MG Cyberster Affordable roadster leads model rush

Cyberster to lead MG expansion

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The Cyberster roadster will arrive before 2024 as an affordable halo car for MG and one of three new models arriving by that date.

It will build on the Chinese brand’s recent phenomenal success in the UK: sales grew 66% last year, from 18,415 in 2020 to 30,600.

The MG 4 hatchback will arrive first, before the end of this year. The value-driven rival to the Volkswagen ID 3 is expected to become MG’s biggest seller beside – or even surpassing – the ZS small SUV.

MG UK commercial director Guy Pigounakis said of the MG 4: “The car stays true to our values of getting more from an MG. It represents cutting-edge technology, it needs to be exciting and it needs to represent fantastic value for money. That doesn’t mean cheap. ”

He added, in reference to the ZS EV’s 250-mile range, that the MG 4 will “be even more competitive on a pound per mile of range basis than today” but said pricing for the family hatchback has yet to be decided.

A production version of the Cyberster, first revealed as a concept at the Shanghai motor show last year, is likely to be shown at this year’s Beijing motor show in April, given MG’s history of showcasing new models at major Chinese events.

The concept was said to be based on a bespoke EV architecture, offering a range of 497 miles and a 0-62mph time of less than 3.0sec.

Talking about adding the Cyberster to the MG line-up, Pigounakis said: “The problem with sports cars is that everybody loves them but not many people buy them. ”

He added, however, that MG’s global volume means it can “afford to invest in sports cars and take a longer-term view on when there will be a

MG 4 hatchback will seek to undercut Volkswagen ID 3

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return on investment” , adding that having a sports car “will bring us massive PR and marketing benefits” .

The third new MG to arrive by 2024 hasn’t yet been confirmed, but it is likely to be a third SUV, given the continuing consumer demand for high-riding vehicles. RACHEL BURGESS

M G S E E S O P P O R T U N I T I E S I N C A R S H A R I N G

MG has acquired a car-sharing business and plans to launch an offering this year, as it seeks to diversify beyond the traditional car retail structure.

MG UK commercial director Guy Pigounakis said that the details are still being finalised but that the venture is unlikely to be branded as MG.

He said the scheme would be a natural home for the 3 supermini, currently the least popular model in MG’s line-up, as car sharing best suits urban areas and thus smaller cars.

“We are just going through the acquisition at the moment and are looking at programme options, ” said Pigounakis.

“We already have a considerable car-sharing business in China.

“We see car sharing playing well into A-segment cars, which are more popular in large metropolitan areas.

“It works particularly well for some public-sector organisations and companies who have a large number of users who don’t necessarily need a company car 24/7.

“There’s an opportunity there. You could have a fleet spanning the model range

Commercial boss Pigounakis

Alfa Romeo working on new electric-only supermini

A NEW MITO is on the cards as Alfa Romeo prepares to rapidly expand its line-up over the next few years.

Brand boss Jean-Philippe Imparato has confirmed that there will be a new car every year until 2030 under new owner Stellantis. A small SUV, dubbed the Brennero, will arrive by 2025, plus there will be replacements for the Giulia saloon and Stelvio SUV, as well as the anticipated return of the GTV coupé.

A new supermini is also being primed to give a new entry point to the brand while sensibly utilising technology available from elsewhere in the Stellantis empire.

The original Mito, launched in 2008, went off sale in 2019 in light of declining demand for three-door models.

At the time, European boss Roberta Zerbi explained: “The Mito is a three-door and people are choosing more and more five-door cars. ”

The upcoming supermini, then, will inevitably have five doors to maximise sales and could sit on one of two platforms.

The first is that of the new Fiat 500, which was developed primarily for the electric city car and will need to be used elsewhere to justify its development. However, the e-CMP platform used by the Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa-e is more likely, as its proportions are evidently ideal for superminis.

The new Mito will be electric-only as Alfa Romeo ramps up to ditch internal combustion entirely from 2025. It is likely to echo the set-up of the e-208 and Corsa-e, which use a 50kWh battery and one 134bhp motor for about 210 miles of range.

Alfa Romeo UK boss Damien Dally stopped short of confirming that a new supermini is coming but said: “The brand has a history of selling compact sporty cars, like the Alfasud, and it’s an interesting area of the market that’s high-volume and gives us a much wider offering.

“The Mito was a three-door car, but if it had had five doors, the market would have been so much bigger. The next step in the path to electrification is full electric, and compact cars blend well [with that]. ”