After a slew of SUVs and premium cars and having established themselves as a premium brand, MG Motors will bring more affordable cars to India like the ZS Petrol SUV and the 360M MPV.
MG Motors have started their innings in India with a slew of SUVs. We saw the Hector and then the ZS EV. These SUVs will be followed by the Gloster full-size SUV and also the MG Hector Plus. Perhaps the only break in their SUV lineup would be the G10 MPV which is also lined up for the future. The more important point to note is that MG has been only operating at the premium and executive end of the market with its premium cars.
MG has been wanting to consolidate their position in the market as a premium brand, according to Rajeev Chaba President and MD MG Motor India. However, having established themselves at the premium end of the market, they do have intentions of coming down afterwards. After these slew of SUVs and the G10MPV, the next couple of products from MG Motors will be more affordable and appeal to a wider audience.
After the Gloster and the G10, the next product from MG Motors will be the ZS Petrol SUV, essentially a rival for the Hyundai Creta. It will be the facelifted version of the ZS SUV sold overseas that will come to India and it will be powered by 1.0 and 1.3-litre petrol engines. The 1.0L three-cylinder petrol engine puts out 111hp and 160Nm of torque while the 1.3L unit puts out an impressive 125hp and 230Nm of torque. Interestingly, the 1.3L unit also has a turbocharged version which puts out even impressive numbers of 163 bhp and it was recently launched in China. This could give the ZS a bit of a leg up on competition like the new Hyundai Creta and the Kia Seltos.
While the MG G10 will be a premium product meant to rival the Kia Carnival, MG Motors has another, more affordable MPV up their sleeve to rival the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Mahindra Marazzo. Its called the MG 360M and it was even showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo. The MG 360M measures 4,615mm in length and is longer than both the Ertiga and the Marazzo. The Ertiga in comparison measures 4,395mm in length.
The MG 360M has a wheelbase that is 10mm longer than that of the Hector. That should allow for more space on the inside and it could be powered by the same 1.5-litre turbo-petrol found under the bonnet of the Hector. It is also likely to get the same gearbox options as well as an option of a 48V mild-hybrid system for better fuel economy. The 2.0L diesel engine from the Hector could also make its way on the 360M. With less players in this segment, MG thinks it wouldn’t be a very difficult business case for the 360M.
Also Read : BS6 Toyota Fortuner Launched for a Starting Price of Rs 28.18 Lakhs
In addition, MG is also seriously looking at a 3- or 4-seat version of the E200 EV, also showcased at the Auto Expo. It is basically a Smart-sized car measuring an extremely short 2.5m in length and MG says it can sell it in India for under Rs 10 lakh. With growing products and growing volumes, MG also plans to built a second plant in India or buy an existing one.
Also Read : Second-Gen 2020 Hyundai Creta India Launch on March 17
But apart from products, MG also intends to focus on aftersales service, the total cost of ownership and resale value.They want to deliver similar standards as Maruti and Hyundai in this regard. As they go down the market segment, competition will surely get tougher and that’s where the strong brand is likely to help.
