[witness]

Found on .org but thought I would let you now.

Rob

 

[TimmR_ZS180]

What's the story with the chequered car ... imagine being behind it? You'd have an accident! Which wouldn't be good because it's not on MID ... LOL

The MG does not have a model name on HPI but is a 1.8 and was registered on 3/6/2010. It's insured as a "Roewe MG6".

Back to sleep!

 

[witness]

I guess the Roewe is wrapped like that to disguise it, looks like an Alice in Wonderland mind bend.

Just checked nurborgringphotos.com and it on there too but the Roewe isn't:

http://www.nurburgringphotos.com/search.php?search=vx10+ksu&match_type=all&date1=&date2=

 

[billbo]

Mazda 6 wanabee. OHHH a bet zee Germans were worried when they spotted that boat on (small looking) wheels. It's a rep. car, end of.
NanjMG have left it too long imo. It 'might' have had an impact 12 months ago.:bored
Come on NanjMG!!!!! Give us something to be excited about!!

 

[Windy]

that boat on (small looking) wheels.

Only 18" wheels!

 

[TimmR_ZS180]

The chequered "Roewe" is a 2.5l Rover 75 Connoisseur according to the vehicle check i just did ...

Mind you, what's in a VRN???

 

[DeMoNPauL]

Come on NanjMG!!!!! Give us something to be excited about!!

Come on Alan give them a break:twak2:

Ford are still struggling to do just that.:sofa:

 

[tcb180]

I agree with Alan on this one. It just looks like it could be a dozen other marques.

 

[billbo]

Only 18" wheels!

Yes but even 18's LOOK small because the the body is so big.
We keep hearing NanjMG are gonna get the styling sorted for the UK market but all we ever see are boring versions that are so unremarkable to look at.
Don't talk about Ford Paul. Thats swearing in this house now.:lol:

 

[kindofblue]

:

I'm undecided but def erring towards Alans view. I think I read the biggest engine will be the turbo 1.8 in the MG6 and that whilst being pretty well appointed (for a Chinese car) the build quality was not great (on the show car). This version has been developed for Europe by a small (former) MGR team based at Longbridge to setup the car, suspension etc for our roads and driving tastes but clearly they are still under Chinese limitations.

I think if it was (just) a Rover and at a decent price it would sell OK but MG is supposed to be the performance mark and I cannot see anything exciting here either.... not when MGR were working on a supercharged ZS KV6 with 230 BHP+ before the demise and Honda's sibling, the Accord, has the Type R.

I don't think the Chinese understand what MG means.... maybe the read the old anecdote MG car = My Grandad's car.

Have they sold many TF's does anybody know?

P

 

[Windy]

I think I read the biggest engine will be the turbo 1.8 in the MG6

The smallest engine in the MG6 will be the turbo 1.8!

and that whilst being pretty well appointed (for a Chinese car) the build quality was not great (on the show car).

The one I looked at, while not up to the standards of a Rolls Royce was better than I had expected and considerably more refined than a ZS on the road.

This version has been developed for Europe by a small (former) MGR team based at Longbridge to setup the car, suspension etc for our roads and driving tastes but clearly they are still under Chinese limitations.

The MG6 was designed from scratch at Longbridge.

http://www.mguk.org/mg-6-f13/mg6-the-design-story-by-tony-williams-t175.htm

I think if it was (just) a Rover and at a decent price it would sell OK but MG is supposed to be the performance mark and I cannot see anything exciting here either.... not when MGR were working on a supercharged ZS KV6 with 230 BHP+ before the demise and Honda's sibling, the Accord, has the Type R.

Have they said that they wont fit a V6? They have said that they will be fitting their new 3.5L V6 the new 750.

I don't think the Chinese understand what MG means.... maybe the read the old anecdote MG car = My Grandad's car.

It's the British company, MG Motor UK, that decides what goes on sale in the UK.

Have they sold many TF's does anybody know?

 

[kindofblue]

:

Wow Windy - do you work for them or what ??????. Clearly I need some new glasses - 3 out of 10 for my homework. I bow to your knowledge and wisdom and I was not knocking the car for the sake of it.

The majority of stuff I read was on a Chinese website some time ago and part translation. It mentioned the team at Longbridge consulting on the car design but primarily there for the European version of the car under the MG brand. The comments on build quality came from Autocar, not me, about 6 months ago who had the benefit of a full test drive. I would imagine it would be better than a ZS, a car based on a design that is 20 years old, but compared to the immediate competition like a Mazda or maybe even a Vauxhall/Ford its got a tough job ahead of it. It was a pre-production model though so maybe things have tightened up since.

I stand by the comments on performance though. The car in the photo does not excite me at all (1.8 turbo being an entry level or not).... and I'm a current MG owner and enthusiast so maybe Alan is right - who are they targeting because clearly it is not me. I want to see something designed by Peter Stevens that will knock Subaru and co off their perch. Hopefully they will put the 3.5L you mention in it.

Thanks for the chart on sales - that is interesting reading. The Chinese website said that local sales went up when the auto versions were introduced, the manuals not so good.

I'll keep and open mind and have a look at your posts on mguk.org.


P

 

[Gene Hunt]

Yes but even 18's LOOK small because the the body is so big.
We keep hearing NanjMG are gonna get the styling sorted for the UK market but all we ever see are boring versions that are so unremarkable to look at.
Don't talk about Ford Paul. Thats swearing in this house now.:lol:

.......totally agree with this.Styling is horrible & if they think that will sell to a uk market there in for a big shock.

Whats wrong with the Ford now mate ?.

 

[Roverman]

:

I think if it was (just) a Rover and at a decent price it would sell OK but MG is supposed to be the performance mark

The problem is that Rover is no longer so the MG marque has to cover both Rover and MG.

PS. the chequered Roewe pics are a few years old.

 

[kindofblue]

The problem is that Rover is no longer so the MG marque has to cover both Rover and MG.

I think more than anything I'm just upset. I really wanted to like this car when I first heard about it. I hoped that it might have gone down the route of the Type R Accord only more beefy looking - maybe like a baby XF and with some real grunt. I was going to buy one and then laugh at Bilbo's Mountune Ford as it disappeared from my rear view mirror. A British designed sports saloon fit to wear the MG badge. But no.

I agree with you that Rover has gone but the Chinese still have two brands - what about ROEWE? According to their own marketing bumf on Windy's glossy review these cars are supposed to exude a sporting nature. QUOTE referring to the MG6's design brief:

"with a balance of respecting MG's 85 year heritage of authentic, sporting sedans" and again "enhances the sporting nature of the world-renowned MG brand"

Well I'm sorry but that's just tosh, because this car does not appear to be authentic or sporting in this guise at least..... even if the design team are from Longbridge. If you look at the revised MG line up (ZR, ZS, ZT) at the original release they all offered that bit better performance, sporty looks, and handling character than their immediate rivals in the sector. Yes they were brash, based on old designs and they were never going to be an Imprezza or an M3, we knew that, but they had a character of their own way beyond the Stepford Wive's rep mobiles and boring cars like Volvos and Mazdas. If you are going to be a bear, be a grizzly!

Apart from masquerading behind the MG brand pretending to be something they are not, there is another thing that is wrong with the Chinese positioning - this sector is swamped with look alike cars so surely the best way to make an impact would have been to offer something different like a (real) sporty alternative and not follow the tribe. What is MGUK's audience for the car, what is their POD (point of difference) or USP (unique selling point). Basic marketing requires a business to target a group of customers, understand their wants and needs and then offer them something unique that competitors do not OR cannot. Price should always be the last resort and its the fallback position of those who do not invest into creating something dynamic and unique. In the case of Tony Williams and his design team.... maybe they had an arm up their backs beyond the old engines and 75 chassis. It looks that way to me. The Chinese are not known for their ability to co-op and emotionally bond around the camp fire.

My point is that I'm an MG customer and this car does not appear to answer any of my wants or needs. I cannot think of a reason to buy the car in the picture and for £16K or thereabouts I'd buy a 2 year old BMW 325i instead. Or maybe two Fords Like Bilbo's :racer: - one for me and one for her indoors (LOL)

It's funny but about a year ago we had a Chinese business woman involved in the motor trade visit this board talking about NANJING CORP or SAIC or whatever they are called now. She said that she knew their operation well. She suggested that the company (which is owned by the state government) did not really give a hoot about the UK and were just going through the motions with Longbridge, the TF and the MG6 - she said what they really wanted was the prestige of a British designed car and brand to help sell more cars IN CHINA which is their own market and bigger than Europe. She also pointed out that SAIC would have a very difficult job breaking into, competing and differentiating any Rover based car against the likes of Ford, Vauxhall and the Germans in 2010. She was laughed off the board for saying this but now I'm not so sure.

Sorry Windy and Roverman, I feel that I have been really hard on the car now and it's a real shame but I think it is going to struggle all the same even if it is relatively cheap. Wrong sector for cheap cars - look what happened to Daewu, and Skoda don't fair much better despite being a decent car.


P