MG is preparing a cheap rival to the Renault 5. It will be produced in Europe.
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The MG Go is expected to be about 4 meters long, have a battery capacity of 43 kWh, and an engine with 150 horsepower.
Starting in 2028, the car will be produced at SAIC’s new factory in Ferrol, Spain.
What other cheap Chinese cars are being made in Europe?
MG and Go
Small electric cars have long been one of the biggest challenges in the European market. Manufacturers could build fast SUVs for 300,000 zł, but it was much harder to offer a simple urban electric vehicle at a price similar to that of a gasoline car.
The situation is changing rapidly. Renault already has its “five-model” lineup, the Citroen e-C3 has lowered the barrier to entering the electric vehicle world, and Chinese brands are adding their own options. In Poland, you can currently buy models such as the Leapmotor T03, BYD Dolphin Surf, and Dongfeng Box. In the coming years, the choice will be even greater. One of the new players is expected to be the MG Go.
MG Go: a compact hatchback
The MG Go concept was unveiled in the summer at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s not just a showcase vehicle – the brand plans to develop a production B-segment electric hatchback based on it, with sales set to begin in 2027.
For some time, the car was unofficially referred to as the MG 2, which would align with the brand’s current naming convention. However, according to Autocar, it will retain the Go name in the production version.
The car was designed at MG’s design center in London. The manufacturer opted for a more distinctive, slightly retrofuturistic body style without copying the aesthetics of the brand’s classic models.
Its main competitors will be the Renault 5 E-Tech and electric Mini Cooper, though its price point is likely to place it closer to the cheapest Chinese electric cars.
About 4 meters long and 150 HP
The full specifications of the production car have not been revealed yet. According to Autocar, the MG Go will be approximately 4 meters long and use the E+ platform on which the front-wheel-drive MG4 EV Urban is built.
The powertrain for this model is expected to come from an electric motor with around 150 HP and a 43 kWh LFP battery.
Such specifications would place the Go squarely in the B-segment. It wouldn’t be a microcar designed solely for urban use, but rather a standard small hatchback capable of longer trips as well.
The most important factor remains the price. In the UK, it is estimated to be around 20 thousand pounds, which is approximately 104 thousand zł at the current exchange rate. For comparison, the MG4 EV Urban starts there at 23,495 pounds, or about 122 thousand zł. We do not yet know the price of the Go model in Poland.
Renault 5 and Mini will be direct competitors
MG is entering a segment that could become one of the most competitive in the electric vehicle market within a few years.
The Renault 5 E-Tech costs 121,500 zł in Poland. The base version has 120 HP, while the more powerful version has 150 HP. The electric Mini Cooper is more expensive—the listed price starts at 146,500 zł, though promotions may reduce it to around 130 thousand zł.
If the MG Go truly costs around 100,000 zł in Europe, the brand will try to combine a style and equipment similar to its European rivals with a price typical of the cheapest Chinese cars. And there is no shortage of those on the Polish market.
Small Chinese electric cars available in Poland
The smallest option is the Leapmotor T03. The car is 3.62 meters long, has a range of 265 km WLTP, and is a typical urban A-segment vehicle. Current prices start at 74,000 zł, so it won’t be a direct competitor to the MG Go, but it sets the lower price limit for Chinese electric cars.
The BYD Dolphin Surf is positioned higher. It is almost exactly 4 meters long, with a listed price starting at 97,700 zł. Promotions on 2026 models bring the price down to around 92,000 zł. In terms of size and price, it will be one of the closest competitors to the future MG Go.
The Dongfeng Box has similar dimensions. It measures 4.03 meters, uses a 42.3 kWh battery, produces 95 horsepower, and according to the manufacturer, can travel up to 310 km per WLTP cycle. The price starts at 99,900 zł.
The JAC E30X has also entered the Polish market – a small electric hatchback with an advertised WLTP range of around 315 km.
The MG Go is set to be produced in Spain
For MG, the location of production is just as important as the model itself. The SAIC group is building its first car factory in the European Union in Spain.
The facility will be located in Ferrol, Galicia. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with production starting before the end of 2028.
In the first phase, the factory is set to produce around 70,000 cars per year. The target capacity will be 120,000 units, so MG will almost certainly add more models to the line in the future.
According to Autocar, a small electric hatchback will be one of the first cars produced in Ferrol. This means that cars sold starting in 2027 will initially come from other factories.
Production in Spain will begin later.
For MG, this will mark a symbolic return of manufacturing to Europe. Assembly of the brand’s cars at Longbridge in the UK was halted in 2016.
Tariffs accelerate the relocation
SAIC’s decision isn’t solely driven by a desire to shorten transportation distances. The company is subject to the highest additional tariff on electric vehicles imported from China into the European Union — 35.3%. This is in addition to the standard 10% import duty.
Production within the EU helps mitigate the impact of these tariffs while increasing the share of local industry in cars sold to European customers.
Spain attracts Chinese manufacturers with lower labor costs compared to parts of Western Europe, a developed automotive industry, and investment incentives.
BYD is also bringing its compact electric car to Europe
BYD follows a similar strategy. The Chinese company is completing the construction of a factory in Szeged, Hungary, with the compact Dolphin Surf set to be one of the first models produced there on a mass scale.
According to recent announcements, mass production is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. However, the cars currently available in European showrooms still come from imports.
Once the Hungarian Dolphin Surf plant goes operational, it will become one of the first mass-produced Chinese brand electric vehicles in the European Union.
Leapmotor T03 was already manufactured in Poland
The Leapmotor T03 is a special case. This small electric vehicle was assembled for a short time at the Stellantis plant in Tychy.
Production began in 2024 but was halted on March 30, 2025. Therefore, the T03 currently available on the market is not a vehicle produced in Poland.
Leapmotor still intends to use Stellantis’ European factories. In October 2026, production of the larger B10 started in Spanish Zaragoza, with the B05 hatchback set to be the next locally produced vehicle.
The lineup will also include the much smaller B03, which was displayed at the Paris auto show. It is expected to offer up to 390 km of WLTP range, 197 horsepower, and a battery charge from 10% to 80% in about 21 minutes.
Autocar reports that the B03 is also planned to be manufactured in Spain starting in 2028. However, Leapmotor has officially confirmed local production only for the B10 and B05 so far, meaning the start date for European production of the B03 should be viewed as a plan rather than a finalized decision.
Geely is next
Geely E2 also joins the competition for customers. This compact electric vehicle, known in China as Xingyuan, was unveiled to the European public at the Paris auto show in October 2026. With a length of about 4.1 meters, it targets the same market segment as the BYD Dolphin Surf, future MG Go, and Leapmotor B03.
Inexpensive electric cars are becoming more European
In one or two years, the segment of small electric cars will look quite different from what it was just recently.
Renault 5, Citroen e-C3, Fiat Grande Panda, and Mini Cooper will compete with the BYD Dolphin Surf, Leapmotor B03, Dongfeng Box, Geely EX2, and MG Go. Fewer models from the latter group will reach Europe as fully assembled cars imported directly from China.
BYD is moving the production of the Dolphin Surf to Hungary, Leapmotor is using Stellantis’ factories in Spain, and SAIC is setting up its own plant in Ferrol. The result? Customers will likely just pay less for cars.
Piotr Sobczyk