MG, which hasn't been seen in the Irish market since the slow, agonising death of MG Rover in 2005, is back in Ireland, and it's bringing an electric SUV with prices starting from €28,995.
Made in China
After the collapse of MG Rover, the rights to the MG name passed initially to the Nanjing Automotive Group in China, and then to the Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation (SAIC) when those two companies merged. Since then, the brand has been rebuilt around a series of affordable saloons, hatchbacks, and latterly SUVs and crossovers, with an increasing presence in the electric car market.
Now the classic brand is back in Ireland, thanks to Frank Keane Group, which has more than half a century of experience in the Irish car market. The first car to be offered will be the ZS EV SUV, which is described as "Ireland's first truly affordable, family-friendly electric car compact SUV."
262km range
The ZS, which looks not unlike the love child of a Mazda CX-5 and a Volvo XC40, comes with a 44.5kWh battery pack and a claimed one-charge range of 262km on the WLTP test.
The ZS will start hitting Irish dealer forecourts in November, and it will be followed in 2021 by the MG 5 EV estate, and the larger MG HS mid-size SUV, which comes with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Billy Riordan, CEO of the Frank Keane Group, commented: "We are absolutely thrilled to be getting involved with MG as their Irish partner. It is an exciting time for this growing brand which has such a rich history. The Frank Keane Group started its life in motor distribution over 50 years ago and we look forward to this next step in our journey."
Fastest growing mainstream brand in Europe
Gerard Rice, Managing Director, MG Motor Ireland, stated: "We are excited to be appointed as the distributor partner for MG Motor in Ireland for their range of electric vehicles. MG is the fastest-growing mainstream car brand in the UK in 2020 and is growing rapidly across Europe with sales already in full flow in a number of markets and other countries will follow very soon. We are currently working hard to select the MG Motor retailers for the Irish market to join us on this exciting and electric journey."
Gregory Webb, Head of Business Development UK, Ireland and EU right-hand-drive markets commented: "We are delighted to be working with the Frank Keane Group to bring the new electric MG brand to Ireland. We selected Frank Keane Group because of its wealth of experience in the Irish market. With our exciting new range of electric MGs, we will be able to offer the Irish motorist fantastic low and zero emissions options across the board."