MG wants electric sports car for Oz

The first true sports car from the hallowed halls of MG since the demise of the TF model over a decade ago will begin reaching global markets within two years – and Australia may be one of those markets.

Speaking to journalists in Shanghai yesterday, MG’s Vice-President of Design and Global Design Director, Shao Jingfeng, reconfirmed that the e-Motion concept would enter production shortly.

“[At] Last year's Shanghai motor show we launched the e-Motion concept car,” Shao said. “This car will go into production two years later – this EV sports car.”

Subsequently he hinted to Aussie journalists that the electric sports car could be a variant of a broader range, which he said would be all-wheel drive.

Asked about the likelihood we'll see the electric sports car in Australia, Danny Lenartic, the local MG importer's Senior Manager for Marketing and Communications, admitted that a business case for the car here rests on demand in other right-hand drive markets, not least of all Britain.

“It's heavily dependent on UK production estimates,” Lenartic told carsales.com.au, “because their appetite – and Australia's appetite – will determine whether it goes into right-hand drive [production].”

Lenartic hypothesised that a right-hand drive production version would follow left-hand drive production (commencing in 2020) by about a year.

The as-yet-unnamed production sports car will be built on a new 'E-platform' and boast Tesla-like performance – both in terms of range (600km) and acceleration (0-100km/h in four seconds.

MG's parent company, SAIC Motor, guarantees that battery decay in its 'new energy' battery-electric and plug-in hybrid products will be lower than 20 per cent after eight years.