MG Motor India currently has three products in its sales portfolio – the Hector, Hector Plus and the ZS EV (Electric). The brand will be launching the MG Gloster luxury SUV in the market soon, but all these vehicles are priced above the INR 10 lakh range. Now, a media report suggests that MG is planning to further expand its portfolio but instead of a high-end luxury SUV the brand is likely to bring a new SUV with a sub-INR 10 lakh price tag. The new small SUV will enable the British heritage brand to gain more in terms of volume. The new product will be volume-driven and allowing the company to expand further.
The brand’s State-Owned Chinese parent company, SAIC plans to invest another INR 1000 Crore in the Indian market and the volume-driven product is likely to help recover it. As of now, there are no further reports on the investment plan as the will need to approach the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), to make fresh investment in the country as recent changes in the FDI (Foreign Direct Investments) rules mandate that Chinese-owned companies seek prior approval/clearance from DPIIT to make fresh investments. But it is safe to say that MG will be using the investment to further advance the Halol production facility and bring a new SUV to the market.
The compact SUV could be the MG ZS SUV, an internal combustion iteration of the MG ZS EV (Electric Vehicle). The ZS was also spotted testing in the recent past, leading us to believe that the brand plans to homologate the car for the Indian market in the coming months and more details on the same are likely to be revealed at the beginning of 2021. The ZS is likely to be offered in a 1.0-litre, T-GDI, 3-cylinder, gasoline direct-injection engine that generates 111 HP of power and 160 Nm of torque coupled to a 6-speed automatic gearbox and another 1.5-litre, VTI-tech DOHC, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated, port fuel injection motor that makes 106 PS of power and 141 Nm of torque mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.
When launched, the MG ZS will compete with the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos in the Indian market.