The MG Go concept car is the first look at the all-electric MG 2 supermini, which will arrive in 2027 as the Sino-British carmaker’s answer to the likes of the Renault 5 and the Volkswagen ID. Polo.
Unveiled at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the wraps were initially taken off the MG Go at its soft launch held at parent company SAIC’s design studio in Marylebone in central London, on July 8.
The version of the MG Go shown to journalists was “dressed for Goodwood” with a hot hatch-style body kit featuring flared wheel arches, beefy four-spoke wheels, an aggressive front end, and a touring car-esque rear diffuser.
Speaking at the event, MG’s Global Design Vice President, Jozef Kaban, told EV Powered that while the Go wasn’t a retro remake of anything from MG’s 122-year history, the brand’s heritage is vital in helping it stand out among other Chinese-owned rivals.
SAIC Motor, China’s largest state-owned carmaker, took over MG in December 2007. During the design process, the MGB and the MG 6R4 Group B rally car were particular sources of inspiration for Kaban, whose previous body of work includes the Audi A5 Coupé, the Volkswagen Lupo and the Bugatti Veyron.
The MG Go was designed at SAIC’s London design studio and engineered with Europe’s buyers in mind. This makes MG the latest Chinese manufacturer – along with BYD and Zeekr – to approach the European market with a new sense of focus.
“I think design is important, but we need to face the new reality where so many new brands are motivated by technology,” explained Kaban. “[So], it makes more and more sense to use our heritage and history of innovation. At MG, we are in a unique position to have over 100 years of history and the newest technologies to hand.”
While there is no official launch date for the production version of MG’s upcoming B-segment hatchback, Kaban described it as a “slice of magic” that will “write a new story” for the brand when it launches next year.
David Allison, MG’s UK product director, added: “It’s got a sense of Britishness about it that may have been lacking in some of our previous models, that’s for sure.
“Unlike several of our competitors who have been very successful with some of their products, we haven’t made a retro recreation with the Go – it looks back, but has its focus very much on the future.”
No information surrounding the MG Go’s electrical underpinnings has been announced. However, the supermini is expected to adopt the E3 architecture from the front-wheel-drive (FWD) MG4 Urban, which is available with either a 41.9kWh or 52.8kWh battery. The latter of the two can travel up to 280 miles on a single charge.
