The MG3 Hybrid is priced in such a way that many Dutch people can buy it. But in this review we tackle a much more important issue: do you want to buy it?
What is striking about the MG3 Hybrid?
Is it very Dutch to immediately start talking about the price? The MG3 Hybrid has a base price of 22,769 euros, which means MG puts a good proposition on the table. You get a compact hatchback with a full-fledged hybrid powertrain that is economical (4.4 l/100 km) and strong (192 hp). Adaptive cruise control, automatic climate control and a touchscreen with telephone connection are all standard.
The arrival of a new hatchback in the B-segment is certainly striking. This type of car seems to be slowly disappearing, because the average consumer prefers to buy an SUV and the average car brand is actually fine with that, because you can earn more on an expensive car. The Ford Fiesta is already gone. New growth is more than welcome to keep driving affordable.
Tip
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The MG3 Hybrid is extremely strong: 192 hp. This is largely due to the 136 hp electric motor that makes electric driving up to 80 km/h possible. It’s powered by a 1.83 kWh battery pack that lives under the rear seat. That is a large battery by hybrid standards. This means you can often drive completely on electricity in the city and in traffic jams. The 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 102 hp then remains silent.
What’s good about the MG3 Hybrid?
First of all, an ode to the driver’s seat. The cushions are soft, but the subtle cheeks of the chair still hold you firmly. The fit suits us so well that we find it slightly suspicious. Did MG send Chinese spies to our bedroom to secretly take a bottom impression at night and shape the front seats accordingly?
Other advantages we discover are the row of physical buttons under the touchscreen and the simple operation of the buttons on the steering wheel. The spacious 293 liter trunk and the usable rear seat, with recesses under the front seats where your passengers can put their feet, are also welcome.
Although you buy a hybrid powertrain for its economy, the MG3 Hybrid is primarily notable for its power. If both engines work together, the 1285 kilo hatchback sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in a blink of an eye. According to MG it takes 8.0 seconds, but in reality it goes faster.
You actually hardly notice that you are driving a hybrid car. The drivetrain has five driving modes, which the MG3 Hybrid selects automatically. There is no button to independently switch on EV mode, for example. In the instruments, the car gives a hint what it is up to by displaying a small ‘EV’ or ‘HEV’. And your ears signal when the combustion engine switches on. A three-speed automatic transmission that sometimes shifts up a bit late does the rest of the work. We managed to stay close to the specified fuel consumption of 4.4 l/100 km.
The driving behavior is quite mature, with smooth suspension and damping, but at the same time the MG3 Hybrid makes you a bit rowdy. Once you get used to the acute power of the electric motor, it is tempting to drive away with screeching tires. And although the steering lacks feedback, it is fairly direct, which makes you throw and throw more and more without noticing. It is certainly not a Ford Fiesta in sheep’s clothing, but for a car in this down-to-earth segment, the MG3 drives more than well.
What could be improved about the MG3 Hybrid?
The MG3 Hybrid doesn’t exactly turn it into a hybrid party. By providing clear insight into what the hybrid powertrain does and achieves, you can encourage drivers to drive more economically. So shows the Toyota Yaris what percentage of the time you drive electrically. And leaves grow in the instruments of the Ford Mondeo Hybrid if you are economical. The MG3 Hybrid only embraces hybrid driving with a tiny display of the energy flows. As mentioned, the car doesn’t even have any buttons to force it to run on electricity.
Judging a car in the B-segment on its savings is like complaining about the fit of a pair of jeans you buy at Lidl. This way we don’t notice the many hard plastics in the interior. But a steering wheel with depth adjustment (the MG3 only has height adjustment) is not too much to ask, is it?
We also find it strange that the physical button for the climate menu does not work when you use Apple CarPlay. If only MG had exchanged that shortcut key for a real temperature switch… And of course you cannot avoid the modern annoyance of switching off annoyingly beeping assistance systems before you start driving.
What do you need to know about the price of the MG3 Hybrid?
With a base price of 22,769 euros, the MG3 Hybrid is thousands of euros cheaper than a hybrid Toyota Yaris (from 26,050 euros) or Renault Clio (from 26,290 euros). Even the most luxurious version of the MG3 is still cheaper than the cheapest versions of its competitors.
- Standard – 22,769 euros
- Comfort – 24,269 euros
- Luxury – 25,769 euros
MG gives a 7-year or 150,000 kilometer warranty. If you bring the MG3 Hybrid to the MG Brand Store for maintenance every 12 months or 24,000 kilometers, the free roadside assistance will be extended for another year. The boat with the first load of MG3s arrives in the Netherlands at the beginning of May and a few weeks later the cars are at the dealer. The private lease prices are still being considered.
What do I think of the MG3 Hybrid?
The MG3 Hybrid is a welcome addition to the increasingly smaller and more expensive B-segment. Not only because you buy a practical, economical and powerful car for a competitive price, but also because this keeps other car brands on their toes. Because it is possible, a full-fledged hybrid car for approximately 23 grand.
I think it is a mistake that a car with so many options and driver assistance systems does not have a depth-adjustable steering wheel. During a test drive, check whether this is annoying for you. And whether you are just as comfortable in the soft driver’s seat. Getting back to the question from the headline and introduction: yes, if you’re interested in everything the MG3 Hybrid has to offer, there’s little in the way of buying this hybrid hatchback.
