MG Cars

Brand Overview : Morris Garages, better known by its short abbreviation MG, is a British car brand that’s now owned by the Chinese auto giant SAIC Motor. With a manufacturing facility in Halol (Gujarat) and headquartered in Gurugram, MG operates in India in a joint venture with JSW Group. Most of the MG cars sold in India are rebadged versions of models from Baojun, Maxus and Wuling, the Chinese auto brands that belong to SAIC Motor.
 
Key Milestones In India : The news of the arrival of MG in India was floating at the same time as General Motors announced the decision to quit the Indian car market. In 2017, the parent brand of MG, SAIC Motor, set up its subsidiary as MG Motor India Pvt Ltd in India and acquired the manufacturing facility of General Motors at Halol, Gujarat.
In 2019, MG announced that it would be starting its sales operations in India with the Hector mid-size SUV, which was launched in July 2019. After an overwhelming response to the Hector, MG added the ZS EV electric SUV in the same year in December.
While SAIC Motor was planning to allocate $650 million for further investments for MG in India, the rising border tensions between India and China in 2020 forced the Indian Government to restrict funding from Chinese corporations and entities in India. However, MG tried to expand its operations in India by launching new products across segments, including Hector Plus (three-row version of Hector), Gloster full-size SUV, Astor premium compact SUV and Comet EV.
Further restrictions and norms introduced by the Indian Government to curb Chinese investments forced SAIC Motor to reduce its shareholding in MG Motor India Pvt Ltd. In 2023, SAIC decided to overhaul the joint venture, with new partner JSW Group stepping in with a 35 per cent stake. The remaining shares were divided between SAIC Motor, IndoEdge India Fund, dealer trust and employee stock ownership plan. However, SAIC Motor still has the largest stake of 49 per cent in the newly-formed company, which is now known as JSW MG Motor India Pvt Ltd.
As an aftermath of the revised joint venture, MG showcased the Cyberster electric sportscar in 2024, while also announcing the strategic opening of a premium retail chain for selected premium models in the coming years. MG also expanded its EV lineup with the launch of Windsor EV in September 2024.
 
Product Range And Segments : MG primarily focuses on SUVs and electric vehicles for the Indian car market, since these are the two most talked-about vehicle segments in India. The SUV lineup of MG comprises Astor premium compact SUV, Hector and Hector Plus mid-size SUVs and Gloster full-size SUVs. MG also has a versatile lineup of electric vehicles, which starts with Comet EV micro city car, Windsor EV crossover hatchback and ZS EV premium compact SUV.
 
Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) : MG was one of the first carmakers to start the trend of offering gazillions of modern features in cars to tempt the urban car-buying audience. With the Hector, MG initiated the trend of connected car features and popularised voice command operated functions, which later on was followed by other car companies for even compact vehicle models.
MG was also the first brand to offer a panoramic sunroof in a mass-market model, which has also become a much-preferred car feature in India nowadays. Besides cashing on its success rate of offering best-in-class comfort and convenience features, MG is also known for its versatile electric vehicles, which have grown in popularity in recent times for their ability to make urban driving easier and more affordable.
 
Technology And Innovation : MG has pioneered the concept of connected car features, by offering tech-based connectivity features in its vehicles. For this, MG has tied with several third-party companies, such as Gaana and JioSaavn for music, MapMyIndia for navigation and so on. MG has also partnered with third-party vendors to set up charging infrastructure for electric vehicles across India, making it one of the pioneers in the business.
 
Sustainability And Future Goals : In 2020, Skoda decided to ditch diesel powertrain technology for its vehicles offered in India to have a complete reliance on turbo-petrol engines for a cleaner future. However, Skoda is actively studying the feasibility of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in India, The Czech car brand has already testing the Enyaq iV born-electric SUV in India for quite some time, which is expected to be officially launched in India in 2025. Skoda is also known to be developing a compact electric car as its next-generation mass-market EV for India.
 
Customer Perception And Competitors : MG had a stellar debut in India with the Hector and has enjoyed decent success with the ZS EV. However, the rest of the lineup has only received a lukewarm response amidst the rising competition. The entry-level Comet EV has the Tata Tiago EV as a direct rival, while the Astor has a long list of competitors from Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Toyota, Tata, Mahindra, Kia, Renault, Nissan and Citroen.
With the Hector and Hector Plus, MG is also marking its presence in the mid-size SUV segment, which is currently dominated by Tata, Mahindra and Jeep. Meanwhile, the Gloster has an undisputable competition from the Toyota Fortuner. Also, while the Windsor EV is a direct rival to the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV400, the MG ZS EV competes with the Tata Curvv EV and Hyundai Kona EV.
 
Closing Thoughts : After a few roadblocks, the MG-JSW partnership has once again instilled a fresh lease of life in MG’s Indian innings. What started with the Hector as a move to offer the latest tech and trendy features is now being followed by other MG offerings. With a keen focus on expanding its operations in electric mobility, MG is eyeing to capture a larger share of the Indian auto industry in the coming years.