MG tips more growth despite coronavirus

DESPITE the ongoing coronavirus pandemic gripping the world and crippling many global industries, MG Motor Australia executives are confident the brand will continue its upward march through the sales charts in 2020.

Speaking exclusively to GoAuto at the recent media launch of the new HS mid-sized SUV, brand chief executive Peter Ciao and marketing and product director Danny Lenartic said MG Motor Australia had built up enough local stock to be able to avoid any major supply issues.

“In China, we’ve taken very tough action to protect our people in the factory and it will certainly have an influence, but we have enough stock here in Australia,” Mr Ciao said.

“For the new year (2020) we had already prepared lots of stock because my goal for this year is sell 1000 (cars) per month… we have a few thousand cars in stock in Australia at the moment.”

Last year the Australian subsidiary experienced a 176.9 per cent sales increase compared to 2018 (8326 vs 3007), with 2020 looking to promise more of the same.

In the first month of 2020 MG has sold 919 vehicles, up 82.7 per cent on the same time last year and just 81 shy of Mr Ciao’s 1000 units per month goal.

Quietly introduced to the market last November but not officially launched until this month, Mr Ciao said the new HS would lead the way for this year’s sales figures while the rest of the range would be split fairly evenly as it was last year.

“I launched two models in 2019, the MG3 and the ZS and the volume was similar, 4000, 4000,” he said.

“For 2020 with three models, I think it will be similar but the HS will be the most popular model because it’s the best value.”

Away from the sales charts, MG Motor Australia is also set to grow physically in 2020 as the HS line-up expands to include a new 2.0-litre turbo powertrain as well as two plug-in hybrid versions.

The smaller ZS is also due for a facelift in the second half of the year with the line-up also to be bolstered by the arrival of a battery-electric version (BEV), the brand’s first EV Down Under.

This will not be for too long though with Mr Ciao also confirming to GoAuto that an electric version of the HS was also in the works and slated for Australia while Mr Lenartic revealed some form of pick-up truck was also “under evaluation”.

“We know it’s important and we see the success and growth of the market but it’s all still under evaluation,” Mr Lenartic said.