MG: who produces cars today and how the brand became Chinese

Cars MG is one of the most recognizable British brands, whose history goes back almost a century. Today, these cars are associated with affordable crossovers and electric cars, but few know that behind the legendary octagon logo lies a complex history of changes in ownership, bankruptcies and rebirths. If you've ever wondered who makes MG now and how the British brand became part of the Chinese auto industry - this article will dot all the i’s.

Modern models MG ZS, MG HS or MG4 Electric have long had nothing in common with the classic roadsters of the 1960s. Nevertheless, the brand retains the loyalty of fans thanks to a combination of European design, Chinese technology and affordable prices. Let's figure it out which companies are behind the production of MG today, how the geography of factories has changed and why cars under this brand are now assembled even in Thailand and India.

Spoiler alert: the answer to the question “who owns MG” is not as simple as it seems. The brand has had several owners over the past 20 years, and its current owner is a giant Chinese conglomerate that many have never heard of.

Who produces MG today: the official owner of the brand

Since 2007 full owner of the MG brand is a Chinese state corporation SAIC Motor (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation). This is one of the “big four” automakers in China along with FAW, Dongfeng and Changan. SAIC not only controls the rights to the logo and name MG, but also fully manages the development, production and sales of cars under this brand.

It is important to understand that MG Motor - this is subsidiary of SAIC, not an independent company. All decisions on model line, design and technology are made at SAIC headquarters in Shanghai. At the same time, the brand is positioned as “global” and not exclusively Chinese: for example, cars are adapted for the European market at the MG technical center in Longbridge (UK).

Interesting fact: SAIC not only bought the rights to the brand, but bought all the assets of the bankrupt British company MG Rover, including historical archives, patent rights and even original molds for the bodies of classic models. This allowed the Chinese to legitimately use the MG heritage and avoid legal disputes with the former owners.

Today, not only cars are produced under the auspices of SAIC MG, but also other brands:

• 🚗 Roewe - premium division for the domestic Chinese market
• 🔋 IM Motors - joint venture with Alibaba for electric cars
• 🏎️ Baojun — budget models (together with GM)
• 🌍 Maxus – commercial vehicles (minibuses, pickups)

So when you buy a new one MG ZS EV, you are actually purchasing a product from the Chinese auto industry, albeit with British roots.

History of change of owners: how MG became Chinese

To understand why MGs are now made in China, you need to go back to the early 2000s, when the British car industry was in deep crisis. Briefly the chronology is as follows:

1924–1994: MG is owned by British companies, first as an independent brand, then as part of British Motor Corporation (BMC), later - British Leyland. During this period, legendary models like MG MGB and MG Metro.

1994: MG buys a German concern BMW (together with Rover). The Germans are trying to modernize production, but are suffering losses. Over the course of 6 years of ownership, BMW has invested about £1.5 billion in MG Rover, but has never made the company profitable.

2000: BMW sells MG Rover to consortium Phoenix Consortium (a group of British businessmen) for a symbolic £10. The new owners promise to revive the brand, but after 5 years the company went bankrupt with debts of £1.3 billion.

2005: Key point - SAIC Motor buys rights to the MG brand and assets of the bankrupt company for £53 million. The Chinese receive not only the logo, but also a plant in Longbridge, as well as licenses for the production of models MG TF and Rover 75 (later renamed to Roewe 750).

2007–2026: SAIC completely rebrands MG, moves production to China and begins global expansion. The first “Chinese” model becomes MG 3 (2011), and today the line includes crossovers, electric cars and even pickups.

It is curious that until 2016 SAIC continued to collect limited quantities MG TF in Longbridge - the latest model with classic British design. These cars were sold in Europe as a “farewell gift” to fans of the brand.

Why did BMW sell MG for £10?

The Germans lost MG Rover for almost nothing, because the company was making losses, and BMW's main goal was to get rid of the “burden” and focus on its own brand. At the same time, BMW retained the rights to the technologies and platforms, which later resulted in lawsuits against SAIC for using Rover's developments in Chinese models.

Where MG is produced: factories and assembly geography

After coming under the control of SAIC, MG production was moved to China, but today the brand's cars are assembled in factories in several countries. Here is the current production capacity map:

Country	Factory/City	Models	Launch year
🇨🇳 China	SAIC Motor, Shanghai	MG ZS, MG HS, MG5, MG4 EV	2007
🇨🇳 China	SAIC-GM-WULING, Lizhou	MG 3, MG 6 (shared with GM)	2011
🇹🇭 Thailand	SAIC Motor-CP, Rayong	MG ZS, MG HS (for Asia)	2020
🇮🇳 India	MG Motor India, Halaol	MG Hector, MG Gloster, MG ZS EV	2019
🇬🇧 UK	Longbridge, Birmingham	Technical center, assembly MG TF (until 2016)	1905

Features of production in different countries:

• 🏭 B China The main production is concentrated here - models for the global market are produced here. The factories are equipped with robotics and operate according to Industry 4.0 standards.
• 🌏 B Thailand and India they assemble cars for local markets in Asia. For example, Indian MG Hector adapted to local roads and climate.
• 🇬🇧 British plant in Longbridge Today it does not produce production cars, but remains the symbolic “home” of MG: the brand’s museum and engineering center are located here.

Important: despite the Chinese origin, MG positions itself as a “global brand”. For example, for Europe, cars are adapted to local safety standards (Euro NCAP) and environmental standards (Euro 6 emission standards). In 2023 MG4 Electric received the maximum 5 stars in Euro NCAP crash tests - this is the best result among Chinese electric cars.

MG and Rover: why the brands split

Many people are still confused MG and Rover, although today they are completely different companies. Historically, both brands belonged to British Leylandand then MG Rover Group, but after bankruptcy in 2005 their fates diverged:

MG moved on to SAIC Motor and became a Chinese brand with global ambitions. Today it is an independent brand in the SAIC portfolio, aimed at youth and markets in developing countries.

Rover was bought by another Chinese company - Nanjing Automobile (later incorporated into SAIC). However, the brand Rover was never revived: the last model was Rover 75, which was sold in China under the name Roewe 750. Today's title Rover belongs to the company BAIC Motor (another Chinese auto giant), but no new cars are produced under this brand.

Why did SAIC not revive Rover, but made a bet on MG?

• 📉 Brand Rover was heavily discredited by the 2005 bankruptcy and was associated with outdated technology.
• 🚀 MG had a more colorful history (sports cars, rallies) and was known outside the UK.
• 💰 Rights to MG cost SAIC less than purchasing all assets Rover (including debts).

So today MG is the only surviving British brand from the former group MG Rover, albeit under Chinese control.

MG quality: myths and reality of Chinese assembly

The main stereotype that MG owners face is: “Chinese assembly = low quality.” How true is this in 2026?

Pros of modern MG:

• ✅ Security: Models regularly score highly in crash tests (e.g. MG ZS EV — 5 stars Euro NCAP in 2022).
• ✅ Warranty: electric cars come with a 7-year or 150,000 km warranty (one of the best on the market).
• ✅ Price/quality: in terms of equipment-cost ratio, MG is often ahead of European competitors (for example, MG HS cheaper Volkswagen Tiguan with similar configuration).

Typical problems:

• ⚠️ Paintwork: thin layer of paint on some models (especially before 2020).
• ⚠️ Electronics: rare glitches of the multimedia system (solved by updating the software).
• ⚠️ Service: not all regions of Russia have a developed dealer network, which complicates repairs.

Objective data:

• 📊 According to polls Auto Express (2023), MG took 14th place among 30 brands in terms of reliability - higher Renault and Peugeot, but lower Toyota.
• 🔧 Ranked JD Power (USA) by the number of defects per 100 cars MG showed results better than the class average.

Conclusion: MG is no longer the “cheap Chinese consumer goods” that it was imagined to be 10 years ago. However problems with the aftermarket parts and insufficient development of service weaknesses remain in some countries.

MG in Russia: official supplies and service

In Russia the brand MG presented since 2019, when official sales through the dealer network were launched. As of 2026, there are about 50 dealership centers in the country (mainly in large cities), and the model range includes:

• 🚗 MG ZS — compact crossover (the most popular model)
• 🚙 MG HS - mid-size crossover
• ⚡ MG ZS EV and MG4 Electric — electric cars
• 🚐 MG Extender — pickup truck (supplied in limited quantities)

Features of the Russian market:

• 💰 Prices for MG in Russia are lower than those of European competitors: for example, MG ZS starts from 1.8 million rubles, while a similar Kia Seltos - from 2.2 million
• 🔌 Electric cars MG sold without taking into account government subsidies (unlike BYD or Geely).
• 🛠️ Warranty for new cars - 5 years or 150,000 km (for electric cars - 7 years for the battery).

Main risks for Russian buyers:

⚠️ Attention: In 2022–2023, due to sanctions, there were interruptions in the supply of spare parts for MG. The situation has stabilized, but for rare models (for example, MG HS PHEV) Some parts may be delivered with a delay of up to 2-3 months.

⚠️ Attention: The official MG service in Russia does not repair older British models (until 2005). For MG TF or MG ZR you will have to look for private workshops.

According to Autostat, in 2023, about 12,000 MG cars were sold in Russia - this is 30% more than in 2022. The main buyers: young people (25–35 years old) and taxi drivers (thanks to inexpensive crossovers and electric cars).

The future of MG: electrification and new models

SAIC bets on brand electrification MG. By 2026, the company plans that 80% of sales will account for electric cars and hybrids. Already today the line includes:

• ⚡ MG ZS EV — compact electric crossover (power reserve up to 440 km)
• ⚡ MG4 Electric - hatchback on a platform Modular Scalable Platform (MSP), designed specifically for electric cars
• ⚡ MG Marvel R — premium electric crossover (sold in Europe and China)

What awaits the brand in the coming years:

• 🔋 2026: exit MG Cyberster - an electric roadster in retro style (a tribute to the classic MG MGB).
• 🚀 2026: electric pickup truck debuts MG Extender EV (focused on the markets of Australia and Southeast Asia).
• 🌍 2026: plans to localize production in Europe (possibly in the UK or Poland).

Technical innovations:

• 🔄 Two-way charging: new MG models will be able not only to consume, but also to supply electricity to the network (technology Vehicle-to-Grid, V2G).
• 🤖 Autopilot: from 2026, MG electric cars will receive an autopilot system Level 2+ (according to SAE standards).

Interestingly, SAIC does not plan to completely abandon internal combustion engine vehicles. Hybrid versions will remain in the line (for example, MG HS PHEV), and for developing markets (Africa, Latin America) budget models with gasoline engines will be offered.

FAQ: answers to frequently asked questions about the MG brand

🔹 Who owns MG in 2026?

Full owner of the brand MG is a Chinese state corporation SAIC Motor. The company bought the rights to the brand in 2005 after bankruptcy MG Rover Group.

🔹Where are MGs assembled for Russia?

Cars MG, officially supplied to Russia, are produced at factories in China (Shanghai) and Thailand (Rayong). Indian models (eg. MG Hector) are not sold in the Russian Federation.

🔹 Why did MG become Chinese?

British company MG Rover went bankrupt in 2005 due to financial problems. Chinese SAIC Motor bought the brand MG for £53 million to gain access to the European market and build on the legacy of the iconic brand.

🔹 Are MG cars reliable?

Modern models MG (after 2018) show an average level of reliability by class standards. According to Euro NCAP and JD Power, they are not inferior to Korean brands (for example, Kia or Hyundai), but lose to the Japanese (Toyota, Honda) in long-term reliability. The main complaints are the paintwork and electronics.

🔹 Will classic MGs be revived?

SAIC periodically releases retro models under the brand MG, but in limited editions. For example, in 2026 it is expected MG Cyberster - an electric roadster with a design inspired by MG MGB. However, a full-fledged revival of classic models with internal combustion engines is unlikely due to stricter environmental standards.