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A number of established small cars are becoming more expensive and less popular. The Toyota Yaris, Mazda2 and Suzuki Swift were once the go-to first car, but now start at around $25,000.
This repositioning was great for MG and its sub-$20,000 MG3, which has spent much of the last few years as Australia's most popular light car. It’s hard to deny a low price will open many wallets.
But now in its new generation, the MG3 is thousands of dollars more expensive than before, starting in the mid-$20K range and headed even further up with a new hybrid drivetrain option. We jump in the base petrol Excite to find out if the value is still there for this British-branded, Chinese-built hatchback.
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MG MG3 2024: Excite
| Engine Type | Inline 4, 1.5L |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 6.0L/100km (combined) |
| Seating | 5 |
| Price From | $23,990 |
Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 8/10
Even though it’s now more expensive with its $23,990 before on-roads price, it’s hard to deny the petrol-only MG3 Excite is a compelling offering when it comes to inexpensive runabouts.
Not only has the price been bumped up, but so has the apparent interior quality and features list.
A new 13.25-inch multimedia touchscreen is paired with a 7.0-inch driver display and both look pretty slick for the price point and operate well.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both available, but are wired only and can’t be accessed with a Bluetooth connection, while a six-speaker sound system handles entertainment duties.
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In terms of seating and material, the Excite gets cloth pews with some contrast stitching.
On the outside, folding mirrors and a set of 16-inch alloy wheels join the new MG3’s design, while this base model Excite is left with halogen headlights like it’s 2015.
The Essence scores a set of LED units and is otherwise distinguishable by its sunroof, though it shares the same wheels as our base car, so it won’t feel like you’re missing out on heaps.
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Design – Is there anything interesting about its design? 7/10
Following the new design language pioneered here by the MG5 sedan and MG4 electric hatch, the MG3 looks like it’s trying for a sportier vibe than its predecessor, and maybe even a hint of European flair.
A grinning front grille and pointed set of headlights are followed around the side by a couple of body creases that give the hatchback a sweeping look, an attempt perhaps to seem longer than it is.
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It doesn’t look like any of its rivals, unlike the MG5 which is easily mistaken for a small Mercedes CLA at glance.
Here on our Dover White test car, some angles are unflattering (it's giving 'hire car'), though the model’s available Diamond Red or Brighton Blue are fairly distinctive. Yes, some of the colours reference the brand’s UK heritage, despite being built in China.
Inside, the cabin benefits from a fairly tidy layout, with some genuinely thoughtful attempts at making the otherwise budget-focused model feel a little nice. A cross-hatch design through the dash mirrors, the seat stitching and the steering wheel and its buttons are nicely angular.
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Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside? 8/10
That tidy design inside helps when it comes to making use of the space, as well as offering some generous storage spaces.
For starters, while the clean layout means the screen looks like the main point of access for much of the car’s function, there’s an all-important shortcut button for the climate control which means you don't waste time navigating to the vent and temperature controls.
The only issue is that while my phone was connected to the system for Android Auto, I had to navigate away from the mirroring screen back to the MG3’s home screen before being able to shortcut to the climate settings.
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Demister and volume control buttons are also present, but the screen itself has an easy-to-navigate menu.
The steering wheel controls are similarly straightforward and clearly labelled, while the driver display is tidy and shows important information clearly.
While the steering wheel isn’t telescopically adjustable, it's easy to find a comfortable seating position thanks to the adjustability of the seats. The material on the seats doesn't feel rough or cheap.
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Behind that, there is enough space for my 178cm frame in the second row for the most part, but headroom isn’t incredibly generous.
The rear pew is a single unit, rather than a 60/40 split, so the whole backrest folds down if you need to load anything long through the boot. There’s not even an armrest or little ski hatch for long, thin items.
Its 293-litre boot isn’t small, and there’s a space-saver spare tyre in both petrol variants, but the hybrids are stuck with repair kits.
Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission? 6/10
On paper, the MG3’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine is fairly underwhelming with its 81kW (peaking at 6000rpm) and 142Nm (at 4500rpm).
But these figures, including the engine size and even peak RPMs are not far off the likes of the Mazda2, which is a fairly peppy and fun car despite its lack of grunt.
Keen drivers will, however, be disappointed to hear the MG3 drives the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT) rather than a traditional torque-converter auto, taking much of the pep out of its power unit.
You can expect to hit 100km/h in a bit over 10 seconds.
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Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range? 7/10
MG claims the MG3 uses just 6.0 litres of 91 RON petrol every 100km on the combined fuel cycle, so with its 45-litre tank you can hypothetically bank on a 750km range.
Of course, that might be achievable in lab conditions, but on test we found the trip computer’s estimates looking closer to 500km on a tank for the kind of urban driving it was undertaking with us.
On a dynamic test drive route, the trip computer settled at a displayed consumption figure of 7.7L/100km, but stop-start driving was not great for efficiency, as you'd expect.
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Driving – What's it like to drive? 7/10
The higher quality look and feel of the new MG3 carries through to its day-to-day driving. Some of the car’s Chinese compatriots seem to fall down when it comes to the on-road part, which for some is the most important part of a car.
But for a small city car the MG3 is very user friendly, with light and direct steering, good visibility, and just enough power and torque to not feel like everyone’s getting the green light a couple of seconds earlier than you.
It’s comfortable at urban speeds when it comes to the suspension, and doesn't get rattled too much in the front end by tram tracks or other road imperfections.
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In narrow streets, three-point turns aren’t a hassle and the car’s size means it’s easy to reverse parallel park, although the reversing camera takes a second to appear when using phone mirroring.
On the highway, however, and when it comes to high-speed cornering, the MG3 can feel a little uneasy.
The road noise becomes more and more obvious. Driving on well-maintained metro freeways at around 80km/h or above produces unpleasant noise, and a during a particularly breezy week the car felt susceptible to swaying in high wind.
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Its power delivery starts to feel lacking out of town, too, and taking corners on fast back roads means plenty of slowing down to avoid the front-end sliding or the feeling of the MG3 leaning unsettlingly around corners.
If you’re considering the MG3 but you need to head out of town regularly, take a proper long test drive before opening your wallet.
But if you just need it as an urban runabout, the MG3 does a fine job.
Warranty & Safety Rating
Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating? 6/10
ANCAP hasn’t tested the MG3 yet, so there’s no crash safety information available. It’s worth noting ANCAP gave the MG5 a zero star score for its lack of active safety equipment, but the MG3 comes with more under its belt than its sedan stablemate.
Six airbags, two front, two side and two curtain, are joined by adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic assist, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist and speed limit assist.
None of these systems were intrusive on test, though lane-keep assist feels like it could do with some more fine tuning.
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Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs? 8/10
MG has a 10-year/250,000km warranty which is unmatched in the small-car market.
Servicing is scheduled at every 10,000km or 12-month intervals, with the first seven services averaging out at a fairly hefty $360 - the cheapest being $234 and the priciest $536.
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Verdict
The MG3 still makes a strong argument for a low-cost, low-fuss option just like the models it now beats on price (Yaris, Mazda2, etc) used to.
While it also falls short in some areas like dynamics when pushed, the improvements to interior tech and comfort mean the MG3 should be considered if you're looking for a city runabout.
However, with the MG3’s price jump, rivals from Japanese and Korean brands are closer in cost than they were for the sub-$20K first-gen MG3, and their ability to handle Australia’s conditions outside the city mean they’ll prove a more useful long-term companion for many.
The MG3 nails its brief as a convincing option for first-car buyers or as a second runabout when there’s another option for long trips. It has taken a big step up from the ‘budget-friendly’ vibe of the original.
Pricing Guides
Range and Specs
| Vehicle | Specs | Price* |
|---|---|---|
| Essence | 1.5L, Unleaded Petrol, SPEED CONTINUOUS VARIABLE | $25,990 |
| Excite | 1.5L, Unleaded Petrol, SPEED CONTINUOUS VARIABLE | $23,990 |
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