SAIC Motor, parent company to MG and the China-only Roewe brand, are keen to establish a world renowned design ethos that will position the brands ahead of their competitors. This is one of the many reasons the company decided to effectively double the design organization in the United Kingdom.
The design studio, which originally opened in 2010 following a £5m (roughly $8m) investment underwent a further £1.5m ($2.4m) expansion in 2012, adding two new full-size plates, a five-axis milling machine and a new virtual visualization room in the process. The five-axis milling machine allows models in clay or hard materials to be produced within 36 hours, while the visualization suite features a large Powerwall with 2D and 3D capability.
SAIC’s UK Design Director Martin Uhlarik and Global Design Director Anthony Williams-Kenny took us inside the new SAIC-MG Design Center in Longbridge, UK, and outlined the company’s ambitions.
