MG Australia gets new leadership as local boss exits top role after almost a decade

MG Motor Australia has new leadership, as the Chinese auto brand encounters teething troubles as it works towards its previously stated goal of being a top-three marque locally by 2030.

Peter Ciao, who has been in the top role since 2018, is moving into an advisory role in which he will “ensure a smooth transition for local staff, dealers, partners and customers”.

Parent company SAIC Motor, which has been present in Australia for a decade now, has announced Qing Zhang will head up the automaker’s operations in Australia and New Zealand, which includes leading the MG brand.

Mr Zhang will spend “regular time” in the ANZ region and provide “direction, alignment and support” to the MG brand as it grows locally.

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The executive will do double duty, continuing to serve in his role as vice president at SAIC Motor International.

SAIC Motor has also appointed another long-serving company executive, Felix Jiang, as senior vice president for the ANZ region. He’ll be based in Sydney.

“I am very proud of the achievements we have made as a team and business in Australia and New Zealand, and I am very thankful for the many opportunities I have had as we have grown from our humble beginnings,” said Mr Ciao.

“The ANZ MG owner family is around 300,000 strong and growing every day, showing how our local dealer partners and customers have placed their trust in the MG Motor brand so wholeheartedly.

“Our local team has been incredibly committed to our growth ambitions and I look forward to supporting the new senior leadership as SAIC Motor embarks on a new era in Australia and New Zealand.”

MG is one of two SAIC Motor brands present in Australia, with the other being LDV. However, this commercial vehicle brand is separately distributed by independent importer Ateco Automotive.

“SAIC Motor has established an excellent footing in the ANZ market over the past decade, and we now look forward with great excitement to fuelling our next phase of growth by introducing innovative products that deeply resonate with and meet local demands,” said MG ANZ CEO Qing Zhang.

“I’d like to express sincere thanks to Peter for his leadership over the past eight years. Peter has played a significant role in establishing and growing our presence in the ANZ market, notably through the development of our excellent local team, a strong and committed dealer network, and investment in the MG Motor brand.”

MG Motor Australia says that “at the appropriate time” it will announce an updated strategy for its “next phase of growth”.

Last year, it launched a raft of new model lines which included its first ute, the U9; its first large SUV, the QS; a new mid-size car, the MG 7; and new electric vehicles (EVs) in the S5 EV small SUV, and the IM5 and IM6 premium sedan and SUV.

Despite this glut of new models, however, MG sales fell 18.4 per cent year over year.

Slumping sales for its core models was to blame – its top-seller, the ZS small SUV, fell 11.6 per cent; the recently redesigned entry-level MG 3 hatch fell 33.5 per cent; the similarly new HS mid-size SUV fell 7.7 per cent; and the MG 4 electric hatch plunged by 56.9 per cent.

MG’s most affordable products have found themselves under attack from other Chinese brands, including a surging Chery.

Despite recent hiccups, MG has grown massively since SAIC Motor announced its relaunch and its taking over of distribution here in 2016.

Since 2021, it has been a top-10 brand in Australia, though last year it sat in 10th position overall after three consecutive years of finishing seventh.

Late in 2024, Mr Ciao outlined ambitious goals for the brand.

“The next phase, I want to use a three-year plan – 2025, 2026, 2027 – and we want to be in the top five in this market,” he told media.

“2028, 2029, 2030 is our next phase and we’re aiming for top three.”

MG had previously announced even more products would come to local showrooms, including a new mid-size electric SUV (the MG S6 EV) and another small electric hatch. It’s unclear if this leadership shake-up will impact these plans.

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