Friday 2 September 2016

MG boosts engine test capability

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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