2027 MG2 electric hatch confirmed

A high-ranking MG executive in the UK has revealed the brand is working on a pint-sized electric hatch, to rival likes of the BYD Atto 1 and Renault 5 – and it could arrive by 2027.

The UK boss of MG Motor David Allison told UK publication Autocar, the mini-EV is “the obvious area of the market that’s next to happen” and “we will absolutely be there”.

But don’t expect to see the MG2 on road anytime soon, with Allison admitting the MG2 is “still probably over a year away”, suggesting a launch by 2027.

That would give other markets like Australia enough time to gauge local interest in ultra-light electric hatchbacks, by which time the cut-price BYD Atto 1 (from $23,990 plus on-road costs) will have been on sale for at least 12 months.

The executives wouldn’t be drawn on pricing for the MG2 but suggested the Chinese brand has moved on from targeting ultra-low price points and participating in price wars.

“I think our ethos has always been about value,” Allison told Autocar.

“You know, it has not necessarily been about being the cheapest; it has been about providing the most that we can for the best value for money.

“The ZS is Qashqai-sized, but it's Juke money. And I dare say we will see something similar with the 2.”

It’s thought the MG2 will be underpinned by SAIC’s Modular Scalable Platform (MSP) as per the MG4 and while Allison said “fairly advanced” concepts have already been built, he wouldn’t disclose key details for the city EV.

One thing Allison did reveal was that design would take place in the UK, at MG’s London design studio.

“It has to be [designed in the UK], because that car wouldn’t succeed in China. In a lot of Asian markets, such as [South] Korea, you tend not to see cars smaller than a C-segment hatchback,” Allison said.

“So to try and conceive a four-metre battery-electric car that has very much a European [style] just won’t really work.

“So that kind of car, in my view, has to have a more European-centric approach in terms of styling.”

Still in its infancy, the MG2 is yet to be green-lit for Australia where it would go up against the inbound BYD Atto 1 (here next month) and micro cars like the Fiat 500e and petrol-powered Kia Picanto.

The micro car segment accounts for a fraction of sales in Australia, which could mean the MG2 is ruled out Down Under before it’s even considered.

Even still, Allison said the MG2 makes sense for some markets where MG is yet to gain a foothold.

“You take Italy, for example: the EV mix is under four per cent; it’s tiny,” he said.

“That’s because a lot of [electric] cars aren’t really suited to [the tight] Italian roads.

“But the moment someone comes up with an affordable four-metre or sub-four-metre electric car, then that sort of thing should be really successful. And it’s a space we absolutely should be in.

“I’m very confident that when we do bring something to market like that, we will do really well with it.”

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