It could be said that I have more experience with the MG3 than most of the online motoring press. I have driven three different examples, filmed three different videos about the model and owned one (with my wife) for more than two years. I get a lot of online ridicule about the car, especially from drivers of premium diesel cars who sometimes doubt my automotive credibility. However, I will continue to stand up for this underrated little supermini, and find that those outside of the self-proclaimed armchair expert fraternity seem to think that it is quite a good little car. Whilst there are numerous flaws, I find it most endearing in a number of ways, and when the opportunity presented itself to drive a new 2019 model at Richmond MG in Southampton (https://www.richmondmotorgroup.com/mg/) earlier this week, I jumped at the chance.
I had known about the facelifted MG3 for some time now, and was excited to see the changes which had been made in mid-2018. Truth be told, some of them are not quite what I would have personally chosen, but for the vast majority of potential purchasers, they will be considerable improvements. I cover the main ones in a video on my Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcDB4sWvbO0
At first I had to be persuaded by the staff to take the new model out on the road (along with the MG ZS 1.0 automatic I had principally come to test drive), but I was glad that I did. I was handed the keys to a gleaming red 1.5 Exclusive model with less than 150 miles on the clock, and set off towards Southampton docks.
Differences between the old and new model became immediately apparent in the first 50 yards: the level of refinement and comfort has improved noticeably. The new seats, which lack the rather "exciting" pattern on them of the pre-facelift car, look very similar to the ones from the ZS, and on this top Exclusive model are partially trimmed in leather. They seem to have a bit more bolstering which makes up for the fact that the steering column still does not adjust for reach, a feature shared with the ZS. The engine also seemed much quieter, which is probably due to additional soundproofing, and the even gearchange seemed different, although I suspect this is due to the new gearknob and the 55,000 mile difference between this example and mine.
On the road, the engine delivers power in much the same way as before, its 1.5 litres of capacity making up somewhat for the lack of turbocharging. It still needs to be worked hard in order to maintain brisk progress, but is quieter and settles down nicely during cruising. The hydraulic power steering remains too, for which I was very grateful, although the steering wheel itself has been completely changed for the one from the ZS. This is one of the biggest improvements of all, matched by the complete redesign of the dashboard.
The slightly low-quality and budget feel of the pre-facelift car's interior has been switched for something much more contemporary and higher quality. There are no soft touch plastics, but then with a car which only costs under £13,000 in its most expensive form, this is not to be expected. What is to be expected, however, is better ergonomics, and the designers at MG's parent company Shanghai Automotive (aka SAIC) have done an excellent job in providing them. The interior of the MG3 seemed old-fashioned in many respects when the car was launched over here in 2013, and now with fake carbon fibre trim, an enormous central touchscreen, new window and mirror switches, upgraded indicator and wiper stalks and brand new door handles, the different is remarkable. Not all the changes are necessarily good, the fabric door cards have been replaced with hard plastic, for example, and the MG Metro style red stiching on the seats, gear gaiter and steering wheel has gone, but the overall effect is a pleasant one.
The central touchscreen, again shared with the ZS, is seven inches in size, and has built-in Apple Carplay on the top two models, along with Bluetooth, air conditioning, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera on the Exclusive model I tried. The fiddly little standard unit on previous MG3 models looks positively embarrassing by comparison. It is not the easiest system to use, however, as there do not seem to be any physical shortcut buttons, but to have something like this for the money is excellent.
The slightly weird heater and ventilation controls of the pre-facelift model, along with the bizarre placement of the hazard light switch and door locking buttons, have also been addressed with this new model, and the effect is much more conventional and higher quality. The instrument dials have not changed, though, which I found slightly odd considering they are very different from the ones on the MG ZS. If you want to see what it was like before, then please feel free to watch my 2014 MG3 Style 22,000 Mile Ownership Report:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w74WOR5gpE
Other changes include different alloy wheels, a new tailgate design (which I do not like as much, although it probably looks cleaner), a completely different front end aping the look of the ZS and incorporating the LED daytime running lights into the headlight units, and a black parcel shelf as opposed to the white one in my car. They have not changed the cheap feeling exterior door handles or the inadequate door mirrors, however, which remain full of blind spots.
Another thing which remains the same is the stiff ride, which means that the MG3 retains its "warm hatch" characteristics, albeit with the benefit of excellent handling. The engine, fitted with start stop since the advent of Euro VI emissions regulations in mid-2015, also delivers similar economy before, and the manual gearbox (the only transmission option) retains five rather than six speeds. I would have loved to have seen an MG3 with the 1.0 litre three cylinder turbocharged engine from the ZS and the six speed manual gearbox from the larger MG GS (which can certainly more than handle the power), but my wish has not been granted by SAIC's marketing department... That said, such a change would have increased the price of the car beyond a level which it could have managed in a class which is even more competitive now than when the MG3 first emerged in Britain in 2013.
Pricing in the facelifted range starts at around £9,500 for the basic Explore trim (which does not feature body coloured door handles or remote central locking) rising to around £12,800 for the top Exclusive model I tested. It is interesting to compare this with the 2013 range, where the basic Time model started at around £8400 and stopped at under £10,000 for the top of the range Style variant (like mine), albeit with a Style Lux (later renamed Style+) option at £10,500 with full leather trim. The main difference now, however, is that any MG has a seven year warranty, only matched by Kia in this class. This makes the ownership proposition somewhat different from 2013.
Discounting smaller city cars from the class below, the nearest opposition remains, as it was in 2013, the Dacia Sandero, still Britain's cheapest. This ranges from around £8,800 with the 900cc turbocharged engine one needs to match the MG3's performance in Essential trim (roughly comparable with Explore in MG3's range) to around £9,800 for the top Comfort trim, although to specify it to anywhere near an MG3 Exclusive, this will require just over £11,000. (The very basic £7,000 Access trim can be totally excluded from this.) The Dacia really is not a bad car for the money, but with a very standard three year warranty, noticeably cheaper standards of fit and finish and also a much less pleasant driving experience, one could argue that the MG3 does not quite compete directly head on with it.
More directly comparable rivals are the Ford Ka Plus (starting at around £11,000), the Vauxhall Viva (starting at just over (£10,000) and probably also the venerable Corsa, which starts at just under £13,000, but is available with huge discounts. Of these, a comparable Ka Plus to the MG Exclusive would be around £12,300, but still lacking many of its features and with a less powerful engine, a Viva SE with air conditioning at around £11,000 has a smaller boot, less powerful engine and much less equipment, and the basic five door Corsa Griffin with a comparable engine would cost over £13,200 with a lower standard of equipment. Of course, all of these also lack the MG's seven year warranty.
In short, the MG3 actually remains quite competitive in its class. If you want the sophistication and advanced engine technology of the majority of superminis, most best selling rivals in the class cost up to £5,000 more when comparably equipped with a similar power output, and even then do not have the excellent handling and class-leading ownership package. Group four insurance for all models will seal the deal in the minds of many. For someone who is not bothered about the last word in fuel economy or cabin materials, but is primarily concerned with overall running costs, it still makes a lot of sense.
As a little bonus, here is my 2014 MG3 Style Full Video Review as part of the Tweed Jacket Reviews series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oHNIboTqXo
Thank you once again to Richmond MG in Southampton for the chance to drive the new MG3!
