MG Motor India is developing a new platform for the Indian market that will spawn a compact SUV, MPV, and a hatchback
MG India has a strong presence in the market. The brand currently sells 4 products in India – Hector, Hector Plus, ZS EV, and Gloster. The Chinese-owned British carmaker has big plans for our market. Its parent company SAIC is keen on getting a share of the bigger pie, the sub-4m compact SUV space. The brand is already on the verge of launching the Astor SUV that will rival the likes of the Hyundai Creta.
However, the brand is also preparing to enter the much-heated sub-4m compact SUV space, followed by a family hatchback and an MPV. Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India, revealed the brand’s future plans in a recent interview with Autocar India.
The company currently holds possession of a manufacturing unit in Halol, Gujrat, that can produce 80,000 units per annum. Yet, the brand is upgrading it to roll out 1 lakh units annually to accommodate the upcoming Astor. MG will consider setting up its second manufacturing unit in India for the production of its upcoming vehicles.
MG’s Indian line-up comprises products that were already on sale in China under the SAIC umbrella. With the upcoming models, things would change drastically. The brand is planning to develop products, especially for the Indian market. The first from the carmaker under this new scheme of launches will be a sub-4m compact SUV. It will take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet and more.
The MG compact SUV will not be a rebadged or repurposed Baojun/SAIC vehicle. It will be a new product from the ground up, instead. Moving over to the MPV, it will follow the compact SUVs way to the showroom floors. The MG MPV will be a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga rival since the carmaker will develop it on the same platform as the compact SUV.
This platform will also be used to spawn a hatchback, which will be the last one from this structure. The brand is targetting annual sales of 2,00,000 units from this trio to justify the need for a new production unit. With this course of action, the future prospects of the brand seem to be well-secured as an emerging carmaker in the country.