MG finally brought back to the road

Months after its partner SAIC launched the nearly identical Roewe 750, Chinese automaker Nanjing Auto has officially launched its own MG7. Based on the original British built MG ZT, the new Chinese version comes with a choice of two new engines.

The first is a turbocharged 1.8L unit producing 160hp, and has been tweaked by famed British engineering company Lotus to conform to Euro 4 emission regulations. This engine is available in three variants of the car. The flagship model, the MG7L, comes equipped with a 2.5L engine producing only 17 more horsepower. This model, however, is 200mm longer and is more luxuriously appointed to cater for the more affluent of buyers.

Yang Junhu, sales director of Nanjing MG, said: “We are bringing British automotive culture to our country. Until now no other car from a British marque has been manufactured and sold in China. Today customers are becoming more demanding in terms of their requirements which we will be able to satisfy thanks to the different variants of the MG7.”

Next month SAIC and Nanjing will finalize a merger agreement to help compete against international industry giants. The merger is seen as extremely beneficial to both parties, especially since the Roewe 750 and MG 7 are near-identical with many parts in common, sharing similar technology.