MG's first SUV a month away

MG Motor Australia has finally confirmed a launch date for the resurrected British brand's first SUV, the GS, which we drove in Dubai back in November 2015, when indicative local specifications, an estimated starting price of $22,990 drive-away and (third-quarter 2016) launch timing were announced.

The MG GS, which was spied testing Down Under in February last year and has received a four-star ANCAP safety rating will join the MG 3 light-car and MG 6 small-car on sale from March 28.

Like the MG 3 and MG 6, which were launched last November and come with three- and four-star ANCAP ratings respectively, the mid-size GS crossover will initially be available via just three Australian MG dealers, in Sydney (Geoff King Motors Macarthur), Coffs Harbour (MG Coffs Harbour) and Brisbane (Norris Motor Group).

However, MG Motor Australia is hoping to rapidly expand its national retail network and has bold plans to sell 20,000 vehicles Down Under by 2025, the majority of which is expected to come from the GS.

“We’re very excited to bolster our operations in Australia with the strategic appointment of the first dealer representatives for the country," said MG Motor Australia general manager Zhu Chao earlier this month.

As with the MG 3 hatch (priced from $13,990 plus on-road costs to rival micro-cars like the Holden Spark, Kia Picanto and Mitsubishi Mirage) and MG 6 PLUS hatch and sedan (from $21,990 plus ORCs to compete with the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3), which were launched in November, the GS is expected to be offered with a six-year/unlimited-km warranty, roadside assist and capped-price servicing.

Official MG GS pricing and specs are yet to be announced, but we understand the British-designed, Chinese-made medium SUV will be priced at $25,990 plus on-road costs for the entry-level Core model and $27,990 for the higher Soul grade.

The base GS model will be powered by a GM-developed 119kW/250Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine driving the front wheels through a seven-speed double-clutch automatic transmission. Fuel consumption is rated at 7.4L/100km.

It remains unclear whether the GS will be available here in 164kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol all-wheel drive form, or with the MG 6's 110kW/350Nm 1.8-litre turbo-diesel engine.

When ANCAP announced its four-star rating for the GS in January -- thanks in part due to its lack of safety features like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane support systems, second-row seat belt reminders or a driver’s knee airbag -- it said it was “working with MG” in China to improve the car's safety equipment and therefore safety rating. However, motoring.com.au understands this is unlikely to take place before the GS launch late next month.

As it stands, standard safety features extend to dual front, side and head airbags, reversing camera, reversing sensors, hill-hold assist, electronic brake assist and electronic stability control.

Other standard equipment includes automatic headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED tail-lights 17-inch wheels, climate-control, rear air-conditioning vents, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, six-speaker sound, cruise control, leather steering wheel trim, rear fog lights, roof-rails, remote central locking, powered/heated exterior mirrors and an electronic parking brake.

In addition, the Soul variant comes with 18-inch wheels, satellite-navigation, power-adjustable front seats, front fog lights, leatherette trim and a colour multifunction instrument display.

Riding on an all-new platform with a 2650mm wheelbase and being slightly smaller than Mazda's top-selling CX-5 overall, the GS measures 4500mm long, 1855mm wide, 1699mm tall and comes with a 483-litre boot and total cargo capacity of 1336 litres.

MG's initial three-model launch range, which will be promoted by an MG6 race program in the 2017 Australian Production Car Championship led by James Brock, who will debut the car at the Bathurst 6 Hour in April, will be further bolstered by the Australian release of the all-new MG ZS small SUV in the final quarter of 2017.

Now owned by China’s largest automotive company, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (SAIC Motor), the historic British brand has had several false starts in Australia, which will be among the first and most important western markets in SAIC's five-year plan to establish the MG brand globally with a full line-up of passenger vehicles and SUVs.

While the MG 3 and MG GS are available in Australia for the first time, the MG 6 was launched unsuccessfully here in 2013 by independent Sydney-based importer Longwell Motor, which failed to establish a national dealer network and was left with almost 400 cars on grass.

The MG 3 and facelifted MG 6 were due to be released in Australia last May, but SAIC's plan to relaunch the MG brand here were delayed by legal proceedings between the car-maker and its previous local distributor, which relinquished its rights on January 1, 2016.

SAIC has joint-ventures with General Motors and Volkswagen in China, and also develops and sells its own MG (formerly Morris Garages) and Roewe (formerly Rover) passenger cars and Maxus commercial vehicles, which are sold in Australia via private importer Ateco Automotive under the LDV brand. MG will be the fourth SAIC brand -- after LDV, Great Wall Motors and premium SUV sister marque Haval -- to arrive Down Under.

SAIC Motor took control of MG in 2007, when it merged with Nanjing Auto, which had bought the bankrupt British business in 2005. Roewe was built from the remains of the bankrupt Rover business acquired by SAIC in 2005. Roewe is SAIC’s domestic brand, while MG will become its global brand and retains design and engineering facilities at its traditional Longbridge base in the UK as well as in Shanghai.

SAIC has a factory in Thailand, where it plans to eventually build all right-hand drive vehicles, and a joint-venture factory and supply park in Indonesia.