China’s SAIC – owner of MG and local joint venture partner of GM and VW – confirmed plans to begin construction soon of a new assembly plant in Thailand, to supply the Thai and other right hand drive markets in the ASEAN region.
The plant will be controlled by SAIC Motor-CP Company, a joint venture established last year in which SAIC controls 51% of the equity and the local Charoen Pokphand Group the remainder.
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It will be located in the Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate in Rayong province and is scheduled to begin production of MGs in mid 2014.
Initial production capacity will be 50,000 units per year, with a provision for this to rise to 200,000 units as demand increases. Initially the plant will assemble the MG3, MG5 and MG6 models imported as knocked down kits from China but local content will be added as volumes rise.
The company is currently recruiting dealers and plans to have up to 20 outlets in place by next year.
MG was launched recently in RHD New Zealand and Australia with cars shipped fully assembled from China.
