MG Motor India is gearing up for the launch of the much-awaited MG Astor mid-sized SUV, which is basically the petrol-derivative of the ZS EV. The SUV has already been spotted testing several times on the Indian market. Scheduled to be launched in September 2021, the new Astor will be positioned against the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Skoda Kushaq and the soon-to-be-launched Volkswagen Taigun.
Interestingly, Rajeev Chaba, MG Motor India’s president and managing director has confirmed that MG is also planning to enter into the sub-4 meter SUV category in India. MG is all set to expand the production capacity at its Halol plant in Gujarat. The production capacity will increase to 1 lakh units per annum from the current 80,000. This move will help MG to produce enough Astor’s to meet the demand.
He further said that the company will need to have a second production plant for its future products. The new plant could be established by its own or through collaboration. MG’s future sub-4 meter products will be produced at the new production facility. MG’s current line-up comprises of Hector, Gloster and ZS EV, and all of which are sourced from SAIC’s portfolio.
Earlier, MG was planning to re-engineer and rebadge SACI’s Baojun 510 SUV to enter into the sub-4 meter segment. This Baojun 510 measures 4,220mm in length, and was planned to be trimmed to achieve length under 4 meters. In fact, the SUV was caught testing multiple times on the Indian roads.
With the success of the Hector and ZS EV, SAIC is ready to invest in designing and developing an all-new platform for future sub-4 meter cars. The platform will be compatible with different body styles and engine options. The company will first launch a compact SUV on this platform, followed by an MPV and finally a hatchback.
The new MG compact SUV is likely to be launched after 2023, followed by the MPV and hatchback. These new models are expected to help MG deliver break-even volumes of around 2 lakh cars. The new compact SUV will be positioned against the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Tata Nexon, Ford EcoSport, Mahindra XUV300 and the Toyota Urban Cruiser. Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger are other sub-4 meter SUVs on sale in India.
Citroen will launch the new C3 Sporty compact SUV in the first half of 2022. Jeep will also introduce a new sub-4 meter SUV, which could be the first in its segment to offer 4WD system. In fact, Skoda is also planning to enter into the sub-4 meter SUV using the locally developed MQB AO IN platform.
The new MG compact SUV could be the outcome of MG’s partnership with another manufacturer. MG Motor has already confirmed that it is open to partnerships and sharing capacity. In fact, the company is in touch with a few players in India. Ford is also in talks with MG Motor.
Source – AutoCarIndia
