With the Marvel R, the meanwhile Chinese brand MG is launching an electric SUV that is supposed to be a real competitor to established quality brands. The Marvel makers do not want to copy the German partners – but they are happy about some things “Made in Germany”.
In the new world of the electric car industry, there are three power centers on three different continents: In the Far East is the Mecca of battery cells, in California the IT nerds are working on cool apps and hot software – and especially good old Germany is driving ahead in production and processing.
Breakthrough on the world market
No product from one of the three regions around has really impressed the whole world. With one the software gets stuck, with the other batteries run out too quickly, with the third, the gaps or plastic colors do not withstand higher demands. Matt Lei would like to change that: “When it comes to electric cars, no manufacturer has a big lead over the other, especially on the drive side; but we can do some things better than others. ”And with these words the fingers of the boss of MG Motors Europe patting the hood of his latest product: The Marvel R is supposed to secure the breakthrough on the world market.
The subsidiary brand of the Chinese auto giant SAIC recently celebrated a good debut with its first all-electric car for the continental European market: The unspectacularly designed ZS has received favorable reviews with its solid performance, good crash test rating and decent workmanship. And with a starting price of around 30,000 euros, the properly equipped compact SUV can hope for cost-conscious customers. Not on the classic premium trailers or Tesla fans.
The 4.67 meter long Marvel already looks much more attractive for customers from these circles. It starts with the extendable door handles that are flush with the body. Has a coolness factor – which continues when you enter the spacious interior. The grippy steering wheel is the only reminiscence of the blissful times of the classic British roadster brand. The rest of the interior shows that there was no copy shop of established manufacturers at work here.
The ventilated and heated seats – MG likes to refer to Italian Alcantara and German nappa leather – seem suitable for long journeys; all switches, plastic surfaces and levers touch each other as one is used to from the products on the premium shelves of the Volkswagen Group. Together with them, SAIC “has been manufacturing vehicles in China for a long time”, as Lei emphasizes. But nothing at all seems copied, even if MG likes to point out to the Chinese Marvel buyers that the all-aluminum chassis was developed and coordinated “together with a German luxury automobile brand”.
The huge 19.4-inch monitor, which sits slightly beveled under the center console, looks more like an interpretation of the Tesla style. A real eye-catcher that, unlike in the ZS, is not equipped with simple graphics. The touchscreen is animated and reacts quickly to every pressure.
The Marvel R is not yet ready for testing on the road. In the top version for around 50,000 euros, the Marvel will be powered by three electric motors at the market launch in autumn. With permanent all-wheel drive and a maximum output of 288 hp, the 100 km / h mark is reached in 4.9 seconds from a standstill. It is only limited at 200 km / h. This is also achieved by the rear-wheel drive version with two electric motors and 180 hp. Both Marvel variants have a 70 kWh lithium-ion battery with rapid charging capability, and the MG can also give its juice back to external devices.
The Chinese do not achieve any top values in terms of range. A maximum of 402 kilometers is also quite decent, especially since the battery can largely be recharged in three quarters of an hour. And with a maximum trailer load of 750 kilograms and 357 to a maximum of around 1400 liters of trunk space, the Marvel plays at eye level with the Jaguar iPace, which is of a similar length. However, in a significantly different price range: The list prices of the MG between 40,000 and 50,000 euros are several 10,000 euros below those of the Jaguar, and the similarly sized VW ID.4 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 are more than 10,000 euros away because the Chinese are already in the Base with panorama roof, electric tailgate or heat pump drives up.
Level 3, but not with us
However, Matt Lei is not yet allowed to offer the really cool arguments of the brave new car world to European Marvel buyers: In China, where the car is offered under the “Roewe” brand, the Marvel is already autonomous on level 3 – so, without the driver having to have their hands on the steering wheel. We are not yet allowed to do this. And there the Marvel also uses artificial intelligence to learn where the driver has his parking space. They can then get out at the front door – and use the app to independently drive their car into the garage around the next corner.
SPX