MG Motor UK plans to expand its dealer network by over 30 sites by the end of 2017 as the carmaker moves to quadruple its sales within the next five years.
The brand expects sales of its newly launched GS (pictured), its first compact SUV, to help it hit a record 5,000 registrations by the end of 2016, a 58.6% increase on last year’s total of 3,152 units.
The brand currently has 78 dealers and in the year to date has been steadily recruiting more to fill open points across the country.
“We currently have 78 dealers, 15 more than last year, and plan to have 90 by the end of 2016 and between 100-110 by the end of next year; although recruitment is increasingly difficult with big groups snapping up smaller ones,” said Matthew Cheyne, head of sales and marketing.
“Our goal is to re-establish this franchise. In five years’ time we want to be at 20,000 vehicles; that’s where we want to be in the short term but we’re not about stacking cars on dealer forecourts.”
MG’s growth will come from new models which will see dealers selling two new SUVs by the end of 2017. First up is the GS which went on sale this week and is aggressively priced from £14,995. MG anticipates 700-800 GS sales this year, rising to 1,000 in 2017.
Its next new model will be a B-segment SUV which the brand expects will become its biggest seller. An all-new MG3 replacement is also scheduled and the C/D-segment MG6 will be discontinued in September with no plans for a direct replacement.
http://www.motortrader.com/motor-trader-news/automotive-news/mg-add-30-dealers-meet-ambitious-uk-growth-target-15-06-2016
