MG belongs to the Chinese brand that has developed very well in foreign markets. Now, in the face of Australia's booming pickup market, they can't sit still. MG wants to enter Australia's crowded pickup market, but it says it is waiting for the right product.
Asked if the Australia pickup truck market was already oversaturated, Giles Belcher, chief commercial officer of MG Motors Australia, told the outlet, "As long as it's ours and it's the right product, there's room for another one." We are always evaluating market opportunities. It is clear that the double-row pickup market has a significant share of the Australia market. ”
"So if there's a suitable product on the market – not yet – if it does come on, we'll evaluate the performance of this car against the market here. If a suitable pickup comes along, nothing has come of it yet, but if there is, we will definitely consider it. This car has been in the works for a long time, so we wanted to make sure it was the right fit. ”
MG insists it will not simply introduce pickup trucks already sold in Thailand directly to Australia.
It was named the Extender in Thailand. Available in both extended and double-row styles, it is powered by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine that produces 119 kW of power and 375 Nm of torque. MG Thailand offers a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission as well as two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive options.
Akshat Ahuja, Senior Product and Strategy Manager, said: "The kind of product that currently exists is not suitable for our market. For us, the priority is not just to launch a pickup, we want to bring the right product to Australia, and it's definitely for the market. ”
MG is one of the many brands under SAIC, and LDV is another brand. SAIC Maxus is about to launch the next-generation diesel and electric pickup truck, the Star X. It's unclear if MG's next pickup will be based on this car, which comes in the form of an electric pickup truck with a 138 kW front and 216 kW rear electric motors. According to the official filing, the Star X's 2.5-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine produces 165 kilowatts of power.
While MG mainly manufactures passenger cars and SUVs in markets such as China and Australia, it has a more comprehensive range of models in Thailand. There are not only pickup trucks, but also manned vehicles MG Maxus 7 and even a manned version of the classic car MG V80.