MG Motor India has confirmed that its first vehicle to be launched in the country will be a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). The SUV will be launched in Q2 2019 and will not be a sub-4m vehicle.
The SUV, when launched, is said to feature class-leading features and will be 80% localised from day one. The company after the launch of its first vehicle in 2019 will introduce one new product to the Indian market every subsequent year, though the full product portfolio for India is yet to be decided.
Led by strong R&D efforts of its parent company SAIC, which is the 7th largest automaker in the world and largest in China, MG Motor India is also actively considering offering new energy vehicles and is keenly looking to work with all stakeholders involved to implement the technology commercially.
MG Motor India also held it’s first-ever dealership experience event in the country which was aimed at selecting the right partners for its operations in India. With over 2,000 registrations received from prospective dealers on its website since entries began on March 11, 2018, MG Motor India also shared its business plans with the selected prospects from Western India at the event.
To find the right dealers MG Motor India will be conducting an extensive evaluation process. The key selection parameters will include good market credibility, local market knowledge, financial background, digital savviness, excellent operational efficiency and the capability to deliver a differentiated service commitment that surpasses the industry standard and sets new benchmarks. In the first two phases the company aims to have more than 300 touchpoints.
“Like our strong focus on employees and diversity, we have laid out a core philosophy for our dealers as well, for they will be the face of the MG brand for customers. Revolving around the umbrella theme: ‘Together we grow’, our dealer policy inculcates complete transparency and mutual respect while focusing on bringing a practical approach to business,” said Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India.
“With a high degree of emphasis on digitisation and business analytics, we will offer a strong support system to our dealer partners, helping them run their operations effectively and profitably. The overarching goal of this endeavour is to provide a heightened customer experience. We are also looking at engaging diversified partners from the non-automotive business with proven experience across organized customer-oriented retail industry,” added Mr. Chaba.
MG Motor India has planned an investment of more than INR 5000 Crore. The rebuilding of its Halol plant is progressing at a fast pace, including the construction of a new press shop. The company is also in the process of concluding talks with various suppliers to achieve high levels of localisation in its vehicles.
MG Motor India is also looking to build a future-ready organization that sets the industry benchmarks not only in terms of a young and smart work culture but also in terms of diversity; female employees already account for 22% of the company’s total workforce and it plans to further increase the number of female hires in the future.
