Showing some E- Motion

MG INTRODUCES ELECTRIC COUPE AT SHANGHAI

At last week’s Shanghai Motor Show, MG— of all companies — showed off a rather marvellous- looking machine in the form of its new E- Motion concept coupe.

It’s easy to forget that a) MGis a Chinese brand these days and b) it exists at all.

The company — owned by automotive giant SIAC for over a decade — has been quiet in our neck of the woods; its budgetminded MG3 hatchback and MG 6 liftback were perfectly good cars, so long as you didn’t mind a deficit of specification and hard plastics.

They found favour with a few buyers here, but generally, seeing one on New Zealand roads will provoke a comedy double- take.

But if what the manufacturer showcased at the Shanghai show is to make it into production ( a feat MGsuits suggest could happen in as little as 18 months), the idea of the ex- British hallmark brand as a desirable buy could rise once again.

Pre- show rumours, that an MG sports car was imminent, proved correct. Some — mainly British — motoring writers opined that unless it looked like the modern reinterpretation of a classic MGB roadster, the exercise would be for nothing.

Well, the MGE- Motion doesn’t look like an old British sportscar. And, as much as we’re partial to the smell of oil and aged vinyl, that’s a good thing. MGhas dispensed with the octagonshaped MGlogo at the rear, the cads!

The E- Motion looks more like a Jaguar F- Type coupe than anything, with —– for the concept car at least — butterfly doors and a claimed 0- 100km/ h sprint time of 4.0 seconds. The E part of the nameplate tells you it’s ’ leccypowered, too.

We hope MGmakes a go of this; it could be a hybrid or full EV Mazda MX- 5/ Toyota 86 rival of reasonable standing if it gets it right.