BANGKOK, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese MG brand launched its third locally assembled electric vehicle (EV) in Thailand on Wednesday, bringing cutting-edge features to a lower price point in one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing EV markets.
The new MG URBAN is the latest completely knocked-down (CKD) fully electric hatchback manufactured in Thailand by SAIC Motor-CP, a joint venture between China's SAIC and Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group.
The debut marks a milestone to validate the fact that technologies do not always come with an expensive price tag, said Da Shenshen, president of SAIC Motor-CP.
Da said the company sought to make driver-assistance and automated parking technology accessible below the 1-million-baht (about 30,569 U.S. dollars) threshold that has typically gated such features.
He noted that the launch reinforces the Southeast Asian nation's role as a regional production hub for the brand, which markets the car under a "Made in Thailand, For the World" positioning.
The URBAN is built by Thai workers with a deeply localized supply chain for both domestic and export markets, he added. ■