Interview with MG Tony Williams

SAIC global design director MG Tony: MG SUV models will be introduced?

2011 Shanghai Auto Show, Sohu interview with the SAIC, the global automotive design director, Mr Tony Williams (hereinafter referred to as: MG Tony), he not only spoke of an interview MG5 concept car design and positioning, but also revealed the MG brand to the next SUV models will be introduced.

Sohu car: First of all welcome you to the Sohu car to a stranger, first of all ask you to participate in this show how feel?

MG Tony: I have officially reached our expectations, especially for the feedback on the brand is very good. Got the news from me, I am very happy that the concept car for MG5, has been very positive feedback. Especially for Shanghai Automotive, we are very aggressive, we have been and continue to create and innovate.

Sohu car: Please talk about the design concept and representatives MG5 direction.

MG Tony: The concept of philosophy from the beginning of last year's MG Zero concept car from the start, we can see from the concept car can see we have a very young, personality, fashion sense of design, the car you see the very fact trendy nature through their own personality to complete, for us as a fashion product, from now into the future would we have been looking for this as our goal and direction, has been promoting continue. For MG5 this level, the modeling is very important. Can see that we are starting from the center of plate design, extended out from the plate surface and the line number is very important front in the design and MG|
Zero similar, but more dynamic. Can be seen in the movement, very dynamic. From the bottom of the grille to the rear wheels, it is very mature. Comparison of angular design, vehicle attitude is very important, the whole is very low, and it seems very movement. Can see that we progress, more mature, and more aggressive. Not to say that is very radical, but it can improve.

Sohu car: MG5 after production, will be positioned about what kind of crowd? And MG6 What is the relationship?

MG Tony: We all know the MG for the user are very ambitious users, they are relatively successful for some, catch up with the trend of younger groups, we hope to have this car to show their personality of the car, So some of this car on behalf of their own, user-generated. If and MG6, MG5 together, we are branding this number was even more dramatic, we can bring more fun. If the production car is one less level, can do even more dramatic, more interesting to some.

Sohu car: MG as a global brand, MG5 as a global model to sell, how to meet the tastes of consumers in Europe that can meet China's current situation?

MG Tony: Actually, there is a can explain, in Europe and China, some consumer groups are very close to the first customers in Europe, they are very familiar with MG for this product, you must have enough personality, but as such one exists, so we do this in more detail of the car some. So this fact, as we said, to some European customers, China is also very young clients is also very suitable. All need to be very good on both sides of the consumer need for high quality, very well designed, in the Chinese market, we have a lot of the same product line, we must be able to jump out.



Sohu car: Looking to the next product planning MG What other new products, which the new platform out of it?

MG Tony: Now is the engineering, MG brand performance, product line, the product development is very good, in fact, we like the design language for a long time, we are now to be applied to the product, because the value of the MG brand is very strong, very clear, hope to design out of the language and style is so. Itself has such power, such power to do all the full range of models, which were hidden in the details, he can tell you he's busy, busy with what is in these details on the MG's.

Sohu car: the new compact SUV is the product? How soon to meet with consumers?

MG Tony: I would say some of these because it is more sensitive, to be published again in the future, it should be soon.

Sohu car: I want to know the work behind the design, and now have a team in China, the United Kingdom have a team like the division of labor between them is how coordinated?

MG Tony: There is a new work on the background work for him do not quite understand, I was recognized as the official four months ago, do not know how much you know. Can tell us. We now have a team of 80 staff, 35 designers in the UK, our new design center in Shanghai is the largest previously never seen the scale of design center. Hardware from the device and the whole extent, in fact, we invited the world's top do, we have a very good, a virtual environment. We have a very good exhibition space, from within the device to an external device, are like this. Therefore, we also have the latest, processing equipment, very large model of the working platform, which is targeted and designed rooms, we have plans, but also the future for the UK design office formed a plan for me, about the design, China and the UK team, we want to get more and more, young, cutting edge designers, we also have some part of the team is very experienced leaders, their work is a guide to lead young people, we do the work world, does not ensure that these young designers continue to maintain his creative, very creative, and to ensure that they can participate in every aspect of society, the use of their ideas involved in the assessment, participate in each project. Of course in the UK will be somewhat different design center, the team experience in the UK to be relatively more adequate number, there are basically 15 to 20 years in the automotive OEM experience working in different, for us it is very important. Design method is very diverse, in the UK, some of China's young designers, the design team for the UK to learn, benefit from the things, the most important point is that some exchanges between the two teams have cooperation. He is also in Shanghai, including, for many from Europe, the United States some cutting-edge designers to join Shanghai group to help us find some of the concepts. Another initiative is about the brand and brand value, and exchange, to cite an example, information like this design and concept design in the United Kingdom is now in the UK design center for the motherboard, but recently there are some very strong teams, the global These projects, all of the products, Shanghai is such a platform must be very able to understand. Young people of China, creativity is very important, feeling very strong. So the integration of each other mutual exchanges, hoping to shape the brand was better.

Sohu car: on the future, do you think the next five to ten years, from the design point of view, what will become of the car look like? These so-called new energy automotive design will not cause some revolutionary change?

MG Tony: Yesterday relatively briefly gone through over the whole of the stadium, and feel now compared to the automotive market and five years ago, there are some different, and grace than five years ago, is more profound in content, there more meaning in it, the most important thing is to understand and learn, in fact, comparing global customer expectations for the cars is actually increasing, and as the demands of personality, it is getting stronger. Continuation of the brand image is very important. Quality is also very important, you can see our current models, many of the details, the design, very carefully, especially the instrument panel, instrument panel is flat before, that is functional, is now the instrument panel design is very Well, there may be a factor is now a considerable portion of the car is very well-known car manufacturers, which also contributed to the design, the ability to design some very unique style, fashionable things, to attract consumers to buy some of the vehicle. In fact, we can see a lot of ideas and details of the concept car, and the production car is very close to the amount of our future will be very close. This is the previously mentioned have more meaning in it. These may be very specific description, but the change really fast.

Sohu car: the application of new energy vehicles, for the design is relatively large

MG Tony: One thing, and now some of the design of new energy vehicles and trucks were sold compared, the difference is relatively large, for this electric car, in fact, designed in the style want to look into the electric car may be more vehicles, use of electric means, the car will be the development of style, to a higher level, market requirements, customer requirements will be increasingly high, is for cars, to power, emissions, dynamic vehicle can be said that we still consider to give consumers a stronger feeling. This is the point, not the same as with the times, giving designers more power, more powerful to do the things to do. The Chinese market, to buy the car in fact, want to express a kind of relatively new, but from the development, it will be faster and faster, will be more mature.

Sohu car: Thank you!

Can see that we are starting from the center of plate design, extended out from the plate surface and the line number is very important front in the design and MG|
Zero similar, but more dynamic.