China's top automaker SAIC Motor has drawn renewed global attention as MG staged a technology showcase in the United Kingdom and unveiled new concept models at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, capping a strong first half in overseas markets.

On July 8, MG held a technology conference in London, bringing its latest intelligent electric technology back to the brand's birthplace. On July 9, MG appeared at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the all-electric hatchback MG GO! and the coupe SUV Cyber Concept made their debut. The event combined MG's heritage with its latest intelligent electric technologies, highlighting China's advances in intelligent electric vehicles.

MG holds a technology conference in London

Meanwhile, SAIC Motor delivered an impressive first-half performance in overseas markets. In June, SAIC Motor sold 146,000 vehicles overseas, up 61.2 percent year-on-year and setting a new monthly record. In the first half of this year, SAIC Motor's overseas sales reached 735,000 units, up 48.7 percent year-on-year, ranking among the best in the industry. Driven by its "Glocal Strategy", SAIC Motor is transforming from vehicle exports to value-chain expansion overseas, with overseas value-chain development continuing to deepen.

Technology upgrades boost product strength

At the technology brand level, SAIC Motor is systematically building global intelligent technology brands around Hybrid+, SolidCore and i-Smart. At the UK technology conference, MG showcased MG Plug-in Hybrid+, SolidCore semi-solid-state battery technology, and MG Parking smart cockpit and driver-assistance technologies.

In addition, MG has become the world's first automotive brand to achieve mass production of semi-solid-state batteries. The IM AD intelligent driving system now covers five continents, while global activations of the i-Smart system have exceeded 1 million.

At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, MG made the global debut of two concept models, the all-electric hatchback MG GO! and the coupe SUV Cyber Concept. Inspired by several classic MG models, including the MGB GT, the MG 6R4 Group B rally car and the MG EX181 streamliner, the two vehicles showcased the brand's heritage and future vision.

The MG GO! concept car

The MG Cyber concept car

On the product front, SAIC Motor will launch a large number of models globally over the next three years. Its overseas lineup will cover four powertrain types — ICE, HEV, PHEV and EV — to meet differing energy policies and consumer preferences. SAIC Motor is also developing more than 10 new overseas models, including SUVs, sedans, MPVs and pickup-trucks, to fully cover family use, commuting, premium vehicles, long-distance travel and outdoor activities, further entering mainstream global market segments.

From Frankfurt to London, and from technology exhibitions to global showcases, MG continues to expand its global presence with more advanced technologies and new models, further presenting a new image of China's intelligent manufacturing to the world.

Deepening regional markets to serve global users

While technology is going global, SAIC Motor is also accelerating its efforts to deepen global markets. At present, SAIC Motor's products and services cover more than 170 countries and regions. Its annual sales have exceeded 300,000 vehicles in Europe and 50,000 vehicles in the Americas, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, ASEAN and South Asia. Its cumulative overseas sales have exceeded 7 million units.

Europe is SAIC Motor's largest overseas market. MG has been the top-selling Chinese auto brand in Europe for 11 consecutive years and has become the first Chinese auto brand to exceed 1 million units in cumulative sales in Europe. In the first half of this year, MG sold more than 190,000 units in Europe, up over 20 percent year-on-year.

On July 1, MG established directly operated sales companies in Belgium and Luxembourg, marking another important step in SAIC Motor's "Glocal Strategy" and its continued localization in Europe.

From leading Chinese auto brands in sales volume to deepening operations in the European market and building long-term user relationships, MG is shifting from "selling vehicles" to "operating locally", so as to better improve service capabilities, listen to customer feedback, respond more quickly to market changes and manage the customer experience more precisely.

Beyond Europe, SAIC Motor is also deepening local markets across multiple regions. In Thailand, MG launched the MG SMILE service strategy in May, using a full-process service standard system to address local user concerns such as price transparency, dealer commitment fulfillment and consumer rights protection.

It also provides a lifetime warranty for battery, motor and electric control systems on all-electric models. Supported by the new service standards and lifetime warranty policy, the new MG URBAN was launched in Thailand on June 24, bringing high-quality products and services from China's intelligent manufacturing to more Thai users.

The MG URBAN

In Central Asia, several SAIC Volkswagen models, including the SAIC VOLKSWAGEN Tiguan L Pro, SAIC VOLKSWAGEN Passat Pro, SAIC VOLKSWAGEN Teramont X, SAIC VOLKSWAGEN Teramont Pro, SAIC VOLKSWAGEN Tharu XR and SAIC VOLKSWAGEN Lavida XR, entered the Uzbekistan market in June, marking a breakthrough for SAIC Volkswagen in Central Asia.

Earlier, SAIC Motor's MG flagship store in Almaty officially opened in April. SAIC Motor has also joined hands with Allur, Kazakhstan's largest auto manufacturing and assembly company, to realize localized production and vehicle adaptation based on customer needs. The two brands are jointly expanding in Central Asia, providing local consumers with smarter models and better services.

Good news has also come from the commercial vehicle sector. Recently, SAIC HONGYAN reached a strategic agreement with a leading Thai port customer for 1,000 NEV heavy-duty trucks. The first batch of vehicles has been completed, loaded in batches and shipped from SAIC HONGYAN's production base in China to Thailand.

This also shows that SAIC HONGYAN, backed by its independent three-electric core technology, full-scenario customization capability and localized overseas service system, is challenging the dominance of foreign brands in Thailand's heavy-duty truck market and demonstrating the strength of China's complete commercial vehicle industrial chain and green intelligent manufacturing to the world.

From record monthly overseas volume to the formation of technology brands and deeper localized operations, SAIC Motor's overseas market performance in the first half reflects the systematic results of its "global auto brand + localized ecosystem" approach under the "Glocal Strategy".

Looking ahead, SAIC Motor will continue accelerating its transformation from whole-vehicle exports to value-chain expansion overseas, strengthening China's position in the global automotive industry.