Is this MG’s first-ever crossover?

Chinese-owned MG is putting the final touches on its first-ever crossover, and a pair of leaked low-resolution images might have revealed it ahead of its scheduled debut at next year’s Shanghai Motor Show.
Tentatively called GTS, the compact soft-roader is being designed to substantially increase MG’s share of the Chinese new car market. As expected, the GTS bears more than a passing resemblance to the CS concept that debuted at last year’s Shanghai Motor Show but its front end is closer to that of the Golf-sized MG5 hatchback and its overhangs are longer. The concept has lost several inches of ground clearance, its LED headlights and its oversized rims in its transition to a regular-production vehicle.

MG’s top brass has previously revealed that the crossover will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline-burning four-cylinder engine that will send 200 horsepower and 213 lb-ft. of torque to all four wheels via either a manual or an automatic transmission. Performance figures are not available but the GTS is expected to be pretty brisk to drive in order to appeal to a young target audience.

Entry-level models will utilize a 135-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder mill currently found under the hood of the aforementioned MG5.

Under the GTS’ show car-inspired skin lies a modified version of the Ssangyong Korando’s platform. It is too early to tell precisely how many components the two crossovers have in common.

MG’s first crossover will land in showrooms across China next spring and it will likely be added to automaker’s lineup in England shortly after. England-bound models will be assembled from complete knock-down (CKD) kits in MG’s historic Longbridge factory.