MG 3 Hybrid Fabulously Improved - at a Price

When new MG 3 HYBRID was launched, the glamorous evening was set against some of Australia’s rising stars. While a night club setting at the cruise ship terminal on Sydney Harbour’s Circular Quay seemed to be the last place you’d expect to see the humble hatch, the reasoning is now clear: MG is gradually increasing its quality, but more importantly, the price.

MG 3 HYBRID has vacated the sub-20k bracket in favour of the more lucrative 20-30k band, so does MG 3 HYBRID still present the same value-for-money ethos that shot MG into the top 10?

MG 3’s inoffensive looks belies the techy goodness beneath her skin: MG 3 HYBRID Hybrid is a beefy lass.

MG has drawn on a wealth of knowledge and experience to give the perky hatch a lusty 155kw/425Nm’s worth of grunt. The figures continue to be somewhat unbelievable, with a city fuel economy of 0.9l/100km. Just in case there’s been a mistake in the SPECIFICATIONS SHEET HERE ( ) – , we are checking those figures again.

You feel it under your foot, but it isn’t outright speed that impresses, it is the comfy package. There has been a big 7-grand price rise and with it, a huge leap in quality.

I won’t go on about the exterior, because you either like or you don’t. it doesn’t stand out in the car park which is perhaps the genius of its designers.

Inside, MG 3’s quantum leap is obvious.

The quality strikes that pose, the one that is somewhere between smug and satisfied. The neat cabin has a small driver screen and larger infotainment touch screen. The sound is adequate and the interface is faster than the MG 4 we drove the week before.

Apple CarPlay (usb) has been moody on all MG’s tested, and the MG 3 HYBRID was no different.

The 2-tone effect is classy, with the white simulated leather and shiny white plastic giving the ambience the look of a posh tourer. The “PU” quilted seats do a decent job of leaving the gentleman’s club impression on those who see them. The manual seat adjustment gives away the cheeky bargain pricing, but I’ll take it.

There is no spare tyre so the boot is a little bigger than one might think.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Car Review – 2024 MG 3 Essence hybrid – Best Hybrid for the Price? – REVIEW- Alan Zurvas

#MG, #mg3hybrid, #gayMG #alanzurvas, #gaycarboys

ABOVE: MG 3 HYBRID Hybrid Fabulously Improved – at a Price

The Drive:

MG 3 HYBRID proved to be a pleasant surprise when it came to nimbly completing a simple series of city chores. This is also where a hybrid is most at home. Left to its own devices, the MG 3 HYBRID will stash all that wasted energy in its 1.8kwh battery ready for short stints in EV-only mode.

The 1308kg hybrid gets to 100kph in 8 seconds.

Most of the grunt comes from the 100kw electric motor. In most hybrids the electric traction motor is consigned to being mother’s little helper, putting out a mere fraction of the kw of the petrol engine. MG flips that on its head with a 100kw electric motor and a 75kw petrol engine. Together, they allow the MG 3 HYBRID to go as far as the 36L fuel tank will take them.

The system has drive modes, but left to its own programming, the plucky hybrid automatic transmission is rarely caught out.

Like all 3 of the MG models we drove this month, MG 3 HYBRID had an annoying raft of bongs. When the navigation notices you enter a new suburb, it emits the same bong as the over-speed warning. Remembering the system is fond of picking up incorrect speed limits nearby, you could be hurtling down the highway with the system boning like a demented cuckoo clock. It thinks you should be doing the 50kph on the sideroad even though you’re in a 110 section. This is not limited to MG, all speed-sign recognition is colour blind and tone deaf.

Ride and handling are great considering the torsion beam read end normally provides a rather choppy experience on bumpy roads. MG 3 HYBRID was frisky in a fun sort of way.

Were you able to compare the new MG 3 HYBRID with the old, it would be like chalk and cheese. The old car drives like you’d expect a sub-20k new car to drive. You put up with it because it was cheap, but cheap is no longer the moniker.

MG 3 HYBRID is up against Kia’s Picanto and Toyota’s Yaris, and feels far nicer inside than either of the latter. In fact, Yaris feels downright nasty, especially in the door-card department. Not only that, MG 3 HYBRID is arguably a better drive.

The 360⁰ camera is unheard of at this price and although the resolution is middling, its assistance is 1^st class.

With a paw-to-the-floor attitude, MG 3 HYBRID really picks up its skirts and we enjoyed the experience.

Safety:

Despite a full suite of safety gear, MG 3 HYBRID scored a disappointing 3 star ANCAP. Part of the rating result was the absence of a centre airbag and head-on AEB. See a full list of safety gadgets HERE: MG3 specs

Conclusion:

New brands and models are coming to the market thick and fast. To stand out in the crowd, MG is cutting into its profit margin with heavy discounting. MG 4 has a drive-away of $32,990 (this month). The MG 4 costs $32,990 – an EV for a shade under 33-grand?

The rest of the market will be scrambling for the near box cutter to scrape away the dry ink on the old price board because SAIC has very deep pockets to support this cunning stunt.

The other downside of constant price wars is the devaluing the 2^nd-hand market. Not only that, existing owners will be miffed if they’ve forked out the full-English.

TOP TIP: if you’re looking for our quoted price, you’ll need to select “OFFERS”, otherwise you only see the regular full-fat price.

MG’s tactics are hard to argue against when they’ve got the 5 best seller with the MG ZS, and the brand as a whole is number 7 on the top ten (Source – VFACTS)

Price: $29,990
Engine: 1.5 hybrid
Power: 155kw/425Nm
Trans: hybrid automatic
Econ: 4.3L/100k (0.9L/100k urban – claimed)

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