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MG Motor is a brand owned by SAIC Motor, a Chinese state-owned carmaker based in Shanghai. It uses the MG Cars, founded in Oxford, England, in 1924. SAIC Motor gained control of the marque in December 2007 by acquiring Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC), which had bought the brand from the defunct MG Rover Group in 2005. Currently, MG operates as a division within SAIC's passenger vehicle branch.
MG vehicles are designed and developed by SAIC, and manufacturing mainly takes place at SAIC's plants in China. Additionally, SAIC produces MG vehicles in Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan for their respective regional markets. The brand briefly assembled cars at the Longbridge plant in the UK from 2007 to 2016, before reverting to sourcing vehicles directly from China.
In China, MG is also known by its Chinese name , and it is one of several passenger car brands directly owned by SAIC, alongside IM Motors, Rising Auto, Roewe and Maxus (LDV Group for some export markets). Outside China, MG has been positioned as SAIC's primary brand. Since 2019, it has become the largest single-brand car exporter from China. In 2023, MG Motor sold approximately 840,000 vehicles globally, with 88 percent of those sales coming from markets outside of China.
On 26 December 2007, NAC merged into SAIC, becoming its subsidiary. This merger granted SAIC full control of NAC MG and resolved a production bottleneck for its Roewe brand, as NAC owned the rights to Rover engine production and other key technologies. In early 2009, NAC MG UK Limited was renamed MG Motor UK Limited and became the national sales company for the UK market.
In 2011, SAIC and General Motors which are joint venture partners in China announced a tie-up to develop a new petrol engine family called the SGE, which include 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.5 litres, all turbocharged. The engine family are used in many MG models.
The first all-new MG-branded model for 16 years, the MG6, was officially launched on 26 June 2011 during a visit to MG Motor Longbridge plant by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. By March 2012, SAIC had invested a total of £450 million in MG Motor. The MG3 supermini or small hatchback went on sale in the UK in September 2013, after being previewed as the MG Zero concept car in 2010.
Following multiple rounds of workforce cuts, on 23 September 2016, MG Motor announced that all vehicle production had ceased at the Longbridge plant. The closure affected 25 jobs at the assembly plant, while sales, marketing and after-sales departments based in the Longbridge complex were unaffected. The company cites "improving production scale efficiencies" as the reason of the plant closure, promising that production in China will "allow faster access to product and help to meet ever-increasing customer demand." Since then, MG vehicles had been imported from China into the UK.
In December 2017, MG Motor opened its first overseas plant outside China and UK, located in Chonburi, Thailand. It is a joint venture between SAIC and Charoen Pokphand, a Thai conglomerate company. The plant has a total annual production capacity of 100,000 units.
In 2018, SAIC Design opened a new advanced design studio in London, which deals with the advanced design of MG and Roewe vehicles.
MG vehicles became available in the rest of Europe since late 2019 with the release of the ZS EV in the region. SAIC Motor established operations based in Amsterdam, Netherlands to oversee sales activities in the region.
During the 2020s, MG saw significant sales increase in UK and Europe. This growth was primarily driven by the expansion of its dealer network and the introduction of several new electric vehicle models. Between 2020 and 2023, MG was one of the fastest-growing brands in the UK and Europe, where it posted growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic, during which many other brands experienced a decline in sales. Sales of MG vehicles in Australia also quadrupled between 2020 and 2023 due to its attractive pricing. The MG4 EV, MG's first ground-up-developed EV that was launched in 2022, significantly contributed to driving MG's sales growth and received widespread acclaim from the press. In 2025, MG Motor was awarded as Best Manufacturer at the Autocar Awards which highlighted the companies "quality, affordability and new design appeal" for its decision.
MG Motor started producing vehicles in India since 2019, where some of the products are sourced from corporate sibling SAIC-GM-Wuling. Products such as the MG Hector and MG Comet EV are exclusive to India. The marque also offered commercial vehicles only for Thailand, such as the MG V80 and MG Extender which are sourced from Maxus.
At the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2013, MG showcased a concept car that previews its first SUV model, the MG GS. The production version of the GS went on sale in China in March 2015. The GS went on sale in the UK in June 2016. MG Motor followed up the release of the GS with a smaller SUV, the ZS, which went on to become the most popular MG model globally. In 2018, the GS was replaced by the MG HS, and by January 2023, it was named the best selling car of the month in the United Kingdom. Sales of MG vehicles in the United Kingdom had increased 108% when compared to sale figures from January 2022.
The first production electric car from MG is the MG EZS (ZS EV outside China), which was announced at the 2018 Guangzhou Auto Show in November. Based on the ZS SUV, the vehicle became available in export markets such as the UK and Europe as the MG ZS EV since 2019. The ZS EV was followed by the MG5 SW EV (a rebadged Roewe Ei5), which went on sale in the UK in September 2020 and in Thailand in November 2020 (as the MG EP). The MG4 EV, introduced in July 2022, helped MG increase its sales in Europe significantly. The model is a European-focused C-segment hatchback with a dedicated electric vehicle platform called the Modular Scalable Platform (MSP). The XPower variant, borrowing its name from MG's older performance line, went on sale in 2023. In 2023, MG introduced another electric car and its first roadster, the MG Cyberster, which went on sale in 2024.
In 2024, MG introduced the new generation of the three of its internal combustion engine vehicles, the MG3, MG HS, and MG ZS. The new generation HS is a rebadged model of the Chinese market Roewe RX5.
The most popular MG Motor product in international markets is the MG ZS. It is one of the most exported car from China, with 201,874 units exported from China to international markets in 2023, not including the MG ZS EV with 49,418 units exported. Total cumulative sales of the ZS since its introduction reached 999,612 units . The ZS consistently ranks amongst the top ten of the best selling cars in the United Kingdom. , it ranked as the 6th best selling vehicle in the United Kingdom of the year so far. In 2025, the hybrid version of the MG ZS was awarded Best Hybrid Car by British motoring magazine Carbuyer.
The Longbridge facility has been retained as the base to SAIC Motor Technical Centre UK (SMTC), which had significant design and engineering input into SAIC products globally. SMTC once employed around 500 people at its peak. SAIC reduced its presence in Longbridge in 2019 with the large Technical Centre downsized to 20 staff and moved to London. The facility used to host a design studio, before moving to London.
SAIC Design Advanced London at Marylebone Road in London succeeded the Longbridge design studio. Led by Carl Gotham and Robert Lemmens with 20 employees, the studio conducted some key design work for MG vehicles and works in conjunction with the automotive manufacturer's other studios to support future product designs for brands including MG, Roewe and Rising Auto.
Some MG models particularly in India were developed by SAIC-GM-Wuling, a joint venture that is majority owned by SAIC.
In December 2017, MG Motor opened its first overseas plant outside China in UK in Chonburi, Thailand. The plant was established and operated by a joint venture between SAIC Motor and Charoen Pokphand, a Thai conglomerate company. The plant has a total annual production capacity of 100,000 units. The new plant replaced an older plant located in Rayong that was used since 2014, which had an annual production capacity of 50,000 units and had been closed since. In 2022, the facility exported 6,684 vehicles to Vietnam and Indonesia.
In 2019, SAIC Motor opened its fourth factory in China located in Ningde, that is mainly used for producing and exporting MG vehicles. It is SAIC’s fourth factory in China, after plants in Shanghai, Nanjing and Zhengzhou. The 5-billion yuan ($702 million) factory is capable of producing up to 240,000 vehicles a year at full capacity, increasing SAIC's annual production capacity in China from 740,000 to 980,000 vehicles. The first vehicle produced in the plant was the plug-in hybrid version of the MG HS.
Starting 2016, MG is a sponsorship partner of football club Liverpool F.C. Initially a regional partnership for the Chinese market, since July 2019 MG extended their existing long-term regional relationship to incorporate global markets. The partnership ended in mid-2022. In January 2024, MG Motor UK announced a multi-year sponsorship with London football club Arsenal F.C. Previously, MG Motor has previously sponsored Copa Sudamericana, the secondary pan-continental clubs competition in South America, as well as French football club Olympique Lyonnais.
During the first half of 2023, MG along with Tesla are two brands with the largest growth in Europe. According to JATO Dynamics, the brand registered 104,300 vehicles in H1 2023, a growth of 128 percent compared to H1 2022. The sales increase was attributed to the introduction of the popular MG4 EV. Electric vehicles are MG Motor's strength in the market, as unlike other manufacturers, SAIC is not restricted on traction battery supply and production volume.
In July 2023, Yu De, general manager of SAIC's international business department stated that Europe market is will be SAIC's largest overseas market, with annual vehicle sales predicted to surpass 200,000 units in the longer term. The company indicated that it is studying plans to establish a manufacturing base in Europe.
, MG Motor asserted its position of not having official presence in the Russian market, due to the complications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In June 2024, the European Commission imposed an additional 38.1 percent import duty on top of the existing 15 percent to SAIC Motor electric vehicles imported to the European Union, including MG Motor, following EU's anti-subsidy investigation into SAIC and other Chinese manufacturers. The tariffs subjected to SAIC vehicles are the highest among Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers that are affected. SAIC MG released a statement condemning the decision, noting that the tariffs are a form of unfair market discrimination that went against the principles of free trade. MG reported that it delivered 231,818 vehicles in the European market in 2023. On 26 June, after receiving more information from the SAIC, the EU reduced the proposed tariffs from 38.1 percent to 37.6 percent. In July 2024, SAIC issued a statement stating that it would formally request the European Commission to hold a hearing on the anti-subsidy investigation.
It was reported that 7 out of every 10 cars exported from China to Europe in 2024 (up to September) are from MG. Zhu Yong, the deputy general manager of SAIC Passenger Vehicle, remarked that, "we don't make money in China, but we can still make money internationally even if tariffs are added."
In November 2023, the company entered into a strategic joint venture with JSW Group, which allowed the latter to acquire 35% in the company due to restriction by the Indian government of receiving funding from China. Following the tie-up, the company was renamed to JSW MG Motor India.
The team returned in 2013, with Sam Tordoff driving, who performed well in his debut year having joined through the KX Academy scheme. Plato once again came third, with Tordoff sixth. In 2014, MG won the Manufacturer's Championship to break Honda's four-year reign. After just three years of competition, the MG6 GT sealed the title by 95 points at the season finale at Brands Hatch.
Drivers Plato and Tordoff racked up seven wins and 20 podiums in the 30-race calendar. Plato finished the Driver's Championship in second place, behind Colin Turkington, while Tordoff finished seventh. The 2014 season also saw a third MG6 GT on the grid, driven by Marc Hynes and also maintained by Triple Eight but in a new livery which did not resemble the other two MG cars. Hynes finished his debut season in 18th.
For the 2015 campaign, MG fought to regain the Manufacturers / Constructors title with a new driver lineup. 2013 Champion Andrew Jordan and young gun Jack Goff paired up in the MG6 to fight against Honda, BMW and Infiniti for the title. MG finished second in the Manufacturers / Constructors title challenge, with Andrew and Jack in fifth and ninth position, respectively, in the drivers' standings.
MG announced a new three-year contract extension with Triple Eight Racing for the 2016 BTCC campaign. The team plan was to bring in young and up-and-coming drivers with an intention to grow its own champion over the duration of the contract. Josh Cook, a former 2014 Renault UK Clio Cup Vice-Champion, and BTCC 2015 Jack Sears Trophy winner (award for the top rookie) and Ashley Sutton, graduating to BTCC after leaving the Renault Clio Cup as reigning 2015 champion, were announced as the new line up for MG. After a hard-fought campaign the MG drivers finished in 12th and 13th place, respectively, with Ash picking up the Jack Sears Trophy for the top rookie.
Another new driver lineup was introduced for the 2017 season as Árón Taylor-Smith and Daniel Lloyd drove the MG6 cars. The season was a disaster, with not a single win or podium finish to show for their efforts. Lloyd left the team after four meetings and Josh Cook was brought back to help improve results, whilst Taylor-Smith was withdrawn from the Croft rounds of the championship after being involved in a multi-car accident during the wet qualifying session at the circuit, the Irishman struggled thereafter, picking up just six further points all season. Cook was ultimately the highest placed of the MG drivers in the championship, but only in 18th (that includes the points he obtained when driving for Maximum Motorsport before returning to MG), and the team finished a distant last in the manufacturers standings.
Triple Eight merged their operations with BMR Racing for 2018, and therefore MG exited the championship again as a manufacturer. The MG6 continued to be used for a further two seasons, firstly by AmD Essex in 2018, and then by Excelr8 Motorsport in 2019, with rather limited success in both years.
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