The first luxury car will be launched in the first quarter of 2025, and the company plans to open 12 MG Select showrooms in the next six months, Gaurav Gupta, chief growth officer, JSW MG Motor India, told Business Standard.
The company, in which the JSW Group and other Indian entities now hold a 51 per cent stake, will launch only “new-age energy vehicles” in the luxury category.
“We will be limited to the new energy vehicles—strong hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles. There is only a seven per cent penetration of EVs in the luxury space in India versus two per cent in the mainstream product category. There is a higher appetite in the luxury segment to look at these new powertrains and new fuel options across different body styles (roadster, sport utility vehicle, etc.),” Gupta mentioned.
About 45,000 units were sold in India in the luxury car segment in 2023, recording a 20 per cent year-on-year growth. However, this segment is just one per cent of the total domestic car sales in the auto industry.
When asked how JSW MG’s luxury cars will be priced, Gupta replied, “We have always been defining luxury from a price point perspective. The new definition of luxury is a mix of price point, exclusivity in the experience, and accessibility of that experience.”
He said that the company aims to improve the accessibility of luxury cars for Indian customers through MG Select.
“We are planning for a four- to five-car display to begin with at MG Select, which will imply a minimum of about 4,000 square feet of display space. We are also going to invite potential dealer partners to come and join us. And we will be looking at young, new-generation entrepreneurs with an appetite for luxury to join us,” he mentioned.
JSW MG is not the first automaker to opt for two separate dealership lines for its products. Maruti Suzuki India sells its premium cars through Nexa showrooms, and Hero MotoCorp sells its high-end two-wheelers through Premia stores.