Right hand drive MG6 sedans and hatchbacks made by Shanghai Automotive in China are being launched in South Africa, New Zealand and probably Australia.
The first cars are in South Africa and New Zealand ahead of their likely introduction to Australia, local industry publication GoAutoNews reported in its 1 February edition.
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SAIC also ships the MG6 – also sold in China – in semi-knocked-down kit form to its UK plant at Longbridge for final assembly, essentially installing the drivetrain and front suspension in bodies painted and trimmed in China. The automaker sold 360 units in the UK in 2011 according to SMMT data.
GoAuto said it understod the state-owned SAIC had already signed an MG distribution deal for Australia, although the company said to be involved had declined to comment, saying it would be premature.
MG was once sold in Australia by Leyland Australia which had a full manufacturing plant, including engines, in the Sydney suburb of Zetland. The MGB was, for a time, assembled locally in the 1960s. The plant was closed in 1974. Leyland also had a large manufacturing presence in South Africa and assembled MGs there as well.
MGs were also sold in New Zealand, with the 1100 being locally assembled in the 1960s. The brand was last launched there in 1996 when MG Rover was still owned by BMW.
GoAuto said eight MG6 liftbacks and sedans had just arrived in Auckland to be employed as dealer demonstrators and test cars ahead of the late February retail rollout of MG by importers British Motor Distributors (BMD) – a branch of John Fairhall’s Archibald Motor Group that sells a wide range of European luxury cars such as Audi, Porsche, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo in NZ.
The arrival of this first batch of was confirmed by BMD operations manager Kerry Cheyne, who said NZ would be the second market behind South Africa to get the completely-built-up RHD MGs from the Chinese plant, GoAuto said.
UK Rover enthusiasts website aronline.co.uk noted that Cheyne was a long-time supporter of the marque (and former owner of one of the only MG ZT 260 V8s built by the former MG Rover with automatic transmission) was happy to be selling MGs again, and has high hopes for its future ‘down under’.
He said: “The MG6 stacks up well against the Chevrolet Cruze and Kia Cerato due to its size, and we will capitalise on that fact when we go to market with comparative pricing.”
