MG6: Zeds dead baby, Zeds dead.
The MG6 was officially launched today with much fan fare, and was arguably the most anticipated launch of the entire car show. The MG6 will be the first Chinese car to go international with European production and sales to begin sometime towards between the middle and end of 2010 according to report and rumour alike. The new MG6 signals the end of the Zed range of MG cars, which means we may never actually get to see the MG3 ZR or the MG7 sports model, but perhaps it is best to leave past cars in the past where they belong, the future for MG looks to be very bright indeed.
MG had been awarded an impressive stand at the Guangzhou auto show, measuring 1300 square meters and in a separate hall away from its Roewe brother, which shows that SAIC are beginning to take the individuality of the MG brand seriously over its self thought up Roewe brand.
The production car doesn’t appear to have any major cosmetic changes since its first launch as a concept car earlier this year, although the lettering on the rear has changed from Nanjing MG to SAIC MG, indicating that SAIC are finally putting their mark on the marque after letting it seemingly fester for a year under their control. The new chrome logo for MG has also been officially aired, with mixed reactions in the traditional MG camp and those that see the MG logo change as a breath of fresh air and a new change for MG. The MG6 is powered by a 1.8L and a 1.8T engine derived from the Roewe 550, the 1.8L is good for 133bhp, whilst the turbo version is good for 160bhp.
More news on specification when we get it!
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I hope to see this car in Europe
Now highly anticipated: 0-100, pricing, availability dates, interior shots
The interior is not that different from the Roewe 550, but all black.
and the rear seats are 50/50 split.
An all black interior is one of the two interior options for the 550!
Excellent news. Please build in UK for Europe. Would do a lot for the credibility/authenticity of the brand worldwide.
Badge redesign absolutely fine.
Can Chinacartimes confirm that SAIC said they plan to relaunch the Morris brand on vans?
No idea.
I have to say that each new Chinese Car is getting prettier.
The only fact I have to complain is that there is not a single hope that such models from Roewe and MG would be sold in Brazil in shortime.
Best regards,
J.I.Hosang
They are being tested in Brazil right now so you can stop complaining
http://www.mguk.org/world-news-f5/mg-preparing-to-enter-brazil-t198.htm
What is the excitement? I haven’t followed MG. The only MGs I remember were the little two seaters that were always broken. So this is the first model. But the excitement is only that? Not that the car drives incredible? So just another car?
Consider it a cult classic of the car world.
But is this a good driving car? It is built off an old frame. Why wouldn’t they just engineer something new that would be good instead of using old outdated frame to start with. Hard to get excited over something from how many years ago with a new look on top.
The Roewe 550 is a good drive, if a little noisy.
I’d buy one if it werent for the name, but now its an MG, Ill have to give it some thought.
A good drive compared to what? Please don’t say a BYD or Chery.
Say, the Ford Focus?
I think the 1.8T is a little under powered though, but its genuinely a good car, sales and JD survey results show this.
Whilst I agree it is a good car, I think the gearboxes need a bit of development for the European market. The problem with Roewe and MG in China is that it’s been too easy for them to sit back and use technology inherited from MG Rover and have really pushed it much beyond.
Have you even see one in person??!! Drove one??! and Have you even gotten anywhere near the Roewe 550??! If not, then leave your biased assumptions to yourself.
Yes I have seen the Roewe 550 in person. I have sat in one. I haven’t driven one. I didn’t have enough interest in it from the looks of it or knowing what it was built on.
that’s what I thought. Don’t make idiotic comments if you have never even driven a Roewe 550.
The Ford Focus is just a very average driving car. So this is an underpowered version of an average driving car?
Perhaps you should wait until you have the opportunity to drive one to draw your conclusions.
I will drive one but what would someone expect from a new body on an old car?
Its much more than that, you are taking it to the simplest form.
It has four wheels an engine, so it must be like a Model-T?
I just don’t see it up on a pedastal like a few people in here. I would put it in the same class as the new Changfeng car shown on here. Old car with new body that looks average. I remember people putting fiberglass Ferrari bodies on Pontiac Fieros back in the day. It was still a piece of crap that started on fire.
@Hancho
Showing a genuine interest and sharing information is far from putting something on a pedestal, and those who have praised the design of the vehicle as good looking are praising either what they’ve seen here or what they’ve seen in real life.
Have you seen the car, at either the Shanghai or Guangzhou auto shows?
I don’t see people praising how it handles, accelerates, feels from the inside, or shows good value in comparison to other cars of the same class — why? Because people haven’t driven it and the appropriate details aren’t available yet. How can you condemn the car without that information? If you don’t like the design – that’s a fair opinion. If you continually diss how the vehicle drives or is outdated without specifications or real experience to match your feedback – that’s not.
looks ok ish but reminds me of a proton satira (wheels) shame its only a few years too late! i bet it doesnt look like that for production! also why the hell are they using k series again?? why dont they try a diesel and not one from a tractor!”
I see a fat Proton here.
The wheels suck, the concept version had great wheels.
I think honcho is trying to say that we really shouldn’t get out hopes up on this car. Btw I totally disagree with above comment on the roewe 550 as a “good” or “reliable” car… I was interested in buying one and for the price it costs it TOTALLY doesn’t compare well to a similarly price Japanese or European car in terms if reliability or finish. I found this out by reading owners commentaries on Chinese car forums and blogs. There’s always something to fix and often the factory can’t fix it because its a design fault…
It would be ok if it was much cheaper but its not. So simply another ridiculous effort by a Chinese company at having face….
Based on this, I share honcho’s gut feeling about the mg6, which I find to be ugly in my honest opinion. The Chinese car companies should focus on doing cheap reliable cars, smth I beleive they have not yet acheived.
Having said that, it is understandable from a business point of view as the local mass market is geared towards the symbol of owning a sedan. It just has to look like a good sedan, doesn’t have to be one. See BYD and the success of their F6…
Juls,
You are completely right. The cars need to be compared to what is available in the same price range. Not only that but since I am from the US, I often compare the car to what is available in the US for the same price which is usually way more car. Like a Mini Cooper that will out perform any Chinese made car for sure. I will say that Chinese are very close to making cars that look great. But that isn’t all there is too it. Many Chinese products look great but then they don’t last. Once people know they hold up that is when China can change the world car industry. Anyone thinking it is happening right now is mistaken. Third world countries will take the cars at low price. I honestly think most Chinese brand cars are way over priced for what they are. Why buy a Chinese car when you can get a Japanese car for the same price of 10,000-20,000 more and it will last 5-10 years longer?
After driving some of them. The BYD F0 is not worth 40,000-50,000. I don’t even think I would consider it at 20,000.
….
This is like, 1/2 the price of a mini cooper, in China, Honcho, you’re in a very wrong mindset to compare different country prices for goods.
A mini is only around $20,000 USD. I know no one here in China is thinking that way. But I know what I can get in the US for the same price. People in China are getting ripped off. Even Honda, Toyota of Ford. You get less in the car for the same amount of money. It is a fact. But I am not just comparing the MINI cooper. I am sure many other cars drive better for the price. I am not saying anyone here should think that way. But everyone here should sure as hell demand more from a car if they are paying that much. I still say the BYD F0 is way over priced for what it is. I would feel safer on a motorcycle for sure. So many people in here say every new Chinese car is so great. Ask Ed. If you just say everything is great and buy it, nothing here in China will improve. Why make something better when it will already sell how it is.
You’re not very well travelled are you.
The whole idea of “I know what I can get in the USA” does NOT apply here, Honcho. You’re not in the USA.
That’s like saying “I’m not going to eat in USA because the food is so expensive. You know what I can buy in China for that????” meh. I know what you are saying, it’s just not the right way to think.
You have to compare the price of this vehicle to the price of other vehicles *IN THIS* market, in order to create a proper value comparison. In this case, what do you think is such a great value for 150k RMB, *in China*?
Rick,
You missed my point. People need to demand more or their money here. They are settling for way less than they deserve for their money. Thats it. End of story.
why don’t you find me one car that costs 20000 rmb and can still be considered a good car.
I wasn’t saying you could. I was saying that is where the BYD F0 should be for what it really is. I didn’t say it was a good car so it should be priced at 20,000. How is your English? Most misunderstandings in China are from bad translation. English and Chinese do not translate back and forth well at all.
Intriguing subject and comments
come on, what a stupid question… Of course I saw one. Read my post: I wanted to buy one! I even went inside one but couldn’t try it at the time. I know the turbo engine had a sweet sound to it, but I did my research, like I said, via Chinese user comments, written in Chinese (so that its clear for u ok?) and seeing the number of complaints on that car I preferred to be wise and pass on it. I remember its full of electronics and glitches. Plus there were issues with the AC and something to do with the way doors didn’t close properly. Am not intentionaly bashing that car. I think it was a good effort, but didn’t really follow through.
I didn’t comment on the 550 at all. I’ve not sat in one. I’m commenting on the MG6 being an appealing automobile, at least to the point of sparking interest enough to want to test drive one and wait on the technical details to be published.
I don’t care about the 550′s glitches, this is a MG6 thread.
Well the 550 glitches are likely to be carried over to the MG6 as it’s essentially the same car with a new front and back.
Sorry Rick I wasn’t replying to you but Ed. There was a comment from him after Auto D’epoca bashing me about my lack of lub for the 550. I think the orignal point though was that the 550 was based on old 90′s tech and so will the MG6 be. So that’s a certain inconvenience for a new car.
old 90s tech??!!! WOW. That’s all I have to say. You should be banned from the auto industry.
it’s weird I’m sure I saw a comment from him this morning while browsing this thread on my Iphone. I wouldn’t have replied otherwise.
Nobody can delete comments, other than me and other unseen admins
am not blind. somebody deleted it. He was like: don’t this the 550 bla bla, it’s a great car bla bla, have you ever seen one for real (duh I live in Beijing…), have you ever been in one… and more of the same drivel.
Wasnt me!
hey head honcho, don’t take my point to say some sillyness! I only compared the 550 with similarly priced cars IN CHINA. Eventually I bought one, the Civic 09 EX. And you should know that the equivalent trim in the US, with a 1.8L i-vtec engine, was around $20,000 MSRP. I paid mine 150k, so there you go, same price.
But even then, it’s ridiculous to compare US prices with Chinese prices. It doesn’t mean shit what you can afford in the US and what you can’t afford in China, because if you were to import your US car the duty would be so insane you’d still be paying more. So stop whining honestly.
And ultimately, you’re not living in the US, so there’s no use wondering about what you could afford there. Different country, different game.
When you buy a car in China you deal with what’s available. I can certainly understand from that perspective why the MG might be attractive. We happen to live here, and we love cars, so we want to drive them! I was inches away from buying Roewe, and would probably have if my wife hadn’t digged deep enough to find dirt on that car.
So to clarify my contribution to this thread: I worry that the engineering behing the MG effort might not be all that it is supposed to be BUT it is certainly a big improvement compared to more mass market cars like Geely, Chery, BYD etc….
And just so that you know, I love my Honda.
I would buy a Honda any day over a Chinese made Roewe or MG. The engines in those are great. I had a MINI Cooper then I got a Honda Element with the 2.4. Should be the same engine here in the CRV and the honda minivan. Great engine. Lots of power and good gas mileage. But I have had that car almost 6 years now and it has never been in the shop once for anything other than a oil change and new tires. You aren’t going to see that here with a Chinese car.
Hey the only reason a MINI cooper is more here is it is imported. You are coparing a Honda Civic that is the same price range as a MINI in any other country. It really is the same class car. It isnt some super premium car just because it is imported and cost more. Pretty legitimate to compare it. If they made it here in China it would be about the same price. So shouldn’t the Chinese car companies go for the gold and make a car that people really want. I mean people that have experience with different cars.
hey you can the exhaust hanging low under the car. Same as all the roewes….