mgf.be

[brusten]

MG's stunning new sports saloon heads the reborn company's drive to take on Europe’s best, the MG7 is set to share Vauxhall Insignia’s chassis and engine line-up.
It’s the news that every MG enthusiast wanted to hear… the marque is back, and it’s taking on BMW’s 3-Series!

This is our best look yet at an all-new sports saloon heading for the UK to compete with the German premium brands. And in a shock move, it will share a chassis and engines with the latest Vauxhall Insignia.

Called the MG7, the newcomer will have a Roewe-badged sister car likely to be tagged 750. The two models are part of an ambitious sales drive by MG and Roewe owner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).

The new MG7 will be based on the Insignia’s US stablemate, the Buick Regal. Such a move is a logical expansion of SAIC’s joint ventures, which already see the firm selling Chinese-made Buicks, Chevrolets and Cadillacs.

The new vehicle follows hot on the heels of the MG6, which is due here in spring 2011, followed by the MG3 hatch expected to arrive in 2012. As with these cars, the fresh model’s styling will be penned at the SAIC Longbridge Technical Centre in the West Midlands. Our illustration gives you the best idea yet as to how the car will look.

As you can see, the chiselled, well proportioned shape is far from retro. Evoking memories of the MG ZT, there’s a racy bodykit and sporty alloys. It will be offered in saloon and hatch form, too.

Although the firm has been a joint venture partner with General Motors in China since 1997, the move towards a GM-based car is a recent development, signalling the Chinese intention to move the brands closer together.

Last month, SAIC Motors’ wholly owned subsidiary in Hong Kong acquired a 0.97 per cent stake in the US firm for $500m. It announced that they would be working together on upcoming powertrains.

This was preceded by a ‘memorandum of understanding’ signed by SAIC and GM that the two firms would also be collaborating on future electric and hybrid vehicles. These partnerships give SAIC access to the Epsilon platform, which underpins the Insignia – and is set to be used on the MG7.

GM is rightly proud of this chassis, and even denied Dutch firm Spyker access during its purchase of Saab. Engines will come from the Buick Regal’s line-up, which consists of naturally aspirated 2.0 and 2.4-litre units as well as the potent 2.0-litre turbo found in the sporting Insignias.

Increasing international appeal is a priority for SAIC – meaning there will be a diesel variant, although it’s more likely to be the firm’s own engine shortly to arrive in the MG6. Expect the MG7 to make its European debut in the next three years.

[Mr. Dj M.]

Er is ook al een Roewe 950 op basis van de Insignia.....
Ik vraag me alleen af of het geheel er beter op wordt dan de Roewe 750. Misschien op materiaal gebied, maar op rijeiegnschappen?