As we’ve already reported, the MG brand has been entrusted to a new steward, effective on the first day of this month. The new distributor happens to be the same importer and seller of Chevrolet in our market, The Covenant Car Company, Inc. Yesterday, TCCCI formally announced this business development to the media, and also showed off the three MG vehicles now available in its stable. We consider this a brand “relaunch” even if TCCCI prefers to call it a “launch” because we can’t ignore the fact that MG was previously represented in the country by a different organization—however small (and incompetent) that organization may have been.
Anyway, we just want to say that the event was classy from start to finish—further proof that a legitimately supported distributor does things the right way. Here are the three vehicles you can now purchase from MG Philippines (note that the prices indicated here are all labeled as “introductory” in the press statement, so there’s a chance they could increase after a while). These cars are all manufactured in China, as MG is now owned by the Chinese automaker SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation).
MG ZS. This is a subcompact crossover SUV that’s about the size of the Mazda CX-3 (possibly slightly bigger). It’s equipped with a 1.5-liter naturally aspirated straight-four gasoline engine rated at 118hp (although the official communication says 114hp) and 150Nm. You might recall that the previous distributor launched this model in late January this year, with a price of P1,127,777. Well, good news: The three variants now being offered by the TCCCI-managed brand are all below the P1-million mark.
- ZS Style MT – P818,888
- ZS Style AT – P868,888
- ZS Alpha AT – P998,888
MG RX5. In China, this compact SUV is sold with a Roewe badge. It looks like a cross between the Honda CR-V and the Volkswagen Tiguan. It is also powered by a 1.5-liter gasoline engine, but turbocharged to better serve the car’s size and purpose, producing 162hp and 250Nm. One of its selling points is an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment display that’s compatible with Apple CarPlay.
- RX5 Core MT – P1,058,888
- RX5 Style AT – P1,228,888
MG 6. This liftback sedan, if we’re not mistaken, is sized between compact and midsize. Based on the product overview given to us, it seems to have exactly the same 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine as the one in the RX5. Because the exterior of this car has sporty aspirations, MG has given it a host of standard safety features, including antilock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, cornering brake control, hill-start assist and traction control.
- 6 Alpha AT – P1,068,888
- 6 Trophy AT – P1,188,888
All’s well that ends well, we guess. With TCCCI now handling MG, you can now expect professional-looking dealerships and better after-sales service. Next year, MG Philippines intends to launch three more new vehicles to give itself a six-model portfolio. The new team is also set to open 16 dealerships nationwide. On top of these, the new MG-TCCCI partnership is offering a five-year/100,000km warranty for every car it sells.
At the brand relaunch, they kept playing the song “Here Comes The Sun.” Here it comes indeed for MG in the Philippines.
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