MG Motor announces its upcoming compact EV, dubbed as the ‘Comet’ in India. This is also the first time MG has revealed the India-spec model that is based on sister brand Wuling’s Air EV, and is sold in markets such as Indonesia. Back in August 2021, Autocar India was the first to exclusively report about MG’s plans to launch this urban electric runabout in India. Budget priced MG Comet EV to be launched in India.
As for the name, MG says it derives inspiration from the iconic 1934 British airplane which participated in the England-Australia MacRobertson Air Race keeping alive its tradition of airplane-derived names. MG’s Hector and Gloster SUVs are also named after World War II-era British airplanes.
The Comet will be unlike any other hatchback in India, Measuring 2.9m long, the three-door, four-seater Comet will be the smallest four-wheeler on sale in India. It, however, will not be quite as tight on space, as, thanks to its electric skateboard architecture, relatively long 2,010mm wheelbase, and boxy shape, interior packaging will be quite space-efficient.
The India-spec Comet EV looks identical to the one that is sold in Indonesia. It gets a two-tone finish for the front fascia, a tall and stubby nose, and a wrapround strip under the windscreen with LED lighting elements that end in the wing mirrors. In profile, the small wheels pushed to the edges and the asymmetrical window line with dual-tone paint finish are what stand out, while the rear end has been designed to mimic the front fascia.
Its compact dimensions may suggest it will be positioned as a budget vehicle, but it will be quite the opposite. We expect it to be priced upwards of ₹10 lakh (ex-showroom), positioned as a premium intra-city runabout, for which MG will certainly not be skimming on features.
Although MG has not revealed interior images yet, we expect the biggest talking point to be a dual-screen infotainment set-up made up of two 10.25-inch screens, much like the XUV700 or even some Mercedes models. Other premium features such as connected car tech, dual-tone interiors with quality materials, voice commands, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also expected. There could even be a sunroof.
The Comet EV is expected to be powered by a battery of around 20-25kWh capacity, which will be locally sourced from Tata AutoComp, giving the Comet EV a driving range of up to 300km that will likely be certified by iCAT, just like MG’s ZS EV. The Comet is expected to be powered by a single, front-axle motor with a power output of around 50kW (68hp).
The Comet is expected to hit the market around mid-2023 and upon launch, will find competition from the likes of the Tata Tiago EV (₹8.69 lakh to ₹11.99 lakh) and the recently launched Citroen eC3 (₹11.50 lakh to ₹12.43 lakh) in the electric hatchback segment. The MG Comet EV will be assembled in India and MG plans to give it over 60% localisation to make it as competitive as possible.
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