MG Motor plans to double the variety of its dealerships in mainland Europe to greater than 200 this 12 months because the model seems to extend its presence within the area on the again of recent electrical mannequin launches.

The model shall be promoting its automobiles in 13 European nations apart from its UK important market, by the top of Could, MG Europe CEO Matt Lei stated throughout an internet presentation on March 16.

The markets will embody Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Norway.

MG is specializing in constructing recognition in Europe, an organization spokesman instructed Automotive Information Europe. “Now it is time to create model consciousness,” the spokesman stated. “Gross sales are essential however not that essential, that is for subsequent 12 months.”

The British model must work laborious to draw consumers in continental Europe the place it has not had a big presence for greater than a decade. MG was based in 1924 as Morris Garages and later turned a part of Rover Group. The model was purchased by China’s SAIC Motor in 2007.

MG’s automobile gross sales elevated 81 % to 25,619 final 12 months in Europe, together with the UK, in line with figures from JATO Dynamics market researchers. Robust gross sales of the full-electric model of the ZS small SUV helped to spice up the model.

Lei stated MG presently has round 100 sellers in Europe, not together with the UK. The UK presently has over 100 MG dealerships, in line with the corporate’s web site.

MG has been promoting automobiles within the UK since 2011. It started increasing into continental Europe in 2019, beginning with the Netherlands.

The launch of ZS EV has prompted the model to hunt new markets in Europe as governments promote electrical automobiles by way of buy incentives and more durable CO2 emissions discount targets.

Final 12 months, the corporate started gross sales of the EHS plug-in hybrid compact SUV in European markets.

In the summertime MG will begin gross sales of the Marvel R full-electric compact SUV, a rival to the Volkswagen’s ID4. It would launch the MG5 full-electric compact wagon in mainland Europe in November.

Each fashions shall be bought in left-hand-drive markets solely.

MG’s automobiles are in-built China after SAIC ended manufacturing on the former Rover Group’s Longbridge manufacturing facility in central England. MG is bought in China however is eclipsed by SAIC’s Roewe. The 2 manufacturers share platforms and know-how. MG is SAIC’s most well-liked export model from China.