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The production version of the MG 6 has been unveiled at the Guangzhou motor show.

The five door fastback, previewed in concept car guise at the Shanghai motor show last April, is the first new MG model to appear since the sale of the former British car maker to Nanjing Automobile in 2005 prior to a subsequent takeover by SAIC two years ago.

See the hi-res pics of the new MG 6

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It looks nice enough, but a little too much like the Proton Gen-2 or whatever its called. Interior looks neat though

It looks very generic, Japanese even. As if it was designed by Nissan or Toyota..... maybe that means it will sell?

It almost looks like Rover designed it... or to put it another way. Chinese car design has just caught up with Rover, still some way to go.

I realise that in later years MGs had strayed somewhat from their true heritage line being little more than re badgeed Rovers, but this? Really? It's a disgrace, why go to the effort of buying a brand presumably to hit the ground running with a little bit of heritage, then totally trash it on new model number one.

This already looks five years out of date; it isn't ugly or offensive but it is dull and old-fashioned. And - dare I say it? - where is the MG heritage in the lines? Nothing links this to any MG that has preceeded it. If it came here it would be one of those cars that would sell to older people or, if hypothetically scrappage were still going then, those who had a scrappage-qualifying car (I know it won't but you get the drift).

Autocar:

Styled at SAIC’s UK headquarters in Warwickshire, the MG 6

Warwickshire?

"Better still is that the Roewe 550-based  MG 6 has largely been developed at the company's Longbridge engineering centre in Birmingham" - Richard Bremner, Autocar.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/autocarconfidential/archive/2009/11/16/there-s-more-to-longbridge-than-meets-the-eye.aspx

so since when is Longbridge, B'ham Warwickshire? is it that Warwickshire sounds so much better, with its middle England, wealthy, rural connotations, whereas Longbridge, Brum is tainted with Red Robbo, the Phoenix Four robber barons and industrial failure? SAIC's Longbridge facility is in fact just by the boundary of leafy, merry olde england Worcestershire.

If this car is to be sold in Europe it needs a much better choice of engines. And how about a hot version?

I think it looks a bit dull to be honest, and the otherwise nice orange doesn't help make it any more exciting. Interior looks neat, but it depends on the quality really. But the MG badge? This would be better as a Rover, MG should be a sports car manufacturer.

kairoo:

so since when is Longbridge, B'ham Warwickshire?

Kairoo, just so you know, Birmingham used to be in the county of Warwickshire before local government reorganisation in the 1970s. So did Coventry and Solihull. That's why you see on the badge of the oldest Land Rovers the words "Solihull, Warwickshire".

I agree, it sounds a bit poncy now to say the Brum is in Warwickshire, mostly because the latter is beautiful and the former is rather a dump.

It may look a bit dull, but so does Toyota's entire range of cars and it works for them. So I guess as a Global car this is OK. I just hope that with a spoiler, some side skirts and a pumped up engine that this thing will appeal more to the traditional MG buyer.

 As car fans we want the enthusiast car. As a car company, perhaps SAIC want to make a Toyota?

Don't think the residuals will be up to much, and as there is no diesel they will be even less, I predict they will be seen in the loading area at an ASDA and the cobbled street up the side of the railway station near you.

Don't start me on buying Chinese and human rights, when where is our elected head of state? Yet we go invading other countries so they can have democracy, at least I can get away with typing it on here, anyhow rant over.

Inoffensive looking car though, sort of 21st century Carina Liftback I guess, even prefer the interior to many overstyled mainstream offerings around at the moment, don't like the black though, and at least it has proper side windows unlike the over pillared Astra/Leon offerings.