Le
Finantial Times révèle que de nouveaux délais sont à prévoir pour la relance de la production à l'usine de Longbridge, selon Chen Hong un des directeurs de la SAIC : la MG TF commencera à être produite en Chine en mai 2008 et il faudrait ensuite compter 3 mois pour la voir sortir des chaînes de production de Longbridge (donc autour du mois d'août). Raison invoquée : la qualité du produit. Ils savent que le monde aura les yeux braqués sur eux depuis les fameux "crash tests" réalisés sur les voitures chinoises...
Il y aurait quand même 70% des composants fabriqués en Chine et 30% en Europe.
MG étudie 3 modèles (dont le remplacement de la MG TF) qui devraient être produits pour 2010.
Sinon les chinois se sont engagés solennellement vis-à-vis du maire de Birmingham à relancer dès que possible l'usine de Longbridge et de réaliser des investissements.
Il n'est pas impossible que de son côté TATA MOTORS parvienne à lancer un premier modèle ROVER (dérivé de la plateforme de l'Indica V3 mais avec un style approprié) avant MG, si les chinois vont à cette allure là...
Source :
Financial Times FT.
MG's two-seater poised to make return
By John Reed in London
Published: February 5 2008 02:00 | Last updated: February 5 2008 02:00
Shanghai Automotive (SAIC) hopes to begin producing the MG TF two-seater in Nanjing in May and at its plant in Longbridge, UK, within three months of that date, a senior executive said yesterday.
But SAIC admitted the car's long-awaited relaunch could be delayed again as it grapples with quality issues and rebuilds tooling bought in 2005 from bankrupt MG Rover and shipped to China by Nanjing Automobile (NAC), with which SAIC merged in December.
"We want to begin production of cars at Longbridge as soon as possible, but the first priority for us is the quality of the product," Chen Hong, SAIC's president, told the Financial Times yesterday.
"If we launch the product on the UK market and don't have sufficient quality to meet customers' expectations, we damage the brand."
The relaunch of MG's two-seater, which has a passionate UK and US following, will mark the highest-profile European debut for a Chinese-made car. SAIC has selected 50 dealers to sell the car, and distributed a teaser brochure with the slogan "A New Journey".
MG is studying at least three new models, including a replacement for the TF, which it hopes to produce from 2010, Mr Chen said. However, the carmaker is still building a supply base in China and Europe that would allow it to meet European quality standards. About 70 per cent of the car, including its engines, will be made in China, and 30 per cent in Europe.
"From the point of view of SAIC, more time is needed for quality," Mr Chen said.
Other Chinese carmakers, including Chery Automobile, have recently postponed export plans over qualityconcerns. Some Chinese cars exported to Germany have performed poorly in crash tests and been derided in the motoring press.
"They realise the eyes of the world are upon them," a person close to SAIC's management said yesterday.
SAIC is one of China's biggest and most ambitious carmakers, and has joint ventures with General Motors and Volkswagen.