The mainstream mid-size passenger car segment has been shrinking for years, but MG wants to breathe some life into it.
The MG 7 liftback is arriving in Australia, available in a single well-specified trim level and priced at $44,990 before on-road costs.
While it’s sized similarly to the Toyota Camry, its sporty positioning makes it more of a rival to the Hyundai Sonata N Line, which is priced at $55,750 before on-roads.
The combination of sporty features and design and a practical liftback body style may also appeal to disenfranchised Kia Stinger and Volkswagen Arteon owners.
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The front-wheel drive mid-sizer is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 170kW of power and 380Nm of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
That means our MG 7 has lower outputs than the 2.0-litre in China, which produces 192kW and 405Nm. It also falls short of the Sonata’s 213kW and 422Nm outputs.
The Australian-market MG 7 comes standard with adaptive suspension, an adaptive three-stage electric rear spoiler, and an electronic limited-slip differential.
This equipment helps back up the sporty styling, complete with a sleek roofline, frameless windows with double-pane glass, and quad exhaust outlets, as well as 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 245/40 Michelin tyres.
For those who bemoan the popularity of grey, white and black cars with black interiors, the MG 7 is bringing a pop of colour to our streets.
The standard exterior finish is a rich emerald green, though other paint colours cost an extra $695. You can also option Bordeaux Red suede-like interior trim for $695.
Standard equipment confirmed for the MG 7 includes:
- Panoramic sunroof
- Head-up display
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- Satellite navigation
- Surround-view camera
- 14-speaker Bose sound system
- 6-way power driver’s seat
- Dual-zone climate control
We’ll publish a full list of specifications when it becomes available.
MG also touts a suite of active safety and driver assist technology, plus seven airbags as standard.
It says the MG 7 is designed to score a five-star rating from safety authority ANCAP, like other recently launched MGs such as the S5 EV, QS, IM5 and IM6.
MG has previously said it doesn’t expect Camry levels of sales with the MG 7. The Camry holds close to two thirds of the mainstream mid-size car segment with 9309 deliveries this year to the end of November; the electric BYD Seal is a distant second with 3371 deliveries.
“We think it will resonate well in Australia. Again, we’re not chasing Camry volume with it. It’s a performance fastback sedan that looks epic, so we believe there’s a place for it, so we’re gonna have a go,” former MG Motor Australia chief commercial officer Giles Belcher told CarExpert in March.
“People buy sedans if they’re, I suppose, practical enough for them. Or the flipside is, are they design cool? We believe ours is practical and design cool.”
This is the first time you’ve been able to buy a new combustion-powered mid-size MG in Australia since before it came under Chinese ownership. It arrives around 20 years after the old ZT sedan and wagon were retired.
The original MG 7, produced from 2007 to 2013, was actually based on the ZT/Rover 75, so you could arguably consider this new car a belated successor.
Those after a mid-size MG with electric power can instead opt for the IM5, priced from $60,990 drive-away.
MG has been massively expanding its local lineup of late, entering new segments with products like the MG 7, U9 ute and QS large SUV as it aims to become a top-three auto brand here by the end of the decade.
MORE: Explore the MG showroom