaput!
Still, if it’s built in birmingham then I (personally) would give it a wide berth. I still can’t forgive the British car manufacturers for the rubbish they pumped out of there in the 70s and 80s!!!
Still, the car looks nice enough but just wait for the ncap results!!!
Why a 1.8 and not a 2.0? Because they have a 1.8 but not a 2l. This is the largest variant in a modular family from 1.2 - 1.8. The engine is also fully Euro IV compliant. It’s not a muscle car, but maybe a 6 cylinder will come in a future model facelift?
Safety? It was 100% designed and engineered in the UK and achieves EuroNCAP 5 stars. That would make it one of the safest cars on the road in Australia if it comes here. NCAP results will be 5 stars because it is a EuroNCAP 5 star car and their test is tougher than ours anyway.
Build quality? Couldn’t say because they haven’t been sold anywhere yet! Some of the best products in the world are made in China though - few complain about the quality of their Apple computers, Iphone or Ipod!
Whether Australia got UK built models or Chinese built models remains to be seen, but if BMW and Mercedes are happy to sell Chinese built cars then I think we should all start to accept that Chinese built cars can be perfectly good quality.
And before anyone says “but the article says it was based on the Chinese Roewe 550″ the Roewe 550 was also 100% designed and engineered in the UK. Roewe is how most MGs are/will be branded in China, just like we badge Daewoos as Holdens.
Fantastic to see MG return. But why has it taken so long to get it to the UK after all the Uk is the market who wants MG to return.
When an MG is launched in China at the same time it should be launched in the UK you are missing a massive market. Re-start production in the Uk in Jan 2010 and launch the MG 6 in the UK Feb 2010. You will be suprised how many people have been waiting for this car.