Source: MG
MG is shaping up to introduce three new electric vehicle models, and at least two of them are likely to head to Australia.
MG hit the local EV market in 2021 with its MG ZS EV, an all-electric compact SUV that set at a market-busting price that put it ahead of all other EVs in the market, at least on price pressure, but it is now facing intense competition from fellow China automaker BYD, which is poised to launch in Australia in mid-2022.
The ZS EV was introduced for $40,900 driveway, and despite a price rise to $44,490, it sold 1,388 vehicles sold, helping it rank number 2 in the market behind the Model 3 (12,094 in 2021), and ahead of the Porsche Taycan electric sportscar, which despite being at the other end of the price range, sold 531 models.
In 2022 the EVs that are creating most of the buzz are the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, two smart crossover electrics that have cutting edge features like ultra-fast 350kW charging and vehicle-to-load (V2L or VtoL) charging.
And MG has all of these bases covered in its upcoming offerings. It has just teased a new electric hatch, likely dubbed the MG4, that would likely undercut the MG ZS EV on price if it makes it to Australia.
MG’s smart electric hatch was teased in late February to a European audience, where it will be launched in the last quarter of 2022.
Little is known about it other than a 4,300mm length and your typical small car offering in the form of a four-door hatch, perhaps with a dash of design DNA taken from the Marvel R (see below).
It can be assumed its introduction on the local market (if MG Australia can secure inventory) would cement MG as an attractive option for drivers wanting to make a switch to EVs at the affordable end of the market.
It would be placed squarely against the likes of the BYD EA1 electric hatch, known as the Dolphin in China and which is slated to be named the Atto 2 locally, as well as the upcoming Cupra Born, both of which are slated for a local launch by the end of 2022.
The Ora Good Cat, also a China EV offering, will also sit in the small electric car segment and is expected to be launched sometime in 2022.
For now however, the MG4’s launch locally is up in the air. “We’re always excited to see what our MG colleagues have planned,” a spokesperson for MG Australia told The Driven. “However, there’s nothing we can share from an Australian perspective.”
Then there is the MG Marvel R, which has been on the market in Europe since late 2021. MG Australia boss Peter Ciao confirmed previously that the next generation Marvel R will make it to Australia in 2023 – with the caveat that global supply chain issues alleviate.
Marvel R. Source: MG
The 4,674mm-long Marvel R in right-hand-drive format has already been confirmed by MG, and though its next-generation specifications are yet to be revealed it is currently available in a long-range 403km version in the UK.
Described as a “charger on wheels”, its 70kWh battery has a powerboard with three household sockets that can output up to 2.5kW of energy at any one time, enabling charging of e-bikes, kettles, laptops, phones and so on. This feature alone will pit against the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 as well as the BYD Atto 3.
Available in Europe from €40,000 ($A61,720 converted), it comes with details like a panoramic sunroof, power tailgate, heat pump, dual-zone climate control and 18″ rims, upgradable to 19″ rims and other additions like 360° cameras, ambient lighting, BOSE audio system and a powerful tri-motor configuration for upper-range variants.
Source: MG
The third is the MG Cyberster, a seductive electric sportscar that has now more or less been confirmed for Australian roads, with a possible launch from 2024. With Tesla’s Roadster indefinitely delayed it could mean the Cyberster is the first all-electric cabriolet to be made en masse.
While official specifications for the production Cyberster have not yet hit the airwaves, in its concept format debuted in April 2021 it claimed market-leading range of 800km (noting this is likely NEDC and far above real-world range), acceleration from 0-100km/hr in under three seconds and level 3 intelligent driving tech.
Having gauged consumer interest for the Cyberster via the “MG Cyber Cube”, a demand generation platform, it would seem that the carmaker has indeed determined it worth making, although whether the impressive specs of the concept version make it to market is unlikely.
Keyword: Will MG’s next EV for Australia be a budget hatch, seductive sportscar or V2L powerbox?