SAIC to introduce MG brand in India with ZS SUV

MG Motor India is in the process of identifying prospective dealers for the Indian market. Dealer roadshows will be conducted in Mumbai on March 28, in Delhi on April 6 and in Bengaluru on April 16.

Parent company SAIC will introduce the MG brand in India with its ZS SUV at these events. The MG ZS SUV was first unveiled in 2016 and is sold in multiple markets internationally, including China and the United Kingdom. It comes with a 1.0-litre turbo and a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated petrol engine options and rivals the likes of the Nissan Juke and the SsangYong Tivoli. The ZS SUV sits at the bottom of MG Motor’s SUV line-up, which also includes the larger GS SUV.  The MG ZS SUV will not come to India.

As reported by us earlier, MG Motor India had stated that their first vehicle for the domestic market would be an SUV, with the launch happening in the second-half of 2019. However, the MG SUV for India will not be the ZS which is only being used to showcase the MG brand to various stakeholders in India. Company sources have revealed that SAIC is working on an India-specific model, which is likely to take on the likes of the Hyundai Creta. The India-bound MG SUV is likely to come with a Fiat-sourced 2.0-litre diesel engine and a 1.8-litre petrol with mild-hybrid tech. MG will produce this SUV at the erstwhile GM plant at Halol which its parent company SAIC acquired back in September last year.

As part of its India strategy, MG Motor India will launch one new product every from 2019 onwards and build a network of around 300 dealerships and service centres (combined) across the country.