MG positions Marvel R electric SUV as its European tech flagship

MG Motor is positioning the Marvel R Electric compact SUV as the technology-led flagship of its European range as it expands in the region.

Sales of the battery-powered model will begin in the summer. It will compete against EVs such as the Volkswagen ID4 and Skoda Enyaq iV.

The Marvel R will only be sold as a left-hand-drive model, meaning it will not be offered in the UK, the brand's largest European market.

MG says features such as a 19.4-inch interior touchscreen and a 12.3 -inch digital instrument panel, boost the Marvel R’s credentials as a technology flagship.

The SUV will also have active safety equipment, MG said, without giving details.

The Marvel R Electric’s all-wheel-drive top-spec version has three electric motors for a combined output of 284 hp. It has a range of more than 400 km (249 miles) on a single charge as measured by Europe’s WLTP test cycle. The company did not give an exact figure.

MG declined to disclose the car's battery size but the Roewe Marvel X sold in China on which it is based uses a 52-kilowatt hour battery pack.

During an online presentation on March 16, MG Europe CEO Matt Lei said that at 4674 mm (184 inches) the Marvel R is longer than rivals such as the VW ID4. 

The SUV will cost less than the ID4, an MG spokesman hinted, without disclosing the pricing.  The ID4 starts at 36,950 euros in Germany for the Pure model with the smallest 52 kWh battery.

The Marvel R all-wheel-drive version can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds, MG said.

A rear-wheel-drive version with two motors instead of three will also be offered. The rear-wheel-drive version will have a 150-liters of cargo space under the hood, in addition to the 357-liter in the trunk.

MG said the Marvel R would be able to charge other devices, including electric scooters or even another electric car.

MG's European sales increased 81 percent to 25,619 vehicles last year, according to figures from JATO Dynamics market researchers. The volume gain was largely due to the success of the full-electric version of its ZS small SUV.

The automaker plans to double the number of its dealers in mainland Europe to more than 200 this year. The markets will include Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and Norway.

MG was formerly part of the UK’s Rover Group. It was bought by China’s SAIC Motor in 2007. Its cars are built in China and share technology with SAIC's Roewe brand.

In November, MG will begin sales of the MG5 compact electric wagon in its European markets. The car is a facelifted version of the MG5 that went on sale in the UK in November. The facelifted wagon has a longer range of more than 400 km, up from 344 km and adds active safety equipment, MG did not disclose pricing.