The History of MG Cars in India: From the Past to the Present

A British marque, MG Motor was known for making sports cars

MG Hector was the first model brought to India by the brand

The company is lining up exciting models for the next couple of years including the Euniq 7, MG Air EV, and MG4

March 01, 2023 Team CarLelo

The History of MG Cars in India: From the Past to the Present

Morris Garages or MG as it is better known is a British automotive marque which was founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. The company was known for manufacturing British sports cars that made the brand famous. Over the years, the company's ownership changed hands across different business conglomerates to being currently owned by the Chinese automotive manufacturer SAIC Motor. In India, MG Motor made its way through Hector SUV and grabbed tons of attention from customers. Post that, the company continued to introduce SUV based models like the Astor and Gloster.

Let's take a quick look at MG car's history in India along with its current product lineup.

MG Entry into India

MG Motor India is a subsidiary of Shanghai-based Chinese automaker SAIC Motor which sells its vehicles under the banner of the British marque. The subsidiary was set up in 2017, with its sales and manufacturing operations starting back in 2019. MG cars are produced at the company’s production facility located at Halol, Gujarat. Since January 2023, the brand is determined to support localisation. To make this attempt possible, MG decided to raise capital to fund its expansion in India by tapping into the Indian capital market and reducing its shareholding of parent organization SAIC.

MG’s First model for the Indian Market

MG Motor India released its first product, MG Hector in June 2019. The mid-size SUV was based on SAIC Motor's Baojun 530 model. It was launched in the country with a starting price of Rs 12.18 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base trim and for the top-end variant, the price went up to Rs 16.88 lakh (ex-showroom). MG Hector quickly reaped success as it is a spacious 5-seater SUV that offers features including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Over-the-Air (OTA) software update. Further, the Hector continued to be the best-selling car from the brand in MG's India lineup. Later, Hector received cosmetic upgrades that impressed its audience.

Current Product Lineup from MG in India

MG Motor India established the brand's name for providing high-tech features such as a panoramic sunroof, an electrically adjustable driver's seat, connected-car tech, and a 360-degree camera. At present, there are five MG cars that are on sale in India. It includes Hector (Rs 14.73 lakh - Rs 21.73 lakh, ex-showroom), Astor (Rs 10.52 lakh - Rs 18.43 lakh, ex-showroom), Gloster (Rs 32.60 lakh - Rs 41.78 lakh, ex-showroom), Hector Plus (Rs 17.50 lakh - Rs 22.43 lakh, ex-showroom), and ZS EV (Rs 22.98 lakh - Rs 27 lakh, ex-showroom).

Upcoming MG Models

MG Motor India has already left a solid impression on Indian customers. With their great success, the company is preparing to launch its new models including a hydrogen fuel cell and some electric cars. It includes MG Euniq 7, MG Air EV, MG4, MG eRX5, MG Marvel R, MG eHS, MG Mifa 9, MG6, and the MG 5 Estate. If you are excited to buy a new MG car, stay tuned for these new launches from the brand.