Already on sale in China, the new 3 is due in UK showrooms this March
The MG 3 remains a left field choice in Britain, where it has taken four years for the model to surpass 10,000 sales
New for this year will be a dashboard with features borrowed from the ZS crossover
Outside, the car features new lights with more modern motifs
The facelifted car will also produce slightly more power from its naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine
The outgoing car sends 105bhp to its front wheels, but the 2018 model’s output will be boosted to 115bhp
Torque is also due to raise from 101lb ft to 111lb ft
This will give the MG 3 more grunt than the most powerful Sandero, which has 89bhp and 103lb ft
The main difference between the Chinese and European MG 3 will be in how it rides
European buyers typically prefer sharper handling cars, so the 3 will be given a slightly more agile setup that eliminates excessive body roll
Pricing for the updated MG 3 isn’t expected to change drastically from the current car, which opens from £8695
MG is upping its efforts in the fight against the Dacia Sandero by upgrading its 3 hatchback for 2018.
Already on sale in China and now being tweaked for Europe, the budget five-door is due in UK showrooms this March with an all-new interior and tweaked exterior design.
The MG 3 remains a left field choice in Britain, where it has taken four years for the model to surpass 10,000 sales. But MG is bidding to attract more buyers with the 2018 car’s significantly upgraded features list.
New for this year will be a dashboard with features borrowed from the ZS crossover, including a cleanly designed dashboard that features a centrally mounted touchscreen. Outside, the car features new lights with more modern motifs.
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The facelifted car will also produce slightly more power from its naturally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine. The outgoing car sends 105bhp to its front wheels, but the 2018 model’s output will be boosted to 115bhp. Torque is also due to raise from 101lb ft to 111lb ft.
This will give the MG 3 more grunt than the most powerful Sandero, which has 89bhp and 103lb ft. The Dacia’s top turbocharged three-pot offers the better economy, however, with 55.4mpg to the current MG 3’s 51.4mpg.
The main difference between the Chinese and European MG 3 will be in how it rides. European buyers typically prefer sharper handling cars, so the 3 will be given a slightly more agile setup that eliminates excessive body roll.
Pricing for the updated MG 3 isn’t expected to change drastically from the current car, which opens from £8695. Though that makes it £2700 pricier than the Sandero, which remains Britain’s cheapest new car, the updated MG’s more generous standard features list may help to lure buyers in its direction.
MG, which is owned by Shanghai-based SAIC Motor, has grown its UK presence in recent months but it still only represents 0.16% of the country’s new car market. Contrastingly, in China, MG and sister brand Roewe, which was born from the ashes of Rover, upped sales by 78% in 2017 to surpass half a million units.
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