This is one of those “I swear I’ve seen that before” moments. MG has officially pulled the covers off its latest and greatest coupe, the 07, and the images are uncanny … resembling the Porsche Taycan in more ways than one.
Of course, it’s a new electric/hybrid coming out of China. So it obviously gets the new EV treatment as well – C-shaped LED headlights, sporty bumpers, and flush door handles are all there.
It adopts a low-slung, wide-body stance that’s in line with traditional fastbacks. With an active intake grille, the front fascia looks very sleek, even with the clamshell hood. Away from the front, at the rear, it sports a continuous light strip that blends perfectly with the panoramic sunroof and sloping roofline.
Look at it from the side, and you’ll instantly spot the long wheelbase with short front and rear overhangs. The fenders sport aerodynamic vents, the wheels are two-tone with colored brake callipers, the doors are frameless, and the "Morello Purple" is kinda growing on me, I’m not going to lie.
It looks like it’s spent a suspicious amount of time parked outside Porsche’s design studio. From the low-slung fastback silhouette to the four-point headlight signature and smooth Taycan-esque proportions, MG’s new flagship electric coupe feels less “inspired by” and more “strongly acquainted with” the Porsche Taycan.
As for the interior, even though MG hasn't released interior images, earlier spy shots pointed to an MG 4-style steering wheel and a floating center touchscreen. All that’s well and good, but what about the other stuff?
Well, unfortunately, details on the specs, such as the specific motor and battery, are under wraps as of now. What we do know is that it's built on SAIC‘s NEV platform – a completely new 800-volt architecture that will come with both electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
It will also be the first MG model with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, which is clearly visible in the roof-mounted housing above the front windscreen. Coincidentally, it’s the same system that its parent company, SAIC Motor's premium brand, IM Motors, introduced on the IM LS7 SUV.
It will also come with the Momenta R7 "Enhanced World Model" (EWM), which makes use of artificial intelligence to efficiently learn and train itself from past driving scenarios. That tech, though, will only be limited to a higher-end trim, which is rumored to retail for about 300,000 yuan (US$44,112).
The Momenta R7 automated driving system will also promise a "seamless parking-space-to-parking-space driving experience." According to MG, the system will "possess physical scene understanding and predictive reasoning similar to an experienced driver," which should enable proactive safety maneuvers for improved road safety.
Prices for regular MG 07 trims are anticipated to range from 150,000 yuan ($22,060) to 200,000 yuan ($29,410) when it is released later this year. That does sound enticing for a brand that became the first Chinese carmaker to exceed 1 million sales in Europe.
The 07 feels like SAIC’s attempt to fast-track itself into the premium conversation by borrowing visual cues people already associate with expensive performance EVs. And to be fair, it’s a smart strategy. Most buyers won’t care whether the design language originated in Stuttgart or Shanghai if the result looks sleek, futuristic, and costs a fraction of a Taycan.
The bigger question is whether MG can eventually build an identity strong enough that it stops needing these visual shortcuts. Because underneath the Porsche cosplay, the 07 actually sounds promising.
The MG 07 might just end up being a very good car. It just happens to look like it really wants you to think about a Porsche while staring at it. Is that a bad thing?
Via: CarNewsChina
