This MG looks like the business to watch out for in 2021.

Chinese bakkies have a chequered history in South Africa – and so does MG. But as the Chinese automotive industry advances, there is a new generation of bakkiesthat look a lot more capable. Including one, from MG.

You might struggle to place the association between the storied British sportscar nameplate and a double-cab bakkie, but the rights to MG belong to SAIC. And the Chinese automotive giant has developed an impressive ladder-frame bakkie platform, marketed as the Maxus T90. Keen to leverage its ownership of such a recognisable automotive acronym, SAIC has now revealed the MG Extender bakkie. And best of all, it is being built in righthand drive.

The Extender is a mid-sized bakkie, competing in the Hilux/Ranger segment and its design does not lack for presence. A huge grille, slim headlamps and giant wheel arches all combine to give it a touch of Mitsubishi Triton.

Inside MG Extender,cabin architecture is decidedly car-like and comprehensively digitized. A 10-inch infotainment screen is both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrated, whilst surround-view cameras relay their field of view, to help a driver park or crawl the MG Extender in challenging conditions – whether that be a crowded parking garage or rocky off-road terrain.

SAIC has also sourced a SatNav and basic voice controls for the MG Extender and with two-tone leather, the cabin environment is quite aesthetically pleasing.

Powering MG’s Extender is a 2-litre turbodiesel engine, boosting 119 kW and 375 Nm.Driveis via a choice of six-speed manual or automatic transmissions. There is also the possibility that the MG could leverage the Maxus T90 engine – a2.0-litre twin-turbodiesel good for 160 kW and 500 Nm of torque. It also uses a familiar 8-speed ZF 'box. This bakkie should prove handy off-road, too, thanks to a low-range transfer case, when you need to get up (or down) those steep gradients.

Bakkies are becoming much smarter and integrated with owner devices. The MG Extender is no exception. It has an i-Smart app, which should allow you to lock or unlock it remotely, or find your bakkie via GPS if you forgot where it is parked.

An interesting feature is the vehicle alert system. Itpings your Smartphonewhen the bakkie moves beyond a predesigned area, set by an owner, within a 500 m to 10 km radius.

There have been murmurings surrounding the re-entry of MG to the local market after much success in other right-hand-drive markets. MG is one of the fastest-growing brands in the UK, while its SUV, the ZS EV, is also currently the top-selling electric vehicle in Australia.

Following on from GWM/Haval's strong showing SA, MG would do well to enter the market with something like this double-cab MG Extender.

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