Britons have prepared a forerunner of the small MG2 hatchback

Its role was played by the MG GO! concept, presented as part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed (UK) which kicked off today.

The MG automotive brand has been under the control of the Chinese conglomerate SAIC since 2005. At present, all models, including those for Europe, are produced at factories in China, but in 2028 the company plans to begin manufacturing cars at a facility in Galicia (Spain). It is worth noting that the company currently sells MG passenger cars in the European market (with electric vehicles from IM Motors also sold under the same brand) as well as Maxus light commercial vehicles.

The British marque is currently developing a new model which will likely occupy the entry-level position in the brand's hierarchy. This concerns a compact hatchback with a fully electric powertrain, which could be given the name MG2. According to the manufacturer's plan, the production version will go on sale in Europe as early as 2027.

Today, 9 July, as part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed which has just begun, the company unveiled the precursor to the MG2 – the MG GO! concept (the exclamation mark is part of the name). The company noted that with this show car, the designers wanted to return to a "retro-futuristic spirit" and drew inspiration from the marque's models of the 1950s and 1960s – in particular, the MGB GT.

Both the future production model and the current concept were created by a team of designers led by head of design Carl Gotham. It is reported that the MG GO! is intended to demonstrate the direction in which the MG brand intends to move in the near future. The concept features a five-door body with a sloping bonnet, a straight roofline, black front pillars and hidden centre pillars.

The show car is equipped with rounded headlights featuring a pixel-style pattern and vertical strokes on the sides, a blanking plate in place of the radiator grille, a mesh air intake in the lower section of the front bumper, hinges on the front bumper which will obviously not make it to the production version, flared wheel arches, as well as two-tone alloy wheels shod with low-profile tyres.

In addition, the hatchback's profile is adorned with unusual horizontally elongated exterior mirrors with white housings, flush front door handles (the rear ones have a hidden mechanism) and inserts bearing the GO! lettering at the lower section. The rear features a large black spoiler at the top of the tailgate, a substantial diffuser and tail lights whose light signature echoes that of the headlights.

According to Auto Express, the starting price of the production fully electric MG2 hatchback on the British market is expected to be around £20,000 (equivalent to approximately 2.04 million roubles at the current exchange rate). At present, the brand's entry-level "green" model in the UK is the MG4 EV Urban, with a minimum price of £23,495 (around 2.4 million roubles).

On the European market, the new model, which may be named MG2, is likely to compete for customers with the Renault 5, Citroen e-C3, Fiat Grande Panda, as well as the recently added Volkswagen ID. Polo and Cupra Raval.

Also at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the British marque showcased the MG Cyber concept. The company noted that it "anticipates the upcoming premium D-segment crossover". It features complex-shaped headlights, a "single light bar", a split splitter and diffuser, and hidden door handles. No further details have yet been revealed about either this show car or the promised production model.