“We have 5 new cars approved for launch by next year”: MG India MD

The first of these to arrive will likely be born-electric MPV, the Cloud, says Rajiv Chaba.

Published On Jul 17, 2024 02:08:00 PM

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Cars from top to bottom - Wuling Starlight S, Bingo and Cloud EV

MG Motor India announced in March that it would, in partnership with JSW, launch “one new car every three to six months" starting this festive season. Just four months later, Rajeev Chaba, president and managing director of MG Motor India, confirmed that “five new models have received approval for launch by the end of 2025”.

“One of the biggest priorities of the joint venture was to get new products. Three of the five cars approved will be mass-market models while the other two will be premium offerings,” Chaba told our sister publication Autocar Professional. “JSW has really been involved in terms of pushing the management for approval of new products and also expanding the capacity of the plant. These will arrive from this festive season to the end of next year.”

Three new mass-market MGs: what to expect?

While Chaba didn’t share specific details about the upcoming models, he said, “The first one to arrive in the September-October period will be a crossover. It will be loaded with features, very spacious on the inside and will combine the comfort of a sedan with the utility of an SUV.”

The first model will actually be the Cloud EV, which has been undergoing road tests for some time now. This crossover-style MPV is based on a born-electric platform and fits well with Chaba’s description. It’s a 4.3-metre-long vehicle that’s sold under parent SAIC’s Wuling brand in Indonesia.

The Cloud EV has already been spied testing on our roads.

“With the addition of this new EV, which will be positioned in the Rs 10 lakh to 20 lakh segment, and other upcoming products, we expect the electric vehicle sales momentum to continue in the coming years,” Chaba added.

The second model is likely to be the Bingo hatchback, for which the company has already filed a design patent in India. This 5-door hatchback is based on the same GSEV (Global Small Electric Vehicle) platform as the Comet and the upcoming Cloud EV. Naturally, it shares a lot of components with the Comet and gets a battery of up to 31.9kWh, providing a range of 333km on the CLTC cycle.

The D-segment SUV will likely be based on the Wuling Starlight S.

Lastly, sources say MG is also readying a new D-segment SUV, which will be positioned alongside the Gloster in MG’s India line-up. MG is not only focusing on EVs but also on plug-in hybrids, suggesting that this top-of-the-line SUV will likely be available in both PHEV and electric versions. It’s expected to be a 4.8-metre-long, two-row SUV based on the Wuling Starlight S that's currently sold in China.

Two new premium MGs: what to expect?

While the above three models will be heavily localised for India, the company is also planning to open dedicated premium outlets to retail more high-end vehicles. There’s very little clarity on what these premium offerings could be, but the MG Cyberster seems like a very likely candidate. The 2-door electric sportscar has been showcased in India earlier to gauge customer interest, and it’s set to go on sale in international markets later this year.

SAIC's R7 from Rising Auto will soon go on sale in Indonesia in RHD guise.

The other likely candidate is the R7 high-riding coupe-SUV by another brand under SAIC, called Rising Auto. It’s a 4.9-metre-long vehicle that uniquely features a swappable battery, gets both RWD and AWD configurations, and has up to 600km of range. So far, the R7 has been on sale in China, but a right hand-drive version of the car will be launched in Indonesia this year.

In addition to the new products, MG has also scheduled updates for its existing line-up. Chief among these will be the Gloster facelift launching later this year, with an update for the Hector expected shortly thereafter.

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