MG has started road testing for its entry-level in India. According to sources, the car will be based on the Wuling Air EV and go on sale in 2023. The Wuling Air EV was recently unveiled for the Indonesian market. MG Motor India will adopt the Wuling Air EV for the Indian market before launching it here.
The company announced last year that it will bring an entry-level EV to the Indian market. MG also mentioned it will cost around INR 10 to INR 15 lakh. Because of its size, the brand will position it as an urban runabout.
The Wuling Air is compact, even more so than a Maruti Alto. The EV measures 2,900 mm in length and has a wheelbase of 2,010 mm. Thus, it is 400 mm shorter than the Alto. The Indonesian model comes with 12-inch steel wheels. However, in India, it will likely come with alloy wheels. The test-drive mule also seems to have a tailgate-mounted spare wheel.
MG will likely offer a host of equipment with the model to justify its price tag. As per sources, the higher variants will come with a dual-screen layout and soft-touch materials. It will also likely get wood and faux aluminium bits in the interior. MG will target households in big cities where the compact EV will be a third or fourth car.
MG Motor India will likely unveil the entry-level compact EV in January at the Auto Expo 2023.
The new compact EV from MG will use a locally sourced battery pack. It will come from Tata AutoComp. Tata AutoComp currently has a joint venture with Gotion, a Chinese battery supplier. Under the joint venture, the two companies design, manufacture and supply and service battery packs in the country. Like the Nexon EV, MG’s compact EV will also use LFP cells.
Also Read: MG Motor India’s entry level EV could be the Wuling Air EV