MG’s Icon Concept Unveiled in China [Beijing Auto Show]

Chinese-owned MG unveiled a concept SUV called the Icon at the Beijing show, but we're thinking it would have been more accurately named Iconoclast—which means one who attacks cherished beliefs and institutions. Despite design director Anthony Williams-Kenny's attempt to incorporate classic MG design cues, the result is less than satisfying. The MGB-inspired grille is nice, but upright, creased headlight housings are overpowering and unattractive. Vertical extrusions on the lower part of the fascia are all-too-reminiscent of the ugly 5-mph bumpers drilled into so many of those MGBs in the 1970s. The concept will no doubt be toned down should the bosses at Chinese-British MG decide to put a small crossover into production, just as designers at the company have done in the past when turning show cars into reality. After its parent company went bankrupt in 2005, MG was sold to a Chinese company called Nanjing Automobile Group; Nanjing then merged with one of China's larger car manufacturers, SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation). Since then, the company has re-entered the UK market and assembles vehicles for the European market at MG's historic Longbridge factory. Comparison Test: 2012 Nissan Juke SV AWD vs. 2011 Mini Cooper S Countryman ALL4, 2012 Jeep Compass Latitude 4×4 Photos and Info: 2013 BMW X1 Instrumented Test: 2010 Audi A4 2.0T Avant S-line Mechanical details weren't provided, but other MG models in production either use highly modified versions of Rover's K-series engines or smaller four-cylinders developed by SAIC. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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