MG Motors have recently confirmed that they will launch their baby EV in India otherwise known as MG Air EV. Now, as we know, MG is also participating in the upcoming India Auto Expo 2023, so the final variant sold in India next year could also be up for the show.
Will be based on the Wuling Air EV sold in Indonesia
MG Motors already sells this Wuling Air EV in Indonesia and we don’t expect many changes to the design except rebranding/renaming before it hits the Indian market. This car will surely remind you of Tata Nano and comes with dimensions of 2,974 x 1,505 x 1,631 mm along with a 2,010 mm wheelbase. With a basic 12” steel wheel, this looks more usable than a fancy one but even with such short dimensions, the car can accommodate 4 people.
Being even more compact than the best-selling hatchback in India i.e.e Maruti Suzuki Alto, this two-door EV has a boxy design with futuristic detailing that doesn’t make it look cheap by any sort. In Indonesia, this Wuling Air EV is offered in 5 color variants including Pristine White, Avocado Green, Lemon Yellow, Peach Pink and Galaxy Blue. So, with a wide range of funky colors, this rebadged MG Air EV could indeed be a good entry-level option for those who need a second car to roam around the city without having to worry about the petrol prices shooting up.
With leather-wrapped steering, and a dual 10.25-inch screen layout meant for both infotainment and instrument cluster, this doesn’t look cheap at all. A simple interior with a touch of futuristic compact design is what you can truly say about this MG Air EV, now, with important safety features like ESC, ABS, ISOFIX, rear parking sensor and camera, this is a fully-loaded modern-age compact EV. For more details visit the Wuling Air EV website.
MG Air EV: Engines Specs & Battery
MG’s Wuling Air EV is available in two variants in Indonesia – Standard Range and Long Range, the standard range comes with a 17.3 kWh battery with an IP67 rating providing a range of up to 200 Km. This battery charges up in 8.5 hours with a 2.0 kW AC charger while the Longe Range variant comes with a 26.7 kWh battery giving you a range of up to 300 Km and this variant can be fast charged in 4 hours with a 6.6 kW AC charger.
However, as per reports, this upcoming MG Air EV could provide a real-life range of up to 150 km which is quite good for an entry-level EV. This electric car features a single motor that provides 40hp and comes with a front-wheel-drive setup, while the battery used in this EV will be based on LFP cells that are similar to the one used in the TATA Nexon EV.
Expected Pricing & Availability
This MG Air EV will be based on the born-electric platform that helps to provide more space inside an otherwise small car but to keep costs down MG Motors has to develop this car in India itself. So, this MG Air EV could be localised up to 60% to reduce costs and save on import tax so that this upcoming EV could have a competitive price against the recently launched Tata Tiago EV.
As per widespread rumours, this upcoming MG Air EV could have a starting price close to Rs.10 lakh for the standard range variant. In terms of availability, we expect MG Motors to make it public as soon as January 2023 at Indian Auto Expo and make it available in the Indian market as soon as Q2 2023. Now, is it worth the wait or should you go for the Tiago EV? Well, this depends on your budget, style appeal and availability, however, we do suggest you at least wait until Auto Expo 2023 when a number of EVs will be shown and announced.
