MG, the iconic British brand that has a 100-year history, is back in Malaysia. Although most people may think the brand ended its presence in the 1970s, it actually returned for a while in the 2000s, sold by a company called Brooklands Motors. However, it disappeared again after 2006 as both the local representative and MG itself went through changes.
The brand and its factory were acquired by China’s SAIC in 2007 and though it seemed to be stuck with legacy models for a while, things changed quickly as a new generation of models was developed. Being a Chinese company, SAIC also got on the ‘EV’ wave as guided by the government’s New Energy policy which is paying off tpday with Chinese carmakers having an edge in EV technologies.
SAIC has actually been looking at the Malaysian market for at least 10 years and even approached various parties for discussions. However, it is only now that the company is making its entry and it is doing so with its own subsidiary, SAIC Motor Malaysia (SMM), in the same way the other Chinese carmakers are entering the market.
The conditions are ideal for their entry with the government offering duty-free incentives for EVs, so SAIC has started off the MG return with only EV models. As every carmaker wanting to do business in Malaysia knows, in order to grow, local assembly – and localisation of parts – is absolutely necessary. Locally-assembled vehicles can benefit from additional incentives and policies which help the companies to offset their production costs and price their products competitively.
Local assembly confirmed
SMM is fully aware of this and also that the duty-free incentive will no longer be available after the end of 2025 although EVs assembled locally will still have it for a few extra years after that. The company confirmed that it will definitely assemble locally but is not giving any details at this time.
For now, its vehicles will come from China in CBU (completely built-up) form. Its new factory in Thailand started operations last year and is said to be designated as MG’s Southeast Asia manufacturing hub for righthand drive models for the Thai and ASEAN markets.
SMM could also source from there in future and enjoy the import-duty exemptions allowed under the AFTA agreement. But it will still be beneficial to assemble in Malaysia to obtain the incentives which the government gives which can make a significant difference in pricing. It is likely that some models will come from the Thai factory, while the most popular ones will be assembled in Malaysia.
For now, two models have been launched – the MG4 (four variants) and ZS – with the following prices (excluding insurance)
ZS – from RM125,999
MG4 Standard – from RM103,999
MG4 Lux – from RM128,999
MG4 Lux Extended Range – from RM148,999
MG4 XPOWER – from RM158,999
Different battery capacities
Each of the MG4 versions has a battery pack with a different capacity – from 51 kWh to 77 kWh – and depending on the capacity, the claimed range is from 350 kms to 520 kms. The ZS comes in only one version with a 51.1 kW battery pack that is said to give a range of up to 320 kms.
Recharging can be done with DC power supply up to 150 kW. 10% to 80% recharge is said to take 26 minutes. With AC power, a 10% to 100% recharge can take up to 10 hours for the largest capacity pack.
The vehicle warranty is 7 years or maximum of 150,000 kms, and 8 years or maximum of 180,000 kms for the battery pack. Additionally, there will be a full battery replacement if its condition is less than 70% during the battery warranty period.
For the ‘early bird’ buyers
As an early bird reward, SAIC Motor Malaysia offers customers buying the new MG EVs before April 30, 2024 complimentary items. Depending on the model, these are free wallbox chargers and/or charging credits worth RM1,000 which can be used with two charging providers.
Insurance tailored for EVs
SMM has also partnered with three insurance companies to offer its customers the MG Insurance Program which includes unlimited towing cost coverage (useful in the event the battery energy runs out and there is no recharging station nearby) and coverage for the home wallbox charger (up to RM10,000).
Additionally, the Allianz EV Shield option is available to provide insurance coverage in the event of a fire caused by the wallbox charger, charging cable problems or at public charging stations. Vehicle owners will be compensated up to RM5,000, besides compensation under the vehicle insurance coverage.
The MG network in Malaysia
SMM has been appointing dealers around the country since last year and has confirmed the appointment of 17. It expects the network to have 25 dealers before the end of this year.
![MG Cyberster EV [2024]](https://www.motaauto.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/MG-Cyberster-EV-2024-2-1024x538.png)
