MG MG3 Auto News

For the past two years Chinese car brands seemed to be in the fast lane to sales success — but it looks like at least one brand has hit the brakes.The latest new car sales data, released for January, shows further decline for MG to start 2026 after suffering a significant 18.4 per cent sales drop in 2025. The formerly British brand still held onto its place in the top 10, but will need a quick turnaround to maintain that as the year progresses.Business Director for MG Motor Australia Kevin Gannon said: "A challenging market across the industry makes our upward movement in ranking hard fought. January results reflect how MG Motor is entering 2026 with a great expanded product line up suited to local needs, we've been here for 10 years, we're planning for the next 10 years and more, and that we're fully committed to being the brand of choice of Australian drivers this year."The 2025 result was particularly notable given the brand’s aggressive product expansion last year, with the new-generation HS and MG3 as well as the all-new QS and S5 SUVs plus the much-hyped U9 ute. On top of this, there was the launch of the IM Motors sub-brand, which adds its sales to MG’s total.Former MG Australia boss Peter Ciao, had high expectations, telling CarsGuide in April last year that he was anticipating around 60,000 sales thanks to the expanded line-up. In the end the brand finished with 41,298.The January results show major year-on-year declines for the MG3 (down 38.6%), MG4 (down 63.9%) and MG5 (down 91.4%). The good news for the brand is both the HS (up 38.5%) and ZS (up 4.5%) remain popular with buyers.However, the problem for the brand appears to be the acceptance of its new models. The QS in particular has struggled to make a major impact in the large SUV segment, finishing 2025 with just 1023 sales, compared to the most popular model in the class, the Ford Everest, which sold more than 26,000 units.The U9 also failed to make a major difference to MG’s Australian hopes, despite getting to market quickly and with a competitive price. It averaged just 157 sales per month after going on sale in October, well below the most popular models in the segment.Ciao’s aspirations of MG becoming a top three brand in the country appear to be on the backburner for now, with new management set to be installed following this sales slide.MG parent company, SAIC Motor International (SMIL), announced in early January that Quing Zhang, currently the Vice President of SMIL will add CEO of MG Australia and New Zealand to his responsibilities, replacing Ciao. He will not be based at the company’s Sydney office however, instead Felix Jiang has been appointed as Senior Vice President for Australia and New Zealand and will be based here to lead the day-to-day operations.“SAIC Motor has established an excellent footing in the ANZ market over the past decade, and we now look forward with great excitement to fuelling our next phase of growth by introducing innovative products that deeply resonate with and meet local demands,” Zhang said at the time of his appointment.A leadership change is typical when a brand fails to reach its sales targets, and doesn’t negate the work that Ciao did in the eight years he led the local operation. But it is clear that MG is headed in the wrong direction on the sales charts so something needed to change.Whether or not the brand can recover in time, or will now have to play a supporting role behind the more popular Chinese brands — BYD, GWM and Chery — remains to be seen.

MG has returned to drive-away pricing for the 2024 MG3, effectively making the light car $1500 cheaper to buy.

A short 15 years ago, the Hyundai Getz was available for as little as $12,990 drive-away, but the cheap end of the new-car market has nearly evaporated today. 

Australia’s most affordable new car has gone through a dramatic makeover.The new MG3 hatchback features a fresh design, oodles of safety tech, an updated cabin and the choice of hybrid power.Those updates don’t come cheap and the MG3 loses its crown as Australia’s cheapest new car with prices now starting at $23,990 (before on-road costs), which is a significant jump over the outgoing model’s $18,990 drive-away starting point.MG Australia boss Peter Ciao, said the new MG3 updates were significant.“The MG3 has been redesigned from the ground up and sets a new standard for hybrid and small petrol vehicles in Australia. MG has brought together a brilliant mix of affordability, range and quality for Australian drivers in the all-new MG3 range,” said Ciao.The MG3 comes with the choice of two engines: a 81kW/142Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a hybrid set-up that uses the same petrol engine combined with an electric motor to make 155kW. No combined torque figure is provided for the hybrid.Petrol versions use a CVT automatic and the hybrid uses what MG calls a “Hybrid Transmission”.The hybrid set-up cuts fuel use from 6.0L/100km in the petrol-only versions to a miserly 4.3L/100km.For comparison the MG3 Hybrid’s main rival is the Toyota Yaris, which drinks a claimed 3.3L/100km and its hybrid tech makes a combined 85kW and 141Nm. The Yaris is significantly more expensive than the MG3, though.Petrol and hybrid models are available in two trim grades: Excite and Essence.The MG3 petrol Excite is priced from $23,990, adding hybrid power costs an extra $4000.Essence petrol buyers can expect to pay from $25,990, and hybrid power ups the price to $29,990. The biggest change to the new MG3 is the inclusion of a wide range of active safety tech as standard across the range.The outgoing MG3 had none, but the new version has auto emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and lane keep assist.All MG3s have 16-inch alloy wheels. Petrol versions have a space saver spare, but the hybrid makes do with a tyre repair kit.Excite variants have halogen lights, cloth seats, a synthetic leather wrapped steering wheel and a mix of cloth and synthetic leather trims on the doors and centre console.The Essence grade boosts this with synthetic leather and cloth upholstery, leather steering wheel and LED headlights.They also have a sunroof, rain sensing wipers, keyless entry, sat nav and digital radio that the Excite dies without.Every MG3 has a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen that is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is paired with a 7.0-inch digital driver display. 

Good news for anyone considering an MG hatch or SUV as the Chinese brand has lowered its drive away pricing for some popular models as confirmed on its website.

The next-gen MG3 hatch has been revealed at the Geneva Motor Show, with the brand’s local arm locking in a mid-year launch for the budget-friendly hatchback.

MG has released sketch images of the interior of the new MG3 hatch that is set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in late February.

193,433. That's how many Chinese-built vehicles were sold in Australia in 2023, with that number soaring from 122,845 in 2022, 76,262 in 2021, and just 30,696.

The little affordable hatchback which put MG on the map is finally set to get a next-generation version, but will it be as cheap as before?

One of the fastest-growing brands in recent Australian automotive history, MG, is set for a big year in 2024 as entirely new models and updated versions of a few of its models are on the cusp of a 2024 launch.