MG trademark office image (ie official)
Speculative render
Crikey
Thatâs a looker. Funky rear indicators.
What drivetrain I wonder? Hybrid probably?
Also, what price?
Could this be a proper MG at last?
All electric. MG has filed for the name MGC EV. Yoke steering, following the Tesla Plaid.
Chinese corporate teser video
Scissor doors
Fantastic looking cloth seats
Cloth folding roof; possibly electric
Arrow rear lights are inspired by the Union flag
You get the gist of most of the video. Social media has played a major role in getting this car made; Chinese people wanted it made. They want to emphasize they have a young and Chinese design team (though the original concept was by SAIC Design in London).
MG in the UK is pushing to be all all electric. They have some ICE cars, using various versions of Fiat engines. These are âOKâ. By all accounts, their all-electric offerings are meant ot be pretty decent for the money, and I see them regularly about now. Pricing is speculative, but I have seen âaroundâ AU$50,000 suggested.
But we have been here before with the MG E-Motion coupe.
During my last work trip to India, I saw some pretty interesting cars there (all SUVs obviously). MG sell the âHectorâ in India, a full sized SUV with the ubiquitous Fiat 1.4. It looks ok, has all the toys. Tata has the Harrier, and this is interesting. I had a chance to try one out, and wonder why they donât sell it here (as a Rover, given Tata/JLR own the Rover name and Viking badge). Its the first good looking Tata I have seen. Underneath, its basically a Land Rover Evoque, without the multilink suspension, drum rear brakes (they stop fine). Inside, the materials are a bit hard plastic, but looks fine (with actual fake wood). In India, its using the same Fiat 1.4 engine as the MG, but in a different tune. As a budget offering, if they did an EV version, I think it would have a niche here.
MG Mulan âworld carâ:
Significant snippet is this is a rear wheel drive EV. If the Cyberster/MGC is 0-60 in something like 4s, Mazda might have a problem, shaking them out of their dozy complacency.
If lid closed I have almost the same problem getting out of the passengerâs seat in the NC, even though it is much easier than that Ferrari, but no problem from driverâs seat.
It took me a while to finally master the âhand on the sillâ technique⌠So I have great sympathy with the âretireeâ in that clip.
That Cyberster seems to have taken styling cues from several well known cars, it looks very familar in so many ways. Iâm not model-specific expert enough to be able to put names to them, but I guess others can.
Donât all cars do that?
The MX5 shape was already very familiar to people when it came out.
The Kamm tail is pretty unique in the 21st Century, and thatâs one feature to have survived the concept design.
Worth keeping an eye on this MG Mulan. It has some surprising details. Up until now, the main points about the Chinese MGs are that they are cheap and well packaged (good room inside, maybe a legacy of the Rover days). But dynamically, they are not all that, possibly because their core market doesnât value that all that much (A to B cars).
The Mulan is rear wheel drive; the motor sits on the rear axle. So the look of the MG has moved from these chrome âgrillsâ to a much smoother front.
Supposedly clever battery packaging gives a low COG, and they are boasting about 50-50 weight distribution. This is a stat only those interested in handling are bothered about. Is MG trying to position itself as a sporty Asian brand, eying the spot that Mazda is exiting, as it pushes its brand up market? There is Kia, which is now a clear âsportyâ Korean brand.
This is their first âworldâ car. Up until now, MG has had different models in different parts of the world. Iâm betting they are not making that much on models sold in the West, as they re-establish the brand. The Cyberster/MGC will use the same platform, allowing this new look, which looks pretty sporty compared to the bluff looks being adopted elsewhere.
A rear engined âlow costâ roadsterâŚ
Mulan info, including how UK/Australia/NZ are being targeted
I donât think the price of petrol will fall. Which has implications about the point of a plug in hybrid; what use is the petrol motor if you are just charging the car off the mains, because you canât afford the petrol? It becomes dead weight. True, there is still range anxiety, but at one time, cars still had a cranking handle in case the electric start didnât work.
Middle bit Porsche-like. Door handles like a Elan M200 (not much use for finger nails). Front; 90s Ferrari. Tail; 911ish, but with a Kamm. Also, the return of the Coke Bottle. That high rear motor cover suggests something underneath has forced up the height.
Nothing new except that MG UK are starting the hype in earnest, with a promotional video that works in the Union flag, a Lioness and the predictable âReturn of the Legendâ
Hmm, the music sounds a oddly familiarâŚ
Pistonheadsâ (mostly positive) review of the MG4 Tropy:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing//topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=2000216&i=0
The MG4 will share the same platform as the forthcoming MG Cyberster/ MG-C
The reviewer makes a favourable comparison in handling to the MX5. Who would have thought; an electric MG making a case for itself more than on the basis of âpretty good for the moneyâ. And its ÂŁ10k cheaper than itâs peers.
MG is said to be pitching at ÂŁ25-30k (in 2022 money) for the roadster. At the same time Mazda is moving the car upmarket. MG could potentially clean up, and occupy a niche that it traditionally dominated.
Bit like Mazda did in 1990.
Interesting review, sounds like an interesting drive even if itâs plug ugly, in a roadster it could be a winning package.
Quite like the look of the 4/ Mulan.
This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
The MG-C/ MG-Cyberster has been spotted on the roads in China
So itâs real, and the speculated April 2023 official launch date is looking realistic.
However, I notice this car has a feature in conflict with official information to date. It clearly has a steering wheel, not a yoke. The Kamm tail is clearly present. The rear window is possibly plastic, like the Mk1 MX5. The wheel design might be using the same idea as Tesla, and MG on the MG4; its an alloy wheel, with an aerodynamic plastic cover (what used to be called, a hub cap).
Itâs great that manufacturers recognise that not everyone wants an electric SUV but Iâm not a huge fan of the styling of this one.
Perhaps itâll grow on me.
( not that I could afford one anywayđ)