Price: £14,995
Top speed: 112mph
0-62mph: 9.9 seconds
MPG: 53.2
CO2: 141g/km
What does MG conjure up to you? A classic 50s roadster, or maybe a sexy 60s two-seater – all burnished chrome and wire wheels? Chances are you are not thinking of a budget crossover with a passing resemblance to a Qashqai. But that’s what MG is today.
The MG GS was unveiled a couple of years ago at the Shanghai Motor Show and has now made its way over here. MG is part of the state-owned Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), which produces about 500,000 cars a year under various badges, including Rover. The GS is one of a growing number of cars known as “Chinese takeaways” – knockdown kits produced in Shanghai which are then shipped to a factory in Birmingham where the cars are assembled and finished off. Costs are kept low, which means MG has found a way to put a respectable family-sized soft-roader on your drive for less than £15,000.
It’s a smart move. Here in Britain we love SUV-styled crossovers and the likes of Dacia and SsangYong have proved we are very happy to put austerity motoring ahead of badge snobbery. But why use Morris Garages’ famous octagon badge? I can’t understand the logic of labelling this car an MG. To anyone old enough to remember its past glories it is an affront; to anyone too young to remember it has no resonance at all. Why not just call it something else? I remember a friend painting a big D on his tennis racket so it looked like John McEnroe’s Dunlop. It didn’t fool any of us…
For all that, the GS is a perfectly reasonable proposition. Its rounded corners and sharp little nose make it look far posher than you’d expect. It could pass for a Renault or a Peugeot. It’s roomy inside, too. The materials used are fine, with smooth swathes of piano plastics and decent leather in the higher-spec cars. It comes with a good satnav and infotainment system. The central dot matrix display, however, is appalling and the lettering so small you can barely see it.
Enginewise it comes with just one choice: a turbocharged 1.5-litre 166bhp petrol unit. Sadly the ride quality is poor. It’s a shame as the car is a pleasure to sit in, but only up to the point where you decide to drive it. Then it becomes harsh and unforgiving. The suspension is lumpen – tackle a speed bump at anything over 15mph and you’ll brain yourself. The seven-speed twin-clutch auto is restless and fidgety, constantly over-revving and struggling to find a comfortable resting place. It’s early days, but this GS has yet to put the MG back into OMG…
Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter@MartinLove166
