One of England's most iconic carmakers, MG has had a rather tumultuous history in recent decades. Owned by no fewer than six companies since the late 1980s, including BMW, the brand was revived by China-based SAIC Motor in 2006 and renamed MG Motor UK Limited. Several models followed, including a couple of SUVs, a first for the automaker. But SAIC also developed some daring concept cars, the latest of which is the E-Motion. Launched at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show, the E-Motion is MG's "vision of the future" (oh boy, if I had a penny for each time I heard this phrase) and comes in the shape of a slender, sportback-style two-door coupe. Arguably the most appealing modern MG design to date, the E-Mission combines some of the company's recent styling cues with several new features. There's a big "starlight matrix" grille up front, a carbon-fiber splitter, and round headlamps "bringing inspiration from the London Eye," the giant Ferris wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. I dig the new face of MG, but I have to admit that I see some Mazda inspiration in there.

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Why it Matters

The profile is equally sexy to look at, especially the pillarless glass house and the beefy side skirts. On the other hand, the beltline seems a tad too prominent and outshines the rear haunches a bit. The rear end provides a strong contrast with the rest of the car. The fascia is sunk deep inside the body and flanked by vertical taillights. The bumper is actually a massive diffuser. The exhaust pipes are missing because the E-Motion is an all-electric vehicle.

There isn't any information about the cabin outside the presence of an "intelligent infotainment system," but the photos show a modern cockpit with a simple layout and an advanced looking center console. The materials appear to be of the premium variety too, but for the time being, we're looking at renderings only. There isn't a lot of information about the drivetrain either, but MG says the E-Motion rides on an in-house developed plug-in architecture. The drivetrain has a range of "more than 500 km" and enables the coupe to hit 100 km (62 mph) from a standing start in "less than four seconds." A couple of solid figures if you ask me.

MG had nothing to say about the chances of seeing a production version of the E-Motion in the future, but it's safe to assume that the concept's main purpose right now is to draw more attention toward the brand. MG has been doing considerably better in China and the United Kingdom recently sales-wise, and SAIC is looking to attract as much attention as it can, Marketing is an important part of the business, and MG needs loads of it to get back on the horse.