TESTED 23.4.24, SUSSEX ON SALE NOW
More than 4000 Brits bought an MG 3 last year. Impressive, even if this supermini was one of the country's cheapest cars, having been launched over a decade ago. The somewhat crude dynamics and especially its rough engine signalled that pretty clearly.
The new 3 is an entirely different proposition: a modern design, with new underpinnings, MG's first fullhybrid powertrain and a fancier interior with new infotainment and a digital dash. Indeed, MG says it has effectively skipped a generation. So it's "see ya, Dacia Sandero" and "how ya doin', Renault Clio?" as the base price jumps from £14k to £18k.
As such, almost all of its buyers will be 'conquests', and MG expects there to be a lot of them: it has more 3s on the first ship from Nanjing than all the cars it sold here in 2017. Projected annual volume is 10,000 just under half of what the Toyota Yaris achieves. MG claims volume is what enables it to undercut rivals by thousands, yet Toyota is the world's biggest car maker, so MG being ultimately owned by the Chinese state might have more to do with it.
That said, MG has retained some British roots: it has a design studio in London and an engineering base in Birmingham, where work was done to tune the 3 for European tastes.
To all intents and purposes, the 3 looks like a cut-price Clio E-Tech: the dimensions match, standard kit is similar and the powertrain is a 1.5-litre petrol four working with an electric motor. However, the motor is twice as strong here (134bhp plays 48bhp) and the gearbox is a three-speed automatic, whereas the Clio has a complex multimodal unit.
Denne historien er fra May 01, 2024-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 01, 2024-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Poster car that went from rusty to trusty
One evening, two years ago, George Pappas was being driven down his local high street by a mate and mulling over whether to replace his Mk4 Golf diesel, a recent purchase that was boring him to death, when his girlfriend, also in the car, spotted an old BMW 3 Series at the side of the road with a 'for sale' sign in the window.
THE SEVEN-SEATER THAT VOLVO DARE NOT KILL OFF
The current-gen XC90 has been on sale since 2015 for good reason
GENESIS ELECTRIFIED G80
Where the story begins, in the Hyundai premium marque’s luxury saloon
LEXUSLBX
Can you shrink premium quality to fit an SUV this small? We now know
Rolls boss ready to 'define the next chapter'
Nine months into the job, Rolls-Royce CEO and car guy Chris Brownridge tells STEVE CROPLEY what he's learned and where the firm's heading
Once more, with feeling
AC Cars' recreation of the classic MkII Cobra is at first glance a faithful facsimile of a 1960s performance benchmark. SIMON HUCKNALL drives it
MERCEDES-BENZ CLE
Does a PHEV set-up work in a coupé that exudes such old-school vibes?
ANALOGUE SUPERSPORT
Lotus Elise specialist uprates 1990s icon with an eye on track days
ALPINE A290
The hot hatch is alive and well, and living in France. On both road and track, there's much to savour`
UK HANGS ON TO OLD CARS
Average car age climbs as high prices dampen demand for new models