This morning we gave Erik a phone call as he’d been over to the Nanjing MG factory in Pukou, Nanjing – we really just wanted to know what gossip he had to tell us. He let us know that the Streetwise was coming back as the MG3, shocked? We nearly chocked and fell off our office chair. A few hours later, it seems the whole car world had picked up on the story, and we were just picking ourselves off the floor.
The chunky little Streetwise with its bubbly shape and big chunky plastic bumpers, completet with jacked up suspension – quite possibly the first ‘crossover’ type vehicle, not quite a proper offroader, not quite a normal car. It was well received by its UK buyers when it was on sale between 2003 and 2005 in the UK, however, it did have its critics.
So there you have it, the Streetwise is coming back as the MG3 – but as we understand, only in China.
Erik also happened to mention, that the Nanjing MG plant was by far the most modern Chinese car factories he had ever seen.
In Europe, the 2003 Rover Streetwise was the first look like SUV, before WV CrossPolo and Citroen C3XTR.
Good looking car – Its quite special to be honest,
Im trying to think what its price will be in China – will it be around the same as the Brilliance A1 / BYD F3R/Buick FRV or will it be more like Focus pricing?
MG Streetwise scooped en febuary with MG badge
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/print.php?sid=495
Arnaud,
I remember seeing that but the consciouses at the time was ‘no way would they make that!’
It’s not really in the spirit of the MG brand and it would ultimately harm it; however, if the CrossPolo, CrossFox and C3 XTR don’t get laughed at (as much), I always thought it was unfair the Rover design got criticized.
Arnaud, remember the Matra-Simca Rancho predated them all!
Jack,
I surprised the crosspolo, crossfox and the C3 XTR havent been launched in China. With so many folks buying the Rover 25 inspired bubble shaped cars (i.e. Buick HRV, and the newer ‘inspired models, Brilliance A1, BYD etc) and wanting to go off the beaten track.
They’d be great here, and so would the Streetwise. Roll on Streetwise, roll on!