MG3 Hybrid+ in the first driving report: dynamics promised, comfort delivered

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The market for new cars has shifted massively in just a few years, and not everyone can or wants to keep up. In the June 2020 price list, the base model of the VW []Golf was priced at 19,995 []euros. Four years later, you can't even get a bare Polo for that price. The range of new cars costing around €20,000 has become noticeably smaller. The new MG3 Hybrid+ just undercuts this mark, at least as a basic model. A first drive with the technically unusual small car provided insights into what the customer can expect - and what not.

High system performance

First of all, the MG3 Hybrid+ shines with an abundance of power. The 1.5-liter petrol engine delivers 75 kW, the electric motor 100 kW. The combined total is 143 kW. In most driving profiles, this drive is mainly operated in series. The combustion engine drives a generator, which supplies an electric motor and a small buffer battery with electricity. This allows the petrol engine to operate close to its best efficiency more often than usual. The result is low fuel consumption in practice. Toyota and Honda have been demonstrating this with similar concepts for years.

In everyday use, the MG3 is a very fast small car, although one could almost have expected more from the very high system performance. The factory claims a standard sprint time of eight seconds and a top speed of 170 km/h. A Corsa Hybrid with 100 kW can certainly keep up with that. There is no doubt that the MG3 Hybrid is still more than adequate. If you push both engines to the limit, you will of course experience an acoustically excited drive. It is also noticeable that the combustion engine only has three gear ratios available.

Low fuel consumption

However, its focus is not on maximum driving performance, which is to a certain extent a by-product of the design. It should get by with little fuel. In the WLTP, MG states 4.4  liters. On our first drive, which included a few kilometers on the freeway, we got around five liters according to the on-board computer. In everyday use, values below this should be possible, even if the Toyota Yaris remains unmatched among hybrids in this respect.

In principle, the MG3 can also be driven electrically, provided the small buffer battery, which has an energy content of  kWh, is sufficiently full. Obviously, it cannot be charged externally, because this type of hybrid is not about maximizing the electric range, but primarily about running the petrol engine on less fuel. This can be implemented by manufacturers for far less money than the idea of using electricity as the primary driving energy in everyday life.

Dynamics were not the main focus

Even apart from the drive, dynamics were not the top priority in the specifications. The dampers filter out more bumps than is usual in many cars today. On the other hand, the small car cannot move quite as quickly between plastic bumps. It leans a little more in fast corners. The smooth-running steering, which in principle almost completely denies itself feedback, also fits in with this. The seats are somewhat too softly upholstered to provide sufficient support on long journeys. From 140 km/h at the latest, wind and rolling noises penetrate quite audibly.

One plus point of the MG3 is its economy of space. Even behind tall drivers, adults can still find some space in the rear thanks to the wheelbase of 2.57 m. The trunk has a capacity of 293 liters; if the backrest of the one-piece rear bench is folded down, it becomes 983 liters. However, there is then a significant step in the loading area. In addition, the hatch for loading the luggage compartment is quite narrow and the loading sill is high.

Base without rear window wiper

The choice of materials is simple, but the car is well finished. We did not find any major flaws in this respect. MG also has hardly any weaknesses when it comes to operation. The most important functions can be operated without any lengthy familiarization. If you don't want to use the factory navigation system, you can switch to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Even in the base model, these three features are standard, as is automatic climate control. Unfortunately, we don't know why MG decided to leave out the rear window wiper in the cheapest version. The idea that the rear seat can only be folded down completely is also unusual.

At 19,990 euros, the MG3 Hybrid+ still seems fairly priced. The all-inclusive package costs less than 25,000 euros, and it is not only the European manufacturers that have nothing directly comparable in their range. Even a Toyota Yaris with similar equipment is a good deal more expensive. They may all drive a little more finely, but a price advantage is likely to be an important argument for the target group in this class.

(mfz)