Rapidly expanding MG says it has landed about 11,000 cars in Australia since June this year, including 4800 on a single ship that landed in Port Kembla this week.
The 4800 cars in question hit Australia on a Panamanian-registered ship on July 13. The ship’s entire manifest was MG vehicles (MG 3, ZS, HS, plus the ZS electric and HS plug-in hybrid), sent direct from Shanghai harbour.
Of these, 791 will be shipped to MG Motor New Zealand with 4009 vehicles destined for Australian dealerships.
It’s a further sign of the clear supply lines enjoyed by brands that source their cars from China, others including GWM and Volvo. Australian ship and delivery tracker VedaPrime reported a 1200-plus vehicle shipment of Shanghai-made Tesla Model 3s hit Australia just last week.
This is in contrast to the wider market, with many OEMs hobbled by stock shortages, necessitating wait lists for customers. These shortages are largely tied to the global semiconductor crisis.
MG’s glut of cars on the ground is sure to ensconce China-owned and British-branded maker of small hatchbacks and SUVs inside the overall top 10 list, where it has been sitting for much of 2021.
According to industry data, MG sold 19,544 cars over the first half of 2021, up 240 per cent. It makes the market’s top-selling light car and small SUV, and the number-two-selling electric vehicle.
Overall deliveries of China-made vehicle are up 224.5 per cent this year to 35,869 units (excluding Tesla Model 3s, since that brand refuses to disclose sales data).
It’s now Australia’s fourth-biggest source of cars, behind Japan, Thailand and Korea, and ahead of Germany.
“Australian new car buyers appreciate value and choice, and we are grateful for our customers’ continued support,” said MG Motor Australia and New Zealand CEO Peter Ciao.
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