Pakistan’s auto industry keeps on giving for the past few months. As competition brews, more and more incentives, cars, assembly plants are being announced and promising features are being announced for the future.
The country went from having only ‘Big three’ Japanese brands to having car manufacturers from Korea and China, among the new ones.
However, one of the leading new entrants in the Pakistani market is the UK-owned and Chinese manufactured Morris Garages (MG).
The owner of JW Automobile Pakistan, the local partner of MG, Javed Afridi sat down with Khaleej Times, a famous Emirati media outlet for a discussion, where he has revealed some interesting developments for MG Pakistan in near future.
The first and foremost thing he mentioned was the fact that MG is planning to be a major contributor in the expansion of the Pakistani automobile industry, and thus it is making strides towards it by adding two manufacturing plants, one in Lahore, and one in Karachi.
Read More: MG reveals new fully electric sportscar Cyberster
According to the owner of MG Pakistan, the plant in Pakistan is near completion. It is worth mentioning that on 15th May 2021, Mr. Afridi shared pictures of the plant on his Twitter handle too.
He wrote, “Construction of the first MG Motors Assembly plant is in progress under the supervision of both Pakistani & Chinese experts. Soon Production will start InshaAllah. A great step forward, not only for us but for the whole Automotive Industry in Pakistan.”
Construction of the first MG Motors Assembly plant is in progress under the supervision of both Pakistani & Chinese experts. Soon Production will start InshaAllah. A great step forward, not only for us, but for the whole Automotive Industry in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/V7duMSRZB4
— Javed Afridi (@JAfridi10) May 15, 2021
MG and Electric Vehicles
In his interview, he stated the construction of both plants would allow the assembling of EV vehicles in Pakistan, at an affordable price.
Read More: Pakistan to get a Plug-in-Hybrid by MG!!
According to Javel Afridi, the Pakistani market currently only has the petrol-powered version (probably referring to MG ZS) as a Completely Built Unit (CBU), the green version would be assembled locally at the Lahore plant along with the petrol-powered version.
The MG ZS EV might just be the break EVs need in Pakistan to prove themselves to Pakistan, and the fact that it would be assembled locally, it might even be affordable by the middle-class, unlike the currently trending Audi E-Tron.
Javed Afridi also mentioned that the MG HS plugin-hybrid is planned to be added to the company’s lineup in Pakistan. He was of the view that these vehicles would be the first setting stone towards the right direction in Pakistan, as MG would now forth be known as the pioneer of EV manufacturing in the country.
The ZS EV, which is an electronic vehicle (as the name suggests) functions on a 44.5 kWh battery paired with a CVT automatic transmission. It can produce 141 horsepower (HP) at max. However, this is not the most attractive feature. MG’s ZS EV can travel 262 kilometers in a single charge.
The vehicle is equipped with a bunch of the latest features. It comes with LED daytime running lamps, Rear Parking Sensors, LED Centre Brake Light, Bi-Function Project Headlights, Rear aero wipers, Front aero wipers, and Electrically adjustable side mirrors.
The car has Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, 4-speaker/6-speaker audio systems, Bluetooth connectivity and rear parking cameras. The safety features include the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Hill Assist, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, Engine Immobilizer, and Anti-Rolling Protection among others.
Read More: More MG cars are coming to Pakistan!
The Surprise Vehicles
CEO of MG Pakistan announced during the interview that the company is adding three more vehicles to its lineup, including one “surprise” budget family car targeted towards the middle class.
Here are a few guesses made by a local auto blog regarding the new entrants teased by Mr. Afridi:
MG Gloster
Unlike the earlier releases MG HS and MG ZS EV – MG Gloster is a full-size luxury 7-seater SUV that comes packed with a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 211 horsepower and 350 Newton/meters of torque and can be mated to a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic transmission.
MG Gloster will come equipped with advanced state-of-the-art features like hill start assist, parking assist, automatic emergency braking, and collision control system. On the entertainment front, Gloster SUV will offer a large 12.3 inches touchscreen infotainment display capable of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections. Speaking of safety, the vehicle will be equipped with 6 airbags for protection against collisions.
If we look at the body of the 7-seater SUV, we observe a classy, modern exterior lined with sleek and sharp headlights and stylish alloy rims. Consumers will be able to choose from a large range of colors as per individual preferences.
Gloster’s interior comprises comfortable leather seats with diamond stitching. In the center of the front console, you’ll find a floating 12.3 inches display. The steering wheel features control buttons along with a speedometer and tachometer with an LCD-based information screen in the center.
Read More: Afridi asks Pakistanis to gear up for all-new MG Gloster SUV
MG Extender
Mr. Afridi has been talking about this truck since last fall. He has asked people for the price of the vehicle too. If it arrives it would challenge the monopoly of Toyota Hilux and would go head to head with the Isuzu D-Max, and the upcoming Volkswagen Amarok.
MG Extender is powered by a 2-liter common-rail turbo-diesel providing 161 horsepower and 375 newton-meters of torque in the 1,500 – 2,400 rev band. It is usually available in two drivetrains, a 6-speed manual that sends power only to the rear wheels, and an all-wheel-drive 6-speed automatic.
The Chinese truck has several modern features such as various driver assists, drive mode selector, smart infotainment system, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera along with the 360-degree top-down view, smartphone connectivity, HUD with essential information, tire pressure monitoring system among other features.
Read More: Javed Afridi introduces all-new 2000cc double-cabin “MG Extender”
The Budget Car (MG3)
MG3 in the global market is the 2nd generation 1500cc 5-door subcompact hatchback. It’s a 1.5-liter engine that comes in a 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmission.
It comes with premium features like cruise control, an 8” touchscreen infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay, rear parking sensors, a rearview camera, electronic windows, speed-sensitive power steering, 6 airbags, Emergency Brake Assist (EBA), hill hold control, and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TYPS).
According to the most recent tweet on this car by Javed Afridi, the car would be less than Rs20 lac in Pakistan.