[Nissan1180]

Marketing is the art of convincing customers about a product perception that the company wants to promote. If they succeeded in making people believe this is a British company, it is to their credit. Ethical? Not sure. But even the real estate ads promising greenery and pure air are fake, so every industry is doing it, and people are lapping it up.

We must remember that the British Leyland cars were a bit of a joke from the later part of 1970s. Even cars like the SD1, which was launched in India as the Standard 2000, were notorious for reliability issues. The old Top Gear did a full show on them. So even being an MG/Rover isn't something very creditworthy. They may have some racing pedigree, but their commercial reputation was dubious at best.

As long as the Hector or other Chinese models survive the test of time on Indian roads, owners will be happy. If they don't, like Chevrolet and other GM brands, they'll leave the country.

Having said this, I do not understand how anyone spending 20 lakhs on a car can live without busting this myth of British engineering. Not that British engineering is superior (it may in fact be inferior, if reliability reports are to be believed), but the ownership and origins of the Hector and its stablemates can be understood within 10 minutes of research.

[wheelguy]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

On the contrary, MG cars are doing pretty decently, and sales are picking up in the UK for starters, owing to the sheer value for money it brings.

1. Because their approach there in UK is different and straight.

Their About Page from UK website says:

ABOUT MG

MG IS BACK

Today, MG is more than an iconic octagonal badge; it is once again a motoring force to be reckoned with. Our much-loved British brand has been re-launched with the financial backing of one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, which allows us to stand tall in the global market.

The current range of MG models, that were designed and engineered at our 69-acre site in Longbridge, Birmingham, include the MG3, MG ZS and MG GS. New MG3, which was launched in 2018, is a supermini packed with more fun, practicially and specification than any of its rivals, and at just a fraction of the cost, while the MG ZS, launched in 2017, is the family-ready compact SUV packed with next-level technology.

With strong financial backing and a bright future, MG is now ready to write the most exciting chapter in what is already a very colourful story, with the launch of it's first electric car, MG ZS EV, in September 2019.

DESIGN CENTRE

Led by European Advanced Design Director, Carl Gotham, the UK team is responsible for the interior and exterior design of all MG products across the globe. The dedicated 25-strong team works in a new state-of-the-art facility which opened in London in September 2018. It takes designs from 2D rendering through to virtual reality.

2. Because they started their innings in UK with MG3. And MG3 is derived from a British car called Rover Streetwise, it is not a non-MG car wearing MG badge and boasting MG legacy!

An excerpt from from Wikipedia:

The MG 3 is a subcompact car produced by the Chinese automotive giant SAIC. The first generation, marketed as the MG 3 SW, is based on the British made Rover Streetwise, which itself was based on the Rover 25, while the second generation, introduced in 2011 is marketed simply as the MG 3.

If they start with and sell Baojun 530 there as MG Hector, and still do pretty decently as you said, then we can talk about it here. There is difference, period.

[Nithesh_M]

Here's a full lowdown for anyone who thinks SAIC bought MG brand recently to enter India.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/11220...now-about-saic

[coolkurt]

Let's check out a few statistics.

MG sold 139,000 vehicles outside China last year, up 90 percent year-on-year, as the best-selling China-owned volume car brand in international markets. Its overseas sales accounted for around 40 percent of SAIC’s total.

Zhao Aimin, vice-president of SAIC Motor International Co, said MG would like to double its overseas sales in 2020.

MG is now available in around 60 countries and regions. Of them, there are eight major markets where annual sales stand at around 10,000, including the UK, Thailand and India.

He said the vehicles’ smart functions, which include voice-command, have helped fuel the company’s popularity in Thailand. In the first nine months of 2019, MG had acquired a 2.5 percent market share, overtaking Japan’s Suzuki in the country.

Another example, the electric SUV EZS, has a five-star rating in the European New Car Assessment Program and is compatible with 95 percent of charging poles across European countries, much higher than the industry average.

MG has sped up its delivery time to two weeks, and has set up a service network to ensure vehicles can be serviced easily, which have also helped it win customers.

The vehicles’ smart functions, which include voice-command, have helped fuel the company’s popularity in Thailand. In the first nine months of 2019, MG had acquired a 2.5 percent market share, overtaking Japan’s Suzuki in the country.

Another example, the electric SUV EZS, has a five-star rating in the European New Car Assessment Program and is compatible with 95 percent of charging poles across European countries, much higher than the industry average.

MG has sped up its delivery time to two weeks, and has set up a service network to ensure vehicles can be serviced easily, which have also helped it win customers.

In 2019, more than 10,000 of MG’s EZS vehicles were exported to Europe. They were especially popular in the UK, Norway and the Netherlands.

Zhao said growth momentum will continue and MG’s electric vehicles will see a rise in sales in the European market this year. “We are confident that our sales in the region will hit 100,000 in the future,” Zhao said.

Source

Those are pretty impressive numbers. Buyers nowadays make conscious informed decisions. Because of the sheer amount of information available.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

Let's check out a few statistics.


Those are pretty impressive numbers. Buyers nowadays make conscious informed decisions. Because of the sheer amount of information available.

Quite the opposite, the information isn't going to do any favor to SAIC!

As per Wikipedia MGF is the first real MG since MGB, MGB is from the 60s and MGF is in the 90s. As per these articles MG was sold off to Morris back in 35 itself, it's been sold multiple times afterwards and by now only the sticker remained as an asset. I guess it reached the appropriate buyer at last.

But this does not mean SAIC cannot build a strong brand under this sticker, it's possible.

Example : Renault brought a Dacia and sold it as Renault, it worked.

SAIC brought in Daewoo, sold it as Chevrolet and ... Yep, here we go again.