Rumoured to be eyeing the South African market, the once British but now Chinese-owned MG Motor brand may arrive locally sooner rather than later and provide some healthy competition in the passenger vehicle segment.
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Following a century of existence, MG seems to be eyeing a return to the South African market following a several-year hiatus but this time under the stewardship of the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) in an electrified age. Despite the once-British automaker’s colourful history, dotted with dwindling sales towards the end of the 20th century, it enjoyed a slow but steady rebirth when it filed for bankruptcy and came under Chinese ownership in 2005 when the Nanjing Automobile Group purchased the rights to the MG brand along with other assets of the MG Rover Group. This Group eventually merged into the aforementioned SAIC in 2007, the same year which had the automaker resuming production but this time in China.
It wasn’t all good though since a few years later in 2016, the MG brand ceased selling in South Africa after its local importer, Combined Motor Holdings (CMH), decided it would no longer remain competitive amidst rising automobile prices. The MG3 and its MG6 hatch and sedan ranges served as the two offerings for the half-hearted attempt to remain in South Africa following its Chinese takeover but now, after massive growth and sales in Europe and abroad, the automaker is rumoured to believe it is the right time for a return.
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A source has told CAR Magazine that MG Motor is looking at establishing a dealer network in South Africa, presumably alongside other new, budding automakers like BYD and Proton. Despite best efforts to receive confirmation on this, no official statement by MG has been provided yet.
Should this rumour materialise into a tangible network and product offering, it would be safe to assume that MG Motor would reenter the South African market with a small sampling of its SUVs. Right-hand drive models like the HS, ZS and ZST with their fully electrified versions would presumably serve as the volume-based flagships considering the local market’s emphatuation with raised ride height models. Contending the bakkie segment is the MG T60, based on the Maxus T60 which has been in production since 2016 but considering its age, a local introduction into the fiercely competitive and brand-loyal market would likely yield unfruitful.
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What MG was known for as a lightweight British sportscar manufacturer for the most part is dead. However there are certain models in the expansive lineup that do still pull on the heartstrings of petrolheads. The closest to the recipe that raised the automaker to prominence in the 20th century would be the electric Cyberster which is a proportionally elegant two-door coupe. Although unlikely to ever see South African roads, one that might is the GT which is an ICE-powered sedan inspired by the 1962 MGB GT.
With a massively competitive market, particularly with other Chinese-manufactured value-for-money SUVs on offer in South Africa, MG Motor would need to strategically price its offerings as more appealing and equally outfitted alternatives to the likes of Chery and Haval. The topic of market acceptance following an extremely dotted history in South Africa makes knowing whether the automaker will find success difficult, but most of it would likely hinge on rebuilding market perception.
