MG Focus of SAIC’s Growing European Design Presence

SAIC U.K. is spending £1.5 million ($2.4 million) to double the size of its European Design Center and names Canadian-born Nissan veteran Martin Uhlarik its U.K. design director.

The expansion includes new software and equipment for the studio, including a state-of-the-art visualization suite, increased modeling facilities and a computer numerical-control 5-axis milling machine.

When the expansion is completed, the design department of the Chinese auto maker’s U.K. affiliate at Longbridge, 95 miles (153 km) northwest of London, will be able to work on up to five fullsize models at the same time.

The expansion of the center coincides with continued development of SAIC’s Shanghai studio as part of a global design-development strategy for the company’s expanding model range.

Uhlarik was appointed by Tony Williams-Kenny, who takes over as global design director at SAIC’s Shanghai design base.

Uhlarik graduated from the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, ON, Canada, and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, before working as senior interior designer for Skoda Auto in Prague and project design leader for Nissan Design Europe in London.

His design credits include the interiors of all first-generation Skoda products, the 2003 Nissan Evalia concept, the 2007 Nissan NV200 concept and the 2010 upgrade of the Nissan Qashqai.

Uhlarik will oversee a growing team of U.K.-based designers focusing primarily on MG vehicles, which now sell in 35 markets worldwide, as well as providing input to SAIC’s China-only brand, Roewe.

The Longbridge-based facility is responsible for the design of the MG3, MG6 and MG5, spearheading the auto maker’s European design strategy and providing input on all global projects.

SAIC U.K. Managing Director David Lindley says expanding the design studio will allow the auto maker to work on greater numbers of projects at the same time and improve its design capabilities across SAIC models destined for European and Chinese markets.

“With many years of automotive design experience behind him, and a wealth of fresh design ideas, Martin Uhlarik is the right man to lead the expansion of our studio and renewed focus on great design with international appeal,” Lindley says in a statement.

Uhlarik says MG is enjoying a rebirth in the U.K. under SAIC ownership, and globally, and it’s not every day a designer gets a chance to be a part of that.

“SAIC and MG have ambitious plans with the European Design Centre, and future model launches mean the design team has an exciting time ahead of it,” he says. “The expanded studio will give us the space and equipment we need to fine-tune a modern, sporty and progressive design language for MG models and attract a truly world-class design team.”