Mentioned that we've inspected the new GS SUV from MG in quite some detail and spoke at length with MG staff at the motor show.

I was very positive about the new model, being a smart and high quality car with nice stance, looks and a good spec. Certainly, it looks in the league of much more expensive rivals and not a cheap option.

In discussion with the staff, I spoke my mind and said that the 6 needs dropping as it is not the image they want, the 3 needed a better engine from the start rather than and old-tech 1.5 petrol with high CO2 and that their martketing campaign was truly dreadful and aimed at middle-aged women and focused on being cheap which is a mistake.

This went down well with the head of marketing who I was speaking to who defended it saying rather than getting in the youngsters and moving them up the range they want to get the middle age people to buy and work from there. He could not answer why they had gone with "More MG for your money" rather than making it desirable and attractive.

With the well-designed GS, I was expecting a sea-change and for it to do really well: start price for 2wd £14,500 and top spec AWD with nav/leather under 20K which is the start price of a Qashqai.

Given the car is designed, developed, tested, shaken down and tuned etc in the UK for the UK with UK staff and built in China with 40% European parts, it looked like a good prospect as opposed to a more expensive Kia, Hyundai etc, a great alternative to a high spec Dacia and half the price of a decent spec Tiguan.

I was expecting great things.

So, the email came through after leaving details at the launch:

"Get more MG for your Money"

"The GS will be powered by a sporty 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine"

So, once again crap non-aspirational advertising cheapens it and makes it look like a Dacia alternative and a turbo petrol engine, no diesel on launch.

Madness.

It really annoys me that what looks like a great car is being marketed by goons. I get that R&D costs for a diesel may be a step too far, but sell what you have built, properly...!

Raarrrh.

Edited 12 May, 201610 yr by mender

Front end in that pic looks lime a renault captur... imo...

No diesel is probably down to everyone starting to turn against it again for "eco friendliness" so they are probably saving the rnd cost until the market makes itself known..

Front end in that pic looks lime a renault captur... imo...

No diesel is probably down to everyone starting to turn against it again for "eco friendliness" so they are probably saving the rnd cost until the market makes itself known..

Looks like the segment above to me, Qashqai etc

Petrol maybe, but "sporty" petrol no mention of efficiency, economy, CO2, tax etc... (tax rates change March 2017 to £140pa universal, with first year loading and loading for 5 years for 40k+ cars, though)

What my point is that it looks superb in and out, price is right, engine may be ok choice but MARKET IT CORRECTLY, make it appear desirable to all not just the cheap option for penny pinchers.

My son has a nearly new diesel MG6, he really likes it, certainly he had no complaints after the drive across France and back last month.

Maybe diesel is a poor investment at the moment.

 

They should really be looking at how companies like Kia, Hyundai, and Skoda came back from being bargain basement rough motoring to something mainstream.

It's possible that the market is just a little crowded for them to come in there now.

 

People don't trust Chinese build quality in cars. Whether that is deserved or not doesn't matter.

I can see why they might be targeting that segment. The young segment is full and rather hard to break into, it dominated by cool chic french cars or hot hatches, either of which the MG's fall into.

As for sales, MG towards the end was (and let's not sugar coat it) managed by the biggest bunch of f**kwits going. People remember the badly made cars and the depreciating like a brick 15 year old polished turds. Don't get me wrong thr engineering team worked a miracle on what funds they had given to them.

Add onto that the fact that it's made in China, a place of late not exactly well know for a top quality product, sales are always going to be a hard call.

Interesting in Asia markets (for example in Thailand) the MG is advertised and sold as being "British Designed and Made", unlike here that actually accounts for something.

Edited 13 May, 201610 yr by M12MKD

Ah, found it, thread moved...!!

Some interesting points above

I quite like the MG6 but my point is that to sell the SUV they need to get the brand image right; a funky hatch (with a better power-plant) and an SUV go together, but the old man saloon takes away from both, however decent it could be.

Turbo petrol is the way many are going now but "efficient" or "dynamic" would be a better way of selling it than "sporty" which is a 90s buzz-word.

They can't associate the brand as British in the UK as the Chinese link would be made more of, but "developed by British engineers on British roads" or "lovingly engineered for British roads" or similar would work.

I really like the actual car, I could live with a petrol turbo power-plant if emissions, insurance and running costs stacked up, I think the price is attractive...but the brand says to me "Chinese" (they are getting there now like the Koreans did, but would I trust my own money on being ahead of the curve? Not without huge reassurance from branding), it says failed brand, old man brand and so on.

Their advertising makes it far worse by selling it as a budget brand, discounting the unpopular MG6 to 9k so depreciation terrifies me, selling the MG3 with the most god-awful ads ever and so on.

Drop the MG6, re-brand (and facelift to mirror the GS) the MG3 with better ads (and fit a better engine if costs allow), drop the budget orientation, make more of the British engineering and tuning for British roads, make the GS the flagship and aspirational as an alternative to other SUVs other than Dacia and don't discount it to death to keep used values decent.

Oh, and explain why a turbo petrol is a good idea in an SUV instead of the benchmark diesel option-the new unit may be a far better choice-convince me why...

It is not rocket science.

 

 

People don't trust Chinese build quality in cars. Whether that is deserved or not doesn't matter.

 

 

The problem is that the Chinese build for two distinct markets - shoddy crap for (mostly) home consumption - made both by large companies and small, back street operations, and higher quality stuff for overseas.

 

A LOT of modern electronics, including some high end Hifi gear, is now made in China; some of it is even DESIGNED in China.

 

As for reliability, how would you rate the Honda Jazz 2001-2008 ?? A highly rated car throughout its production run - they were all made in a single factory in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

 

SWMBO regularly sends childrens clothes back to her sisters; it may be "Made in China", but it is made for export and far better quality than the clothes produced for the Chinese home market.

After what happened to MG Rover its always going to be an uphill struggle to revive the MG brand.

Everyone knows they are Chinese knock down kits built in what's left of Longbridge.

I think your wrong, its not possible to market MG brand as prestige until they rebuild the reputation, might take 20 years.

The cars are priced as Dacia rivals so its marketed in that way, cheap and cheerful. I reckon the 6 will be dropped if the SUV sells well.

A lesson from history....BMW tried to take Rover and MG upmarket, increasing the prices for the same old Hondas, look where that got us??

I've got total disdain for the brand now.

 

I feel as though the UK has been cheated out of a once truly total  BRITISH brand, and is now being cheapened by the Chinese.

Makes me so sad

 

Just quite simply sticks in my throat, sorry

The problem is that the Chinese build for two distinct markets - shoddy crap for (mostly) home consumption - made both by large companies and small, back street operations, and higher quality stuff for overseas.

 

A LOT of modern electronics, including some high end Hifi gear, is now made in China; some of it is even DESIGNED in China.

 

As for reliability, how would you rate the Honda Jazz 2001-2008 ?? A highly rated car throughout its production run - they were all made in a single factory in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

 

SWMBO regularly sends childrens clothes back to her sisters; it may be "Made in China", but it is made for export and far better quality than the clothes produced for the Chinese home market.

Haha, forgot about the Jazz!!

As I said, the Chinese stuff is going to have its day, the quality is better year on year and as you say a lot stuff we love is built there, like my iPhone.....

Hyundai and Kia were a joke to start with but proved themselves and now have class leading products and warranties to back them up.

MG could do a sales pitch and sell the idea of a state of the art factory in China building UK designed and tuned models, they just need to come clean and stop trying to be a British brand, as deceit puts off buyers...

It is all in the marketing, the GS looks every bit as good as the competition, but at a cheaper price so why so difficult for MG to market it right and gain brand respect?

I'm not at all jingoistic, my favourite cars have been from Malaysia, Thailand and so on, I want good design and total reliability. Adding to that a car being designed for UK roads in a new flagship facility would sell it to me.

At the moment I am perceiving embarrassment about the Chinese link not pride in new tech, I am perceiving a badly thought out engine range choice (which could very well be a far better choice than a diesel-so convince me, MG) and perceiving the brand as being sold as an alternative to Dacia to those who vaguely think nothing ever happened to MG so it is still in Longbridge.

MG: make it desirable as the British tuned SUV made for our roads by a British design team, not perceived by all as simply the cheap option; be proud of the tie-up to a major Chinese producer and sell the benefits; tell us why a 1.5 turbo petrol is appropriate as opposed to a diesel (and use words like dynamic, efficient, proven-not SPORTY) and cover all the reasons NOT to buy.

Looks like a great car, but dull marketing in the extreme at the moment, chaps

I've got total disdain for the brand now.

 

I feel as though the UK has been cheated out of a once truly total  BRITISH brand, and is now being cheapened by the Chinese.

Makes me so sad

 

Just quite simply sticks in my throat, sorry

This is the view of many, MG-read on!

What they should be marketing is the brand being resurrected by a new global player and investing huge sums in a brand new up to date model which looks forward and uses the latest technology, but thoroughly designed and tuned for UK use.

In the marketing, they could introduce the UK staff, like the suspension guy I met who was shaking the GS down on British roads and making minute adjustments.

There is a big UK team working on and managing the production of the GS-that is a good thing, we have not lost a brand, it should be seen as having evolved, leaving behind the old-man image but keeping a British style and sense of purpose.

Don't hide the Chinese tie-up, tell us the R&D is coming from a global player and is giving the model more benefits than being developed at Longbridge: they took the staff and the know-how, paired up with a major player, sourced quality parts from UK, Europe and elsewhere, employed a UK design and management team and created the GS, which was then specifically tuned for the UK roads and preferences. Who else does that?

It's all spin, but we still have MG, they have UK nous making it and sorting it, the car looks great and the price is right.... Why be put off by Chinese input? They've got money, R&D funding, state of the art facilities and the pairing should be a match made in heaven.

Hyundai/Kia is Korean, the Jazz is made in China, a lot of brand-heavy stuff is getting built in the Philippines-why not China? As I said, my iPhone is made there and is the best thing ever.

MG stop the nonsense, listen please!

They are missing a promotional trick in not buying the rights to use the BRITISH LEYLAND name & have BLMC badges.

 

If the UK leaves the EU and the Indian, Japanese & German Car Manufacturers move production to Mainland Europe 

The owners of the Chinese Car Makers will be able to cash in on the wave of nostalgia that will sweep the UK and people wanting to

buy pretty poor design and finish for too much money.

I don't know, but the company just doesn't seem to be getting to grips with the UK market.

All seems wishy washy and half baked to me, which is sad.

 

Absolutely nothing to grab the attention of most.

Even their attempt at advertising just feels sort of cheap, plasticy and nasty to me somehow.

From what I have seen on the MG website, the current range of their cars bear no resemblance to what an MG should look like and are no different from everything else, ie dead boring weird looking junk.I assumed the new owners would make and market a brilliant sports car,some hopes so it seems. The name of M G has been rubbished. Other than the name and badge, no reason for considering one.

I was working on one in a garage a few years ago when they were first re-introduced back into the UK, and this bloke leaned in and asked me what I thought of it generally 

Looked around, tapped and squished the dashboard and general fitting and furniture, and said.......," pretty low rent imho.Doesn't feel very well screwed together, scratchy surfaces and poor design that isn't pleasing on the eye. Might drive ok, I don't know as I haven't moved it, why?"

 

He looked all disappointed and told me it was his car!!   .

I apologised as I truly didn't realise, but he was ok about it..

They are missing a promotional trick in not buying the rights to use the BRITISH LEYLAND name & have BLMC badges.

 

...

 

That brings back terrible meories for those of us old enough. 

The Lord Stokes/Michael Edwardes era, when too much attention was paid to trying to sell cars that were badly designed, badly built, had brand names changed almost weekly and the business was on a one-way road to oblivion.

 

Well, maybe some were very well designed, but too much focus was on the power battles beween management and the unions and not on the "product" and the outcome was inevitable.  IMHO.

I was working on one in a garage a few years ago when they were first re-introduced back into the UK, and this bloke leaned in and asked me what I thought of it generally 

Looked around, tapped and squished the dashboard and general fitting and furniture, and said.......," pretty low rent imho.Doesn't feel very well screwed together, scratchy surfaces and poor design that isn't pleasing on the eye. Might drive ok, I don't know as I haven't moved it, why?"

 

He looked all disappointed and told me it was his car!!   .

I apologised as I truly didn't realise, but he was ok about it..

 

 

He probably knew it himself, just looking for a professional to tell him otherwise. A triumph of hope over expectation.

I do actually know someone that owns one.....don't ask me WHICH one, as is always the case, i cannot abide cars with number names and consequently can't remeber which one is which.

Anyway, he will NOT have a bad word said about his Chinese thing.

Best car he's ever had...apparently, so he says. :no:

 

Each to their own I suppose.

Edited 16 May, 201610 yr by Adenuf

Someone must be filling in the surveys in a positive way.

Maybe owners, maybe MG employees / dealers, or maybe that is all one and the same.

High scores of so few cars that get sold.

http://mg.co.uk/news/2016/04/20/mg-riding-high-in-driver-power-survey

Someone must be filling in the surveys in a positive way.

Maybe owners, maybe MG employees / dealers, or maybe that is all one and the same.

High scores of so few cars that get sold.

http://mg.co.uk/news/2016/04/20/mg-riding-high-in-driver-power-survey

I actually wonder if people buy these as they think they are purchasing a piece of British/English heritage perhaps, and consequently become extremely protective, flag waving and  all gooey eyed and patriotic about the brand, regardless of its actual real world quality?

 

Just suggesting / saying

2 Years ago when MG did so well in a survey and got highly placed i checked how many cars were Registered in the UK and there were only a few dozen of that particular model.

 

Lots of odd results come in the 'Which' surveys and others where those doing surveys might or might not actually own or drive the particular cars.

Again just saying.   Dealership / sales employees not selling many cars might have lots more time on their hands.

 

An Example of what can happen, this time in Germany.

http://dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2542797/Germanys.html

Edited 16 May, 201610 yr by GoneOffSKi

2 Years ago when MG did so well in a survey and got highly placed i checked how many cars were Registered in the UK and there were only a few dozen of that particular model.

 

Lots of odd results come in the 'Which' surveys and others where those doing surveys might or might not actually own or drive the particular cars.

Again just saying.   Dealership / sales employees not selling many cars might have lots more time on their hands.

 

An Example of what can happen, this time in Germany.

http://dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2542797/Germanys.html

Now I'd NEVER have dreamt that this sort of shenanigans ever went on..

Where I live there is an MG dealer in a little village. As such lots of locals have bought one of the new versions simply because the garage is close and has been around for ever and ever. They were original Rover/MG dealers before the collapse, then Chevrolet and now because they have pulled out of the UK they have gone back to MG. 

 

I've got to say the MG3 (small hatch) is quite nice. I looked at the MG6 Saloon but decided the quality wasn't quite there and the engine at the time was only a 1.8t petrol with dire emissions and power output for what I wanted. I was very very tempted when motor point were selling delivery mileage brand new MG6's for £9999 in top spec magnete spec..something to do with MG registering loads and not shifting them, I haven't seen them make that mistake again. Rumours were it was a hire company deal that went sour.

I too like the mg3

Looks nice,right size car and number of doors

Just the engine that let's it down

So near,yet so far....

Shame