Chinese-owned British brand MG Motor has showcased the new MG3 hatchback at the ongoing Geneva Motor show. The Hyundai i20-rivaling MG will go on sale in Europe initially, followed by other markets.
- New MG3 gets a total output of 192hp
- Can be driven in series or parallel hybrid mode
- India will get Gloster facelift later this year
New MG3 brings fresh styling and more tech
The second-gen MG3 gets fresh looks and petrol-hybrid powertrains. The hatchback will rival Renault Clio, Hyundai i20, Toyota Yaris and Honda Jazz, majoring on practicality, efficiency and compelling performance. The new-look 3 is one of 20-plus new MG models launching globally in the next three years – half of which will be “new-energy vehicles”.
The new MG3 was designed at the firm's Shanghai design studio, taking stylistic influence from the brand's current crop of crossovers and hatchbacks, and is slightly longer and wider than its pure-ICE forebear.
Its new Hybrid Plus powertrain – MG's first non-plug-in hybrid offering – combines a 102hp, 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 108hp electric motor to give a combined 195hp, making it markedly more potent than the Clio and Yaris hybrids. It's quicker too, with a 0-100kph time of 8.0sec.
Whereas the old MG 3 offered a 5-speed automated manual or 4-speed automatic gearbox, from launch the new car drives its front wheels through a 3-speed auto, with a manual option coming later. MG touted the performance benefits of this system "over the commonly used CVT transmission often found in hybrids", claiming its 3-speeder avoids lag to give more responsive acceleration.
For its hybrid powertrain, the MG3 gets a 1.83kWh battery with enough juice to cover short distances. It can also be driven in Series mode – with the engine functioning as a generator – or as a parallel hybrid, where the two power sources work in tandem to give the full 195hp output.
On the inside, it gets new 'floating' twin screens – a 7.0-inch driver's display and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen – that feature new-look graphics and are more responsive. It also gets a long list of creature comforts and safety features that are on par with its rivals.
MG India line-up
While the previous MG3 hatch was showcased at Auto Expo 2020, there's no word on the model actually coming to India. In the country, MG Motor India currently sells the Astor, the Hector and the Gloster, along with the Comet EV and the ZS EV SUV. The Gloster facelift is being readied for a market launch later this year.
Uday Singh
Lenny D'sa
Dipan Sur
Glenn Noronha
