MG has decided to enter the compact sedan segment with its 2022 GT model. Although SUVs have commanded attention in the Mexican market, the compact sedan segment still generates a quarter of new vehicle sales in the country, which is reason enough for MG to want a slice of that pie.
To position the GT as an attractive alternative to the leading models in the segment –Volkswagen Jetta, Nissan Sentra and Kia Forte–, MG has endowed its model with an attractive design, striking colors, an interior equipment that conquers looks and prices that they range from 400,000 to 465,000 pesos.
“We want to position our model right in the middle of the segment and we will do it with three versions that we offer with a very attractive price-value ratio,” explains Josimar Hernández, product and strategic planning manager at MG Motor México.
Prices, engine and equipment of the MG GT 2022
The intermediate version of 440,900 pesos – called Excite – has a 10.2-inch screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, sunroof, 17-inch aluminum wheels with Michelin tires, four airbags, a 360 camera and LED lighting.
Other competing models with similar equipment are priced above 460,000 pesos. The top-of-the-range version of the 464,900 MG GT also offers heated seats, paddle shifters and six airbags.
Unlike these two, the entry version Style, for 399,900 pesos, has a reverse camera instead of the 360 and does not have a sunroof, but retains the 10.2-inch screen, the Michelin tires with 17-inch wheels and the four airbags from the Excite version.
Another distinctive aspect of the model is the exterior design, developed at the SAIC Advanced Design Center in London, England –MG is a brand of English origin and SAIC Motor is the company that owns the brand–, which breaks with the traditional aesthetics of sedans, since the fastback drop in the rear gives it a more sporty and modern style.
In addition, the range of exterior colors, led by a bright yellow, and the two proposals for interior combinations – in black, gray and red tones – move away from the sobriety that until a few years ago characterized compact sedans.
The MG GT comes with a single engine for its three versions: a 1.5-liter turbo, which, coupled with an automatic transmission that emulates seven changes, offers a power of 160 hp and a torque of 185 pound-feet. According to the manufacturer’s technical date , the model offers a fuel efficiency of 15.6 km / l in the city, 22.7 km / l on the highway and 18.2 km / l combined.
Unit Availability
MG sold just over 14,000 units in 2021, a volume that allowed it to position itself in the middle of the sales ranking in Mexico in its first full year on the market. In addition to model offerings and attractive price tags, brand officials attribute MG’s success to unit availability.
“SAIC Motor has its own chip plant, which has allowed us to face global shortages and maintain a constant inventory of models,” says Daniel Nava, vice president of MG Motor Mexico.
The first 1,000 units of the GT 2022 model are already distributed in the 65 dealerships that the brand has in the country. “But this volume is just for the start, we want to sell about 7,000 units of this model in the year,” Nava details.
This volume would represent almost a quarter of the sales that MG expects to reach in 2022: 30,000 units, equivalent to 3% market share in Mexico. With this volume, MG will be positioned among the top 15 of more than 40 competing brands in the light vehicle market.
