MG Motor’s Tata Nexon-rivalling EV To Arrive In 2023
The upcoming EV will be a crossover based on a global platform but customised to meet the Indian buyer’s needs
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The new crossover EV is expected to be priced from Rs 10 to Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom).
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It will sit below the ZS EV and may get a smaller battery pack and a less premium features list.
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MG is working on localising parts for the new EV including battery assembly and motors.
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It is scheduled to arrive by March 2023 but could be unveiled sooner.
MG Motor is gearing up to add a mass-market electric vehicle to its India lineup. The carmaker has revealed that the new EV will be priced from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom) and will arrive by the end of the next financial year i.e. by March 2023.
The upcoming EV has been under consideration since even before the ZS EV went on sale. While it could have been launched by the end of 2022, the ongoing COVID-19 scenario and semiconductor shortage has made MG push back its plans to 2023.
The new EV will sit below the ZS EV in the carmaker’s India lineup and is expected to use a smaller battery pack and equipment list than MG’s existing electric SUV to keep the prices in check. For reference, the ZS EV is provided with a 44.5kWh battery pack (143PS/353Nm) with a claimed range of 419km. Its premium features include a panoramic sunroof, a 6-way power-adjustable driver seat, and six airbags.
In terms of the shape and size of the new EV, Rajeev stated “It is actually a kind of a crossover and this is going to be based on a global platform which we are going to develop, and this will be an EV for the mass market in all the emerging markets, including India. We will customise this car for the range, customer taste and the Indian regulations. It will be specially tailored for India. We will start working on it right now.”
The carmaker will also be localising a lot of parts (including battery assembly and motors) for the upcoming EV so as to meet the Government Of India (GOI) guidelines for the production linked scheme (PLI). It’ll also help keep the end price in the target range.
The upcoming MG EV is likely to go up against the likes of the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra’s upcoming XUV300 Electric. In related news, MG recently revealed the facelifted ZS EV, and is expected to bring it to India in the second half of 2022.
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