From British Midget to Chinese Giant

MG’s transformation into one of the world’s fastest growing brands has been nothing short of astonishing. Despite its British origins, no MG model had ever been the top selling vehicle in the brand’s country of origin until earlier this year, when, under the ownership of Chinese Giant SAIC, The MG HS model was Britain’s top selling vehicle. 

MG is also registering top ten sales in 20 nations in Europe, Asia, and South America, and recently found success in North America as well, as Mexico’s 8th best selling brand in February.

“The MG brand is on a tear globally. It looks poised to become one of the first Chinese brands to grow into a major global player. As a result of SAIC pumping untold billions into MG, there are more MG-badged vehicles sold in more countries than at any time in the brand’s 100-year history.” 

Despite strained political relations between China and the US, business collaborations continue. GM and SAIC co-own PATAC — the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center in Shanghai which developed the 1.5-liter engine used by MG in a variety of configurations, but that’s not a clear indicator that the brand will be bringing new models to the US market. In fact, that eventuality appears to be unlikely in the near future based on statements made by SAIC spokeswoman Joyce Ying – No. “We currently have no plans to sell vehicles in the U.S.,” 

and Zhao Aimin, executive vice president of SAIC International response to questions from China Daily 

“At SAIC, we don’t bite more than we can chew. We respect every market and every customer,” he told the newspaper. “We try to better our products and services in existing markets and avoid overreaching ourselves by entering too many destinations. One of the most important ingredients of SAIC’s success in overseas markets is to offer competitive products based on an understanding of local customers’ demands.”

So, for now, it seems like the Chinese version of the British invasion is a culture clash that we will all be spared for the foreseeable future. Good news for US dealers who have experienced enough market challenges over the last few years without competition from China.

https://www.autonews.com/blogs/saic-may-have-us-mind-growing-mg