By Moses Akaigwe
The profile of Morris Garages (MG) has been on the upswing since the beginning of 2022 as the brand’s sundry vehicles record remarkable sales in many markets, in Europe, India and some other Asian countries.
In Nigeria where Stallion Group, the new owners of the franchise, unveiled four models in December, 2021, the vehicles with British DNA have been ‘seducing’ customers of other brands with their unique selling qualities.
This was confirmed recently by the General Manager in charge of the MG brand, Anurag Shah, who disclosed that the models introduced into the local market by Stallion in December, namely SUVs MG ZS, MG RX8, MG HS and MG T60 pick-up, have been doing well.
In Europe, the MG achieved a new sales record in March 2022 with 12,378 units – the best sales ever achieved in one month. This result is a 142 percent increase compared to last year March, when MG sold 5.109 units.
In the first quarter of 2022, MG sold 22,135 units in Europe. This is also a significant gain whilst MG sold 8,580 units in Q1 in 2021.
Specifically, in the United Kingdom, MG Motor UK has built on record-breaking 2021 achievement with stellar Q1 sales results. For instance, the brand’s sales for first three months of the year exceeded those for the whole of 2019; thus sustaining the momentum as UK’s fastest-growing mainstream car brand.
Building on the 2021 performance, the marque’s success continued into the new year with registrations in January and February (4,471 units) totalling more than those for the whole of 2017 (4,471 units).
March registrations of 9,367 were greater than the whole of 2018 and the total volume of cars registered by the brand in Q1 2022 (13,838 units) is up 124.6 percent on the first quarter of 2021.
According to the latest figures published by SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) recently, this gives the brand a market share of 3.31 percent year-to-date, up from 1.45 percent in 2021.
Growth was seen across all drivetrains offered by the brand, with petrol sales up 155 percent, PHEV up 441 percent and pure electric up 40 percent. The MG ZS was the brand’s biggest seller, accounting for 29 percent of sales or 4,042 units.
This performance ensures MG remains one of the UK’s most compelling investment opportunities for automotive franchises, with more than 39 new dealer partners joining its network in the past 12 months.
This includes some of the nation’s biggest dealer groups like Vertu Motors, RRG and Arnold Clark.
Guy Pigounakis, Commercial Director at MG Motor UK, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the results we have achieved in the first quarter and that the incredible momentum we built in over the course of a record-breaking 2021 has carried into the new year.
“We are particularly pleased because it means that our core message of cutting edge technology, great quality and exciting cars all at an affordable price is clearly resonating with our target demographic.”
In the Sothern part of Asia, MG Motor India’s Q1 2022 sales rose by 69 percent over Q4 2021. The carmaker retailed 4,721 units in March 2022 alone, but said it has been immensely impacted by the supply chain constraints due to the new COVID-19 variant and the ongoing global semi-conductor chip shortage.
In the Middle East, MG drove into 2022 as the sixth biggest-selling car manufacturer following remarkable 50 percent sales increase in 2021
MG Motor continues to rise up the rankings in the Gulf’s Top 10 car manufacturers as the brand secured 6th position with an unprecedented sales performance in 2021.
The year ended with MG recording a remarkable 3.8 percent market share.
With total sales of 41,165 units, the company’s achievements are particularly impressive, considering the challenging market conditions caused by the global pandemic.
This remarkable milestone could not have been achieved without the exceptional support from MG’s dealer network and the aggressive expansion plans the brand has implemented. As a result, the brand now has a total of 44 showrooms in the region, with 12 new state-of-the-art facilities opened exclusively in 2021.
Back in Nigeria, the General Manager in charge of the MG brand in the Stallion Group, had in a recent interactive session with the motoring press at the MG showroom on Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, hinted that the models to be sold locally would be assembled at the auto company’s plant in Lagos.
Anurag Shah disclosed that one of the vehicles the brand’s lovers have been enamored of is the MG RX8, which features touch-sensitive verves to enjoy press button momentum. Its 10-inch colour touchscreen connects the user to Apple Carplay and Android Auto device.
Tracing its history back to 1924, MG is the iconic British motoring brand, famous for building sporty, exciting and value-for-money cars which are always fun to drive. From the original MG 14/28 Super Sports car, designed by the legendary Cecil Kimber, to the all-electric MG5 EV of today, MG has always been innovative, always been radical and always been fun!
Today, MG is the fastest growing car brand in the UK, fielding a six-car range of practical and affordable hatchbacks, SWs and SUVs. Designed in Marylebone, London, and manufactured in state-of-the-art factories in several countries, today’s MGs are practical, spacious, packed with technology and perfect for modern life.