SAIC MOTOR

MG’s new NEV model debuts at Goodwood Festival of Speed

MG Cyberster, SAIC Motor’s latest new energy vehicle (NEV) model, made its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which was held in the United Kingdom from July 13 to 16.

MG’s new NEV model debuts at Goodwood Festival of Speed

According to SAIC Motor, MG Cyberster will hit the Chinese market this year before it is made available in the global market next year. Over the next 18 months, MG will launch 10 models, including pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and fuel-cell vehicles.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the world's largest, most prestigious, and oldest vehicle and racing event. Every year, the world's top sports cars and drivers gather here to take on the 1,890-meter mountain track. Many of the world's supercars have been launched at this event, too.

MG Cyberster, the world's first soft-top convertible EV with scissor doors, competed and stood out in the mountain climbing race with many other world-class sports cars. The new pure electric model, which features a cutting-edge design and high-end performance, has caused a huge sensation among car enthusiasts around the world.

SAIC Motor’s MG brand has been one of the carmaker’s best performers in terms of exports. In 2007, MG's new models made their debut in Chile, South America, marking the start of the brand's overseas marketing campaigns.

According to official figures, the annual global sales of MG exceeded 10,000 units in 2009, 50,000 units in 2011, and 150,000 units in 2017. In 2019, its global sales reached 300,000 units, making it the most popular Chinese car brand in overseas markets in terms of sales volume.

The total sales of MG-branded vehicles exceeded 660,000 in 2022, an increase of 26 percent from the previous year, and MG was among the top 10 passenger vehicle brands in nearly 20 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Thailand and Chile.

In 2022, SAIC Motor’s overseas sales reached a record high of 1.01 million units, up 45.9 percent year-on-year, making it China’s first carmaker to achieve overseas sales of 1 million units.

In the first half of this year, MG sold 115,000 vehicles in the European market alone, an increase of 143 percent year-on-year, while MG's NEVs accounted for over 50 percent of its total sales during the same period. The total overseas sales of MG reached 370,000 in the January-June period, an increase of 40 percent over the same period last year.

The European region is expected to be the first overseas zone in which SAIC Motor will see a gross sales volume of more than 200,000 units this year. At the same time, SAIC Motor has been scouting for locations in Europe to build a new factory to meet the growing demands. This year, MG’s full-year sales target is 800,000 units. For its centennial in 2024, the brand aims to hit a worldwide yearly sale performance of one million units.