While we Malaysians have only just got our first look at the MG4 EV, the SAIC-owned British marque has now unveiled an even smaller hatchback at the Geneva Motor Show – the all-new 2024 MG3. And now with the Ford Fiesta out of the picture, MG says it’s hopeful the MG3 can claim the lions’ share of sales in the supermini segment, or at least within Europe.
And that will start with price. Autocar reports that the MG3 will retail at around GBP18,000 (approx. RM108k) for the all-new hybrid variant, and approximately GBP16,000 (approx. RM96k) in an eventual pure-petrol guise with a manual gearbox to be launched later, both of which – according to MG’s product planning boss – should undercut competition by about 10%.
The company plans to sell 10,000 units of the MG3 per year in the UK, nearly three times more sales than the outgoing model in its best year.
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Designed in the firm’s studio in Shanghai, the all-new MG 3 draws stylistic cues from many of the brand’s latest models, characterised by the large front grille, sharp LED headlights, and unique creases and lines on the side bodywork.
Size wise, the MG3 has also grown a little bit in almost every dimension over its predecessor, and with a 4,113 mm overall length, the MG3 is also among the largest in the segment, but still firmly within the supermini B-segment category.
At launch, the MG3 will only be available in a sole Hybrid Plus powertrain, which pairs a 102 hp/128Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine with a 136hp/250Nm electric motor for a total system peak output of 194 hp – a fairly potent powerplant that places the MG3 just underneath the likes of the now-defunct Ford Fiesta ST.
In fact, MG says it’s the fastest accelerating B-segment hatchback in its class. Paired to the three-speed automatic gearbox, the MG3 boasts a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 8 seconds – which is just about half a second slower than a Suzuki Swift Sport, but roughly two seconds quicker than the European Toyota Yaris hybrid.
Despite its performance chops, the MG3 is also very economical, with a rated fuel consumption figure of just 4.4 l/100km. That is, of course, courtesy of its series-parallel hybrid powertrain powered by a 1.83 kWh battery pack.
That means the all-new MG3 can be run in almost every configuration (automatically): either electric alone, using the engine as a generator to power the electric motor that drives the wheels like Honda’s e:HEV, using both the engine and electric motor to drive the wheels together, or driving purely with engine power while also simultaneously charging the battery.
As for equipment, you can expect all of the usual modern conveniences like a 10.25-inch touchscreen and 7.0-inch digital instrument display, both seemingly taken directly from the MG4 EV, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, “leather-style” upholstery, automatic climate control, 360-degree surround-view monitor, as well as a suite of advanced driver assistance systems including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist.
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