02/09/2024 Compact cars make so much sense yet they have gone out of fashion with the majority of buyers. The car makers have fed the trend towards quasi-SUVs and crossovers, which are fun, but not cheap. We’re testing the MG 3 hatchback this week. The VW Polo-sized car is the Chinese firm’s first hybrid model to go on sale in Ireland.
MG has made a name for itself as a supplier of relatively affordable electric cars that offer excellent entry price points to EV motoring. Most models are crammed with options or additional technology for which the more established brands would charge extra! Yes, you can find where some corners have been cut but there is no denying that in a very short period MG has established itself as a value-for-money brand in Ireland. The new MG 3 Hybrid+ continues this growth and if anything enhances MG’s reputation further.
The exterior to my eyes appears to pay homage to a few established brands yet MG has managed to deliver a handsome cohesive design with the 3. The car is slightly longer than a VW Polo (4,074mm) at 4,113mm. The Hyundai i20 is perhaps the closest in physical size to the 3. The MG 3 has a wheelbase of 2,570mm (i20 2,580mm / Polo 2,550mm). It’s not stunning to look at – but squint your eyes and the MG 3 could be any of the current crop of compact hatchbacks. Its styling is perfectly acceptable.
Inside the cabin is fine up front and its two digital displays and dash design look more premium than they should at this price point. The rear can seat three but obviously, as a compact supermini just two adults (with short legs) will fit. The boot holds 293 litres or with the rear seats folded, there is up to 983 litres of cargo space.
We have the range-topper on test, so we get all the toys like LED headlights, auto wipers, auto lights, 360 camera, keyless entry, heated front seats but also a heated steering wheel -very handy for Irish summers, no seriously, I had it on a few mornings in August! Tons of kit for under €27,000, well done MG. Even the entry grade comes with CarPlay and Android Auto, a large centre touch screen and auto air conditioning. ‘MG Pilot’ is the name that comprises the suite of ADAS systems onboard. A quick button press and a press of a touchscreen switch can turn off the mandatory-on-at-start-up speed limit alert warning. The top grade gets additional ADAS with ‘rear cross-traffic alert’ and ‘blind zone detection and lane change assist’. Again euro for euro the MG is performing very well on the equipment front.
On the road, the front wheel drive MG 3 is powered by a 1.5 litre, three-cylinder petrol engine assisted by a hybrid (1.83kWh NCM battery) electric motor. The car is surprisingly lively. It has a traditional supermini-like suspension set-up, which is fairly basic, especially at the rear where there is a Torsion Beam axle, but that said the suspension is adequate. The little MG is very nippy and has GTi-like performance. 0-100km/h takes 8 seconds. This element of driving fun almost took us by surprise. Hop into any ordinary supermini, and as a general rule, drivers do not expect to have much fun behind the wheel. A criticism, and possibly a plus point too, concerns the brakes. When you press the brake pedal initially the feeling underfoot is normal. The braking provided feels fine but press a little harder on the pedal and the brakes can grab quite hard, delivering real stopping vigour (this may be a characteristic of our test car, but it felt like a characteristic). Another niggle is the steering wheel only adjusts for tilt and this means taller drivers will find their driving position a little odd and too close to the pedals – in an automatic, we find it is more comfortable to drive with a slightly extended right leg compared to a manual gearbox car.
Our first thoughts when we picked up the car was that it looked better in the flesh and quite smart, but not exciting. Get in, press the start button, rotate the gear selector dial to D, press down hard on the throttle (auto releasing the electronic parking brake) and the car takes off like a gazel being chased by a lion. A sluggish urban shopping cart – the MG 3 is not. The combined power output is 194hp and 313nm of torque. The car can travel up to 60km/h on its hybrid electric power before the engine kicks in.
All models get three selectable driving modes Eco, Normal and Sport and three brake regeneration modes – we assigned one (of two) assignable buttons on the steering wheel button to select these. Fuel consumption is respectable too, with an average combined figure of 4.4L/100km. This frugal nature is helped by the heaviest version is just 1.3 tonnes. Pricing starts from a competitive €22,995 (Essence) rising to €24,745 (Excite), while the range-topping ‘Exclusive’ model costs €26,745. MG offers a 7-year warranty with the car too. Michael Sheridan
