News : Styling tweaks for MG5 Turbo

Keith Adams

MG5 Turbo styling tweaked

The countdown to the MG5 Turbo’s launch has begun and, as can be seen from this image first published in China Car Times, the front-end is to be mildly tweaked. The Golf-rivalling MG5 went on sale in China in March 2013, after being previewed by the AP12-based Concept 5 in 2011, but we hear that its UK launch has been delayed indefinitely as the company works hard to establish itself from its Longbridge base. The Turbo ‘5 will most probably appear on the European market after the production version of the CS SUV goes on sale in 2015.

The Turbo’s launch date has been set for ‘late 2013’ and can’t come a moment too soon. At launch the MG5 came with a single 1.5-litre 109bhp petrol engine coupled to either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto. The Turbo will offer more than 150bhp from its ‘Hyperboost’ engine and will be offered with the company’s six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

SAIC Motor claims that this engine/transmission package delivers a power output that’s equivalent to a 2.0-litre engine, suggesting around 160-180bhp. It sports features such as a Bi-Thermostat independent dual-positioned multi-layered cooling system and a Dualmass Flywheel. More relevantly for European buyers, Engineers close to the project have confirmed that the MG6’s turbodiesel powertrain will fit in the ‘5 – and expect this to be offered from launch. Whenever that may be…

MG5
The MG5 features rear-end styling only its mother would love…
Keith Adams

41 Comments

  1. Funny how Volvo decided to put the launch of a Focus rival ahead of an SUV replacement in the form of a new XC90.

    This 5 Turbo needs to be introduced in Europe first as it won’t be as fresh after 2015.

  2. Oh look, its ling-ling from Drawn Together…

    Another first for MG; the first overtly racist car I’ve ever seen.. Could it get any worse?

    Good styling tip though, cover up the badge and people might buy it.

  3. How can you have a countdown to a launch date when the date hasn’t been precisely specified…?

  4. Lots of white smoke around the exhaust? Is there a coolant leak or is the diesel over-fueling itself?

  5. The more I see it, the more I don;t see the back end as a being that bad. It certainly could do with a slight nip and tuck – but I’m sure that could be achieved with altered bumpers. As for launching sooner rather than later, I just think they don;t have the presence or network to sell it right now, the CS however, could garner more attention than this car which would be fighting in a crowded and somewhat mundane market. I think CS is the way to start.

  6. “Another first for MG; the first overtly racist car I’ve ever seen.. Could it get any worse?”

    That comment made my morning!

  7. The best thing is the blue tape on the octagon badge…..is better that such engeneering tops, dont wear such symbols

  8. @8 And the the new Auris (when do you see em only sponsored TV dramas) looks any better?

  9. At the moment a six speed manual gearbox is standard on new cars and an automatic gearbos has about six or seven speeds. Sometimes more!
    Four speed was standard in the early 1970´s. Today five speed automatic gearboxes were already oldfashioned!

  10. It looks ok (nice) – shame we cant buy one. I would still like to see rocket booster shaped tail lights though. alex

  11. That’s not too bad, more interesting and cleaner than the dull and chavvy Astra and Focus mess. Keith, you really don’t have an eye for styling do you mate?!

  12. Its not offensive- I mean its hardly any different from the latest Vauxhalls. The styling is fussy and not all that well resolved- but then nobody is going to buy an MG Motors car on the basis of its looks.

    More ridiculous is the statement that ‘ its UK launch has been delayed indefinitely as the company works hard to establish itself from its Longbridge base.’ Given that the ‘Longbridge base’ rarely if ever fails to miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity to ‘establish itself’, by the time it actually launches here it will be as antiquated as the Hindustan Ambassador.

  13. Just saw ‘Morris Garages’ on the numberplate, silly question but I thought they ad to change what The MG initials stood for? Wasnt it called Modern Gentleman of something silly for a while?

  14. The rear end style reminds me of a current Renault Megane or Seat Ibiza. Unfortunately when it launches in Europe (tbc) it could look further out of date by then. Not a bad looking car – perhaps a decent powered engine will help?

  15. Has anyone read Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the MG6 in today’s Sunday Times? The unravelling of the MG marque is utterly heart breaking for those of us who want to see it rebound as a successful company.

  16. Think I’ll nip out and put some sticky tape onto my R8. Oh no, I have only that brown stuff.

  17. I don’t see quite what’s so bad about the rear, it’s no worse than other ugly hatch backs, in fact it’s definitely better than the focus and some others.

  18. 20. It is almost as if they want MG to fail. The car obviously had a major fault, and sending it out to Clarkson in that state was brand suicide. According to the review the engine constantly stalled.
    About time someone put poor MG out of its misery.

  19. Surely that rear end is no worse, and possibly rather better, than that of the current Focus?

  20. saw an MG6 in crewe yesterday!! first one I have seen in this area.. nice looking in silver I thought… think ill keep my sd1s though..

  21. The arse of the 5 is horrible.

    http://i.imgur.com/DTENMAXl.jpg

    Still the biigest issue is with the 5 is apparently more to do with the fact that SAIC got SsangYong to set the chassis up, and as a result it drives bloody terribly. I’m going to rent one and write about the experience.

  22. Sad to say, can’t see this shifting much better than the 6 unless the price is going to be aggressive.

    This is the most competitive market in Europe, ok cars with a decent dealer network such as the Fiat Brava have bombed in this market. What chance a OK car with no dealer network from a forgotten brand.

  23. I think it looks fine tbh , that rear 3/4 view isnt offensive at all – okay its not drop dead gorgeous but its perfectly acceptible , the rear lights remind me slightly of the hatchback Impreza and the side styling is generic Japanese/Korean , but that doesnt stop Hyundai/KIA/Toyota selling cars.

  24. I would prefer red personally, as that suits the mG brand better, but the blue has a cool eco image I guess. Alo, as Simon says the best thing about it is that it obscures the Mg badge completely from the face of this horrible ssangyong oddity . No wonder it is not coming here!

  25. I quite like the small nod to one of the nice aspects of the Marina saloon’s styling, the angled kick of the rear door window line as it meets the rear quarter light.
    Roll on the Morris version!

  26. I think MG/SAIC are missing the obvious market here. Forget insipid euro hatch mainstream tat, build a truly stylish and capable sports coupe/ roadster. Do an MX5 style push and market a car that the general public will accept as an MG. your market is established and waiting, nostalgia rules! the U.S. will mop them up, every one who has a pampered B roadster for weekend would embrace a modern daily driver. Forget th TF by the way, start from scratch.

  27. Looking just “OK” or inoffensive is just not good enough in this market. It has to stand out, yes it should be drop dead gorgeous, otherwise why would anyone buy it over all the other bland tin out there?

    We buy cars from the heart as well as the brain, it needs to appeal to the heart and eyes, not just be about good interior space and reasonable mpg, acceleration etc. It must be desirable. Does any one here aspire to driving this round town and parking it with pride on your drive?

    This sadly doesn’t excel in any area. Begs the question, what’s the point? I want it to succeed, so far, it doesn’t inspire confidence. The goal of making an OK product is planning for failure.

  28. Was in my manager’s office the other day and saw an Autocar on his desk. There was a new Defender on the front so I picked it up. However, drawn like a moth to a flame the magazine opened at a page featuring the MG5. Only had a couple of moments but was surprised how definite the magazine was about a 2014 UK launch. The issue was dated November 2012. Didn’t think a UK launch of the 5 had ever been as definite as Autocar implied?

  29. I love the blue tape. Can you get them with other colours? I’d particularly like one in red….

    But seriously, nip and tuck isn’t going to solve the main problems:

    Fuel economy
    Lack of dealers
    Depreciation

    As for SSangyong doing the suspension, having had the misfortune to ride in a Rodius that was bring used as a taxi, that is not a good thing. Suspension designed by Lotus and en engine by Ricardo might have been something to boast about but then the Proton Gen2 supposedly had Lotus tweaked suspension and that’s awful too.

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