Originally Posted by AutoExpress

MG’s reborn ZS hatches out!

Octagon badge is ready to return – and we can reveal full details of the sporty new model that aims to take fight to class’s best...

Auto Express Car ReviewsText: Paul Bailey / Photos: Larson20th November 2008Get ready for a new British-built MG hatchback! It’s three years since the last ZS rolled off the production line, but MG’s Chinese owner plans to launch this stunning model in 2010, pitting it against the next-generation Vauxhall Astra, as well as established players such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf.

Auto Express has learned from MG insiders that Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC) is set to introduce the new hatch initially in China. It will then roll out the same model – this time built at MG Rover’s old home of Longbridge in the West Midlands – Europe-wide.

Based heavily on the Roewe 550 saloon, the car has a pert rear, and an aggressive front end more in tune with the sporting ambitions of the MG marque. Its Chinese-built N Series engine (a development of the original K Series) comes in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.8-litre forms. Outputs will range from 120bhp to 160bhp, and there are plans for a 200bhp hot hatch, too.

The MG will feature stiffer springs with compliant damping, and suspension settings are currently being honed in both China and the UK. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) – joint venture partner and the owner of the Rover brand – has tasked staff at Leamington Spa, Warks, with testing these sportier settings. Roewe 550 test mules have been seen pounding around the Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire.

It’s believed that the Longbridge-built model will be renamed in the tradition of the post-2001 ‘Zed’ range, and will undercut its mainstream rivals. NAC-MG’s sales and marketing director, Gary Hagen, recently stated that he was looking to position the cars with value for money in mind.

The new MG will look different in European and Chinese forms, with the Longbridge machine being specifically tailored for the western market. NAC-MG UK’s finances are currently somewhat limited, and a significant financial injection from China will be needed to ensure that the plans for Longbridge will come to fruition. However, top brass understand the value of building MGs in the UK to retain brand credibility.

Next year is expected to be a quiet one for Longbridge announcements. SAIC’s Leamington Spa staff will move en masse to the Product Development Centre at the historic facility. And a mainstream version of the TF roadster will be rolled out early in the year, maybe followed by a facelifted version created to coincide with MG’s 85th birthday celebrations.