MILAN – Once upon a time there was MG, the English spider par excellence: it was there and still is, even if with a completely different skin. The brand, which since 2005 has become the property of the SAIC group, has embarked on an ambitious “return” to Europe with a range of fully electrified SUV-crossover. We talked about it with MG Italia CEO Andrea Bartolomeo.
Re-proposing a historic brand in a world where everything has changed, starting with the products. Does it make sense?
“A brand like MG has however some advantages that are important: it is a strong, historical, iconic brand and these are absolute values; then it is known and recognizable and instinctively reconnects to positive memories”.
In short, a solid base
“Surely, suffice it to say that these positive values have also helped us in the construction of the commercial network for the attitude of the operators towards this new challenge”.
Traditionally, however, the name MG carries a promise, that of cars a little over the top, very different from today’s MGs.
“The risk of disappointing someone because the product is different from tradition exists, it cannot be denied, but the prestige of the brand remains as its notoriety. We must focus on what I call” positive nostalgia “, the connection between the positive image and current and advanced cars, adapted to the times “.
Electrification is the workhorse of many, how can MG become a protagonist in the market?
“We talked about the historical values and the image, plus the fact that these MGs are” Chinese “, therefore born in the culture that is at the forefront of everything that is electric. The fact of belonging to the SAIC group gives us industrial strength and the drive towards globalization. MG produces in China, Thailand and India and is present on the Chinese markets, the main Asian markets, South America and Europe, where by 2022 we will expand our presence to the East “.
An ambitious as well as demanding program.
“This is why we have focused on an extended range, which covers the most popular and expanding segments: from the small ZS (electric and soon also petrol) to the rechargeable hybrid EHS to the electric Marvel R which is our flagship. MG5 we are the first to put an exclusively battery-powered station wagon on the market MG is for SAIC the “export” brand on which to set up the process of diffusion and democratization of electric mobility in the main Western markets.
Does this mean being aggressive in pricing too?
“The commercial strategy is fundamental and now for the models already in distribution there are various promotional initiatives. There is also a strong emphasis on quality, with a 7-year guarantee, also for the batteries. It should be noted that in terms of costs we are helped by the fact that we have the most important electrical technologies “at home”, and therefore we do not have to depend on external suppliers.
A few numbers on the prospects of MG in Italy?
“The commitment is strong with three new models by the end of the year. This year we will close around 1,700 units but in 2022 there will be more than 5,500 and in Europe we will exceed the milestone of 100,000 MGs sold”.
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