MG Motor
UK has invested £1.2 million at its Longbridge site, Birmingham, UK, to install
addition test equipment and reduce the need for outsourcing.
The
investment brings a fifth engine test facility to the site and further enhances
its rolling road capability. The company states that the “state-of-the-art test
facilities… demonstrate commitment to the future and the quality of its
products.”
The engine test facility is described as
having significant improvements on the existing test resource and brings with
it a “major step change” for MG Motor’s test and development capability.
Typically, vehicle emission testing on a rolling
road has been out-sourced, but now engineers can carry out the required tests
in the correct temperature controlled environment with full emission
measurement capability. They also benefit from having the technical centre (below) on-site for continuous product development.
Being able to carry out vehicle emissions and
engine development on-site allows engineers to ensure the engines going into MG
products are at their optimum for emissions, performance and fuel economy.
The engineers can run test engines through a
complete transient drive cycle with the ability to control temperature and
humidity of the intake air and also the temperature of the coolant, oil and
fuel.
James Scott, powertrain test senior manager,
said: “The money that’s been invested into this new testing facility shows a
real commitment to the future of MG. This additional test cell and enhanced rolling
road allows us to continue to get the very best performance and economy for MG
products”
“This facility increases the global test and
development capability which allows even more collaborative powertrain testing
and development with our colleagues in China.”
The new engine test facilities are just one of
many new developments for the UK-based design and engineering centre. MG also recently
announced an expansion to the design team at Longbridge, following the
successful UK launch of the MG GS in June.
Matthew Cheyne, MG’s head of sales and marketing,
added: “It’s great to see the company taking even more strides forward – both
in sales and engineering developments for the future.
“In July, we again saw our sales figures
increase way above the industry average and with these new facilities, it’s
clear for everyone to see that MG is continuing to move in the right direction.”
The MG brand can trace its history back to 1924 and is world-famous for
making stylish cars that are fun to drive and own and are sold at remarkably
affordable prices. Modern MGs, which the company says “are designed, engineered
and finally assembled in Longbridge, Birmingham, continue this long and rich MG
tradition.”
MG Motor UK currently has three models, all of
which are designed and engineered at Longbridge, Birmingham: the MG3, MG6 and
the manufacturer’s first SUV, the MG GS.
The company claims there are “several more
models are planned for the immediate and longer-term future.”
The MG GS is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged
gasoline engine with the option of manual or seven-speed dual-clutch
transmission (DCT).
SAIC Motor Technical Centre (SMTC) UK's
parent company, Shanghai Automobile and Industrial Corporation (SAIC) is
China's largest automobile company, founded in 1958. Ranking 60th on the
Global Fortune 500 list in 2015 thanks to its $102.25 billion in sales
revenues, SAIC made it onto the list of the world's most powerful companies.
SAIC Group (owners of MG Motor UK) began in
1955 with the formation of the Shanhai City Diesel Parts manufacturing Company,
After initially focussing on powertrain products, began automobile manufacturing
in 1958 with its first vehicle, the Phoenix. In the years that followed, SAIC
formed several equal-ownership joint ventures with other motor vehicle
manufacturers to create what it now claims as the largest listed vehicle-making
corporation of the Chinese A-share stock market.
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