Cloud EV will sit below the MG ZS EV in the brand’s line-up; gets a born-EV platform.
Buoyed by a fresh fund infusion from the JSW Group, MG Motor India has got a new lease of life that will see the company launch one new vehicle every three to six months, starting from the second-half of 2024. The focus will be on electric and electrified vehicles, and the Cloud EV is expected to be one of the first to arrive under this new model blitz.
The Cloud EV is sold under the Wuling brand name by parent brand SAIC in Indonesia and as the Baojun Yunduo in China. However, it will be rebadged as an MG in India, just as the Comet is a rebranded Wuling Air. It has already been spied testing on our roads on a couple of occasions, so here’s everything you can expect from the upcoming Cloud EV in India.
MG Cloud EV likely to be aggressively priced
Sources say that MG could be looking to price the Cloud EV under Rs 20 lakh in India, which means it will find itself right in the thick of the EV market and rival the Tata Nexon EV and Mahindra XUV400; it will be more affordable than MG’s own ZS EV which has been a steady seller for the brand. The key to an aggressive pricing for the upcoming Cloud EV will have to be high levels of localisation, including that of the battery pack.
MG Cloud EV will stand out with unique styling
The Cloud EV measures about 4.3 metres in length and has a wheelbase of 2,700mm, but while its stance and shape is like an MPV, it’s only a 5-seater with two rows of seating. The best way to describe the Cloud EV would be as a cross between a large hatchback and an MPV. It has a minimalistic design with flush door handles, clean surfacing and full-width LED light bars at the front and rear. The stepped front-end design with the headlamps mounted on the bumper give it a unique look.
The Cloud EV gets fully reclining front seats.
The theme of minimalism continues on the inside too, and being a born EV, it has the interior packaging advantages allowing for lots of space. The dashboard is dominated by a large touchscreen infotainment, there’s a digital instrument cluster and the front seat backrest can be fully reclined for what is called the “sofa mode with 135-degree backseat recline”. It also gets an ADAS suite with a 360-degree camera in Indonesia.
MG Cloud EV gets two battery packs abroad
The Cloud EV gets two battery pack options overseas – a 37.9kWh and a 50.6kWh, with 360km and 460km range, respectively. It’s powered by a front-axle mounted, permanent magnet synchronous motor that produces 134hp, but it remains to be seen which of these versions will be brought here.
The Cloud EV is slightly smaller than traditional MPVs like the Maruti Ertiga and Kia Carens in India, but should find itself in a unique position for being the only all-electric model in its class until the Kia Carens EV arrives here in the second half of 2025. If the company is able to achieve a sub-Rs 20 lakh price in India, it could be one of the most interesting new models to hit our roads this year.
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