Two months after its media preview, MG Philippines launched the MG One crossover in the Glorietta Activity Center where you can see it until Sunday, February 25. It’s the first car from MG with smart tech and their first using the SAIC Intelligent Global Modular Architecture or SIGMA platform. It currently starts with an introductory price of PHP 1,223,888.
Honestly, the MG One didn’t catch my attention during its December preview. Most likely because it stood alongside the MG Cyberster. But now that has my full attention, I really like the design ethos MG has implemented in this crossover. It’s a great follow-up to the ZS, ZS Trophy, and a prequel to the MG4.
The two variants of the MG One share a lot of exterior amenities. This includes the LED headlights and DRL, LED taillights, black front grille, and power adjustable side mirrors. Where the LUX gets an advantage is in the power folding mirrors, panoramic sunroof, roof rails, and bigger 19-inch wheels as opposed to the 18s of the lower STD variant.
Both trims of the MG One are powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine that’s paired to a CVT with manual override. It produces 170 horsepower and 275 Nm of torque. You can fire this up remotely if you get the LUX trim.
No unit was powered up during the launch so we didn’t get to see the full glory of the cabin. However, it is quite spacious and there are a lot of soft touch materials that will certainly justify its asking price. It has a flat-bottom steering wheel that’s leather wrapped, a modern shifter on the center console, electronic parking brake with auto hold, and rear aircon vents. Meanwhile, the LUX gets a handful of additional toys in the cabin. It has LED ambient lighting, 6-way powered driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, wireless charger, 1 more USB port, and 6 speakers instead of the STD’s 4.
The panoramic screen infront of the driver measures a total of 30-inches and is a 3-way system. At the left most is a 5.4-inch Touch Switch screen, at the center is the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and at the rightmost is the 12.3-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
MG did great with the safety tech of the MG One as the two variants share a lot of crucial bits. They have front and side airbags, electronic stability program, hill hold control, hill descent control, and cornering brake control. Of course, the LUX gets more with its curtain airbags, lane departure warning, 360-camera, and blind spot system.
It’s also equipped with the MG Pilot or their suite of advanced driver assist systems. It has Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Jam Assist, Intelligent High-Beam Control, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Door Opening Warning.
The MG One is available in six colors namely Fizzy Orange, Brighton Blue, Extreme Speed Red, Moon White, Iron Oxide, and Meteorite Black. It starts at PHP 1,298,888 for the STD and PHP 1,458,888 for the LUX. However, they have an introductory pricing of PHP 1,223,888 and PHP 1,390,888 respectively.