A fresh discovery inside Apple’s back-end systems hints at an expanding lineup for its Car Key feature. Developers combing through the code found references tied specifically to MG, the automaker owned by China’s SAIC Motor, as reported by MacRumors. Apple rarely confirms features early, but back-end groundwork speaks for itself. This discovery provides a reliable hint at what lies ahead.
Car Key already lets iPhone and Apple Watch owners handle basic vehicle functions without touching a physical fob. Users can lock their car, unlock it, and even start the engine directly from their device. The system also includes Express Mode to streamline the process by bypassing authentication. A fast tap near the vehicle is all it takes to get moving.
MG’s story stretches back much further than most people realize. British engineers founded the brand in 1924, giving it roots as a classic sports car maker long before it became part of a Chinese conglomerate. SAIC Motor purchased MG in 2007, and that acquisition set the stage for a dramatic turnaround. Under Chinese ownership, MG has become one of the fastest-growing automotive brands across the European continent, a shift few could have predicted from its humble British origins.
Sales figures back up that momentum in a big way. MG recently celebrated a major milestone by delivering its one millionth vehicle to a customer in Europe. The UK market alone accounted for roughly 386,000 of those sales, giving MG a foothold that now exceeds four percent of the country’s total car market. That share puts MG among the ten best-selling automotive brands in the UK, a remarkable feat for a company many assumed had faded into obscurity decades ago. Electric models like the MG4 and the MG Cyberster deserve much of the credit for that surge, pulling in buyers who want affordable EV options without sacrificing style.
Apple’s code doesn’t spell out every detail investigators might want. Nothing in the back-end reveals which specific MG models will eventually support Car Key functionality. There’s also no indication of a launch window, leaving the timeline entirely up in the air for now. MG itself has stayed silent on the matter, offering no public confirmation that this integration is even in progress.
Even without those specifics, the pattern here looks familiar to anyone who follows Apple’s roll-out history. Similar back-end traces have appeared for other automakers well before Apple made anything official, and those brands eventually launched with full Car Key support down the line. That precedent suggests MG’s appearance in the code carries real weight, even in the absence of a formal announcement. An official roll-out may still be some distance away, but the groundwork appears to be firmly in motion.
