MG Motor Australia has new leadership as the Chinese car brand encounters teething problems as it works toward its previously stated goal of being one of the top three local brands by 2030.
Peter Ciao, who has held the top position since 2018, is moving into an advisory role where he will “ensure a smooth transition for local employees, dealers, partners and customers.”
Parent company SAIC Motor, which has had a presence in Australia for a decade, has announced that Qing Zhang will lead 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, providing “guidance, direction and support” to the MG brand as it grows locally.
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The Managing Director will perform dual duties and continue in his role as Vice President at SAIC Motor International.
SAIC Motor has also appointed another long-standing company executive, Felix Jiang, as senior vice president for the ANZ region. He will be based in Sydney.
“I am very proud of the successes we have achieved as a team and company in Australia and New Zealand and I am very grateful for the many opportunities I have had as we have developed from our humble beginnings,” said Mr Ciao.
“The ANZ MG family of owners consists of around 300,000 members and is growing every day, which shows how completely our local dealer partners and customers trust the MG Motor brand.
“Our local team has been incredibly committed to our growth ambitions and I look forward to supporting new leadership as SAIC Motor enters a new era in Australia and New Zealand.”
MG is one of two SAIC Motor brands represented in Australia, along with LDV. However, this commercial vehicle brand is sold separately by the independent importer Ateco Automotive.
“SAIC Motor has established an excellent position in the ANZ market over the last decade and we now look forward to driving our next phase of growth by introducing innovative products that resonate with and meet local needs,” said Qing Zhang, CEO of MG ANZ.
“I would like to sincerely thank Peter for his leadership over the last eight years. Peter has played an important role in establishing and expanding our presence in the ANZ market, particularly through the development of our outstanding local team, a strong and committed dealer network and investment in the MG Motor brand.”
MG Motor Australia says it will announce an updated strategy for its “next phase of growth” “in due course”.
Last year, the company launched a number of new model lines, including its first submarine, the U9; its first large SUV, the QS; a new mid-range car, the MG 7; and new electric vehicles (EVs) in the S5 EV small SUV and the IM5 and IM6 premium sedans and SUVs.
However, despite this flood of new models, MG sales fell 18.4 percent year-on-year.
This was due to the falling sales of its core models – its top seller, the small SUV ZS, fell by 11.6 percent; the recently redesigned MG 3 entry hatch fell 33.5 percent; the HS mid-range SUV, which is also new, lost 7.7 percent; and the MG 4’s electric hatch dropped by 56.9 percent.
MG’s cheapest products have come under attack from other Chinese brands, including upstart Chery.
Despite its recent problems, MG has grown tremendously since SAIC Motor announced its relaunch and takeover of distribution here in 2016.
As of 2021, it is a top 10 brand in Australia, although it finished 10th overall last year after finishing seventh for three years in a row.
At the end of 2024, Mr. Ciao outlined ambitious goals for the brand.
“In 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 the media.
“2028, 2029, 2030 is our next phase and we are aiming for the top three.”
MG had previously announced that even more products would be coming to local showrooms, including a new mid-size electric SUV (the MG S6 EV) and another small electric hatch. It is unclear whether this leadership change will impact these plans.
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