MG builds its own Countryman Coupé

MG Motor has caught the imagination of more than just Auto China visitors today, with its new MG Icon Concept. Fans on the car maker’s Facebook page are already pledging their support to buy their own Icon, should MG decide to bring it to production.

The MG Icon looks suspiciously like the MINI Countryman Coupé, but with a little more attitude. Either way it marks the car maker’s first serious attempt at stamping its mark on the automotive design landscape and shows promising signs of real innovation, which can only be good news for the brand.

The Icon is said to take its inspiration from some of the brand’s most famous sports cars including the MGA and MGB GT.

MG’s design director, Williams-Kenny, whose team designed the new SUV concept said, “The MG brand has a unique set of values and heritage and allows us to offer individual design values to our products.

“The MG Icon represents our vision of a modern MG and we feel that the small SUV canvas demonstrates MG’s capacity for progressive design with respect for its long heritage.”

“We have balanced familiar brand cues, such as the wide and powerful front end graphic interpretation and, as one would expect, with a strong focus on the unique MG octagon.

“The MG Icon clearly demonstrates a progressive and soulful British spirit and has a lithe and powerful stance – its proportion harmonised by feature lines interpreted from MG’s iconic greats.”

The MGB GT inspired rear with structural lamps mounted on top of haunched wings are another highly distinctive feature of the design. The MG Icon has a four ‘shell’ seat layout, allowing the rear seats to fold down completely into the floor, making the compact SUV both versatile and functional.

Williams-Kenny added: “The MG Icon highlights a global vision for MG’s design and represents a milestone for the brand, particularly this year which marks the 50th anniversary of the MGB.”