SAIC’s partnership with Charoen Pokphand Group in Thailand (see panel) is proving to be a fruitful relationship. As Thailand is a RHD market, this makes it a logical base for local assembly and sales but also for export to other markets in the region, which share the same steering wheel position. The partnership is sufficiently flexible that it allows the Thai business to generate a few specials sold only locally with an MG badge, but drawing on the wider SAIC portfolio; pick-up which is basically a right hand drive Maxus with an MG badge looking a little incongruous on the giant chrome grille; imagine a slightly downsized US truck and you wouldn't be far off the mark. Arguably that's stretching the ‘Brit Dynamic’ philosophy thin, but sales success seems to justify the action in the minds of the Thai product planners; if they build it, the argument evidently goes, the customers will come.
