GROUP has been spotted testing its next generation Surprise R in Australia, referring to the local launch of a Tesla Model Y rival.
The second-generation Marvel R has yet to be revealed, but images obtained by Car expert shows the camouflaged version has a more squared-off body than the current car.
However, it sports a more aggressive face, more in line with recent MG products like the Machine gun 4. The front bumper and wide angled headlights are particularly similar to the MG 4.
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Inside, there’s a large, horizontally-positionable and freestanding infotainment touchscreen that sits on a center stack that slopes gently down into the center console.
The next-generation Marvel R is expected to launch in the first half of 2025.
A search of the registration of this prototype revealed it was ‘MG ES39 Evaluation Car’, with an unladen weight of 2040kg.
It will not only take care of Tesla Model Ybut also a range of other Chinese-made mid-size SUVs including BYD Sealion 7, Geely EX5 And Xpeng G6.
It is set to sit higher than the MG S5 – also recently spy tested in Australia – is shaping up as an alternative to the present ZS Electric Car.
The current Marvel R model is a slightly improved version of the Marvel X from the Roewe brand of SAIC Motor.
Unusually, the car comes in not only a rear-wheel drive version with one engine, but also a four-wheel drive version with three engines.
The car was only produced in left-hand drive versions, so although it was sold in markets such as Europe, it was not popular in right-hand drive markets such as the UK and Australia.
The Marvel R will join the significantly expanding local MG product portfolio.
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Marvel R present
Currently, MG offers three types of passenger cars – Machine gun 3MG 4 and Machine gun 5 – as well as High school And ZS SUV
The company is busy revamping its existing product line, launching the new generation MG 3 and HS this year and the new ZS to follow later in the year.
In December, it will add Cyberster electric sports car, while in the next 6-12 months, the company also plans to introduce MG 7 sedan and three-row SUV above HS.
As an infomercial would say, “But wait, there’s more!”
“From MG 3 to Cyberster… every $10,000 I would put a model there [by 2027]”MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao said Car expert in June.
“That means from 20 to 30, from 30 to 40, 40 to 50, and even from 60 to 70, 70 to 80, 80 to 90 – all the segments, I will have a model launch for that segment.”
It is expected to include electric vehicles from SAIC Motor’s premium IM Motors brand, such as the LS6 mid-size SUV.
Also on the agenda of the MG brand is a minivan. Although it has offered one in Thailand, a renamed one T60 tankMG is expected to have to wait for the next-generation product to adopt its octagonal emblem in Australia.
