2024 MG 3 Hybrid+ Essence review

10/11/2024 08:00 AM

2024 MG 3 Hybrid+ Essence

It's the most popular car within the light car segment by a country mile, but the MG 3 has not existed without controversy. While there was some concern regarding the safety technology included in the previous MG 3, this didn't impact sales. In 2023 alone, the MG 3 held 45 per cent segment share; the closest second was the Suzuki Swift with a modest 17.6 per cent. 

Heck, I'd be fairly confident saying that a mere few years ago (give or take), a 20-something-year-old Jess would have snapped up the old MG 3. A zippy little car that got me from home to office or home to beach that came with a few mod cons and looked cute – all for under $20K with the assurance of a new car warranty? That’s enticing.

Fast-forward to the present day and the new 2024 MG 3 is more costly than its predecessor, starting at $23,990 before on-road costs for the entry-level petrol variant. Rising material and shipping costs are partly to blame for the price rise, but the marque also promises more equipment and technology in this iteration, not to mention offering the choice of hybrid power. As a result, the MG 3 is no longer a sub-$20K car. Then again, neither are many other cars. 

During a week in the MG 3, I wasn't so concerned with whether the new and improved features of the MG 3 were enough to justify the price hike, but rather whether the MG 3 customer base would be willing to spend that money in spite of the new mod cons. Are Aussies willing to spend more on this best-seller or will the MG 3 lose its crown to more sharply priced rivals in this popular segment?

How much is an MG 3?

There are two variants of the MG 3: the petrol model and the hybrid model. Both of these come in two trims – the lowest-spec Excite and the highest-spec Essence. I am in the MG 3 Hybrid+ Essence, the most expensive car in the line-up, which starts at $29,990 before on-road costs are applied. Using an NSW postcode, the drive-away cost of this small car tips over the $30K mark at $32,439. The Hybrid+ Excite starts at $27,990 before on-road costs. 

The entry-level variant, the petrol-based MG 3 Excite, is currently priced at $24,990 drive-away, though this is a temporary price-drop that applies to both the petrol models. The petrol MG Essence is therefore currently $26,990 but hybrid versions aren’t offered with national drive-away pricing. 

Included as standard in both specs and across both variants are 16-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 7.0-inch digital driver’s display, push-button start, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera. 

Hybrid models add automatic single-sone climate control, but switch a space-saver spare tyre for a puncture repair kit. Exclusive to the Essence is a sunroof, LED headlights, satellite navigation, a 360-degree camera, keyless entry and rain-sensing wipers.

My test model came in brilliant metallic Brighton Blue, which will cost you an extra $500. I think the brighter tones suit the MG 3 – metallic Diamond Red (+$500) and Pastel Yellow ($0) are two other jewel-coloured options. Those after more subdued tones might prefer Black Pearl, Hampstead Grey or Sloane Silver, which all cost an additional $500 – or Dover White, which isn't metallic so comes at no extra cost. 

The MG 3 is not the only small car to have undergone a significant price rise. The Toyota Yaris underwent a $9000 price rise in 2020, which happened to be the same year that the MG 3 started overtaking the Yaris in sales. The entry-level Yaris Ascent Sport hybrid is now $28,500; the highest-spec ZR hybrid starts at $34,530, both before on-road costs. 

From a pricing perspective, the MG 3's biggest competition will be the newly launched Suzuki Swift, which comes with a mild hybrid engine. Although it is primarily petrol-powered, the car is frugal on fuel and similarly priced to the MG 3, with the entry-level model starting at $24,490 drive-away and $29,490 drive-away for the top-spec Hybrid GLX.

Other competitors include the Volkswagen Polo, which starts at $29,490 for the 85TSI Life variant.  Currently, the Volkswagen Polo only comes with a petrol engine. Then there's the Mazda 2, which starts with the G15 Pure 1.5-litre hatch, with a manual transmission from $22,870 plus on-road costs. Like the Polo, the Mazda 2 only comes with a petrol engine at this stage, but is also available with a sedan option on some trim levels. 

How big is an MG 3?

I don't imagine the average MG 3 owner has their partner, toddler and both their in-laws in the car on a daily basis, but hey, this temporary custodian did. So it's fair to say I really put this small car through its paces.

The car is 4113mm long, 1797mm wide and 1502mm high, making it larger than its predecessor. Its biggest growth is in its width, which has increased by seven centimetres. It's also mostly bigger than its closest competitors, the Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris and Mazda 2, although the Swift and Yaris are both marginally taller. 

Regardless of being the biggest of the bunch, the MG 3 is still a small car and comes with all the small car perks, like fitting in tighter parking spots or slipping into smaller gaps in traffic, etc. As I say, I had the whole extended family in the car on several occasions over the week and… well, it was a squeeze. But that's to be expected for a light car.

Based on feedback from my taller passengers, it seems that a six-foot (183cm) passenger is really your limit in the back before they would have to start hunching over. I'm 171cm and sat in the back comfortably; head space was starting to feel tight, but I had plenty of leg room with the driver's seat adjusted to my usual driving position.

My son, all 100cm of him, was happy in his child's seat, with enough room to swing his little legs freely. ISOFIX points are fixed at the window seats and there are top-tether points across all three back seats, although one child's seat certainly felt like enough in the back there. 

Despite the larger dimensions in this iteration, the boot in the 2024 model has been slightly downsized from 307 litres to 293L. In real-world terms, that means I can fit either one large suitcase or two smaller ones. I can pack a full weekly shop but not my large pram. Despite the size crunch, the MG 3 still has a larger boot space than its nearest competitors, so is well suited to those who are regularly chucking a couple of suitcases or gym bags in the back. 

Now for the aesthetics. The new MG 3 looks good. Really good. My car comes with a cream interior, which may not suit small children, coffee spillages, or muddy paws but certainly looks sleek. The materials used are a combination of hard plastics, cloth on the seats and artificial leather. This is reserved for the Essence trim in the petrol-only and hybrid MG 3; the lower-spec Excite forgoes the artificial leathers.     

The seats are covered in a combination of cloth and artificial leather (the light interior is only available on the Hybrid+ Essence with a blue, black, silver or grey exterior, all other variants are single-tone black). A diamond pattern is stitched into the seats which can be found in both the Excite and Essence trims. The seats themselves are firm. In the driver's seat, a section of bolstering just under my tailbone felt a bit awkward the first couple of times I sat down.

There is six-way adjustability for the driver's seat and four-way adjustability for the passenger. This is manual rather than electrical, which you might see in some of the car's more premium rivals. 

The steering wheel is covered in artificial leather. A cluster of physical buttons on the steering wheel aids the driver. My wee gripe with these physical buttons is that the layout could be more intuitive and less complex.

Ahead, the 7.0-inch digital driver’s display can be customised via the steering wheel to a display that suits you best. 

The 10.25-inch infotainment system is bigger and more technologically advanced than its predecessor, matching the system used in the brand's bigger passenger car, the MG 4.

Although most of the car's functions are accessible through the infotainment screen, there are a series of physical buttons below the screen that are easier to access quickly while driving. This panel of buttons includes volume control, front and rear demister and a button that shortcuts you to the climate-control screen. You do still need to use the touchscreen to control the temperature, which is frustrating as the screen can be laggy and requires attention to be diverted from the road.

Below the infotainment screen, panel of buttons and air vents is a rubberised dock to hold your mobile phone, and a USB-A and USB-C charger. There’s also a dash cam USB-A port in the rear-view mirror housing. The car doesn't offer wireless charging or wireless connectivity, but more on that later. 

Two cupholders, big enough to accommodate two large cups of coffee, blend in neatly with the phone dock. This means the cream central storage unit, uncluttered and thoughtful in design, stands out – in a good way. The only items in the unit are a rotary dial gear selector and drive mode buttons. Storage is on par for the segment, though the door pockets feel small; there isn't enough space for a drink bottle, for example.

In the back of the car, amenities are limited to two air vents and a single USB-A port – no middle armrest to reveal a couple of sneaky coffee cupholders. On that note, the back seats are all one single unit, appearing more like a couch than singular seats. This means there's no split-level seating, so no chance of gaining any more storage space if you've only got one occupant in the back. So if you're heading on a surf or snow weekend away, another car is carrying the boards or skis. 

Does the MG 3 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The MG 3 has a 10.25-inch infotainment display, which is reasonably large for the segment. Despite being top spec, the Essence (and its lower-specced counterparts) don't yet come with wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and you do need to plug in using the USB-A port available. I have found that Apple CarPlay doesn't always automatically connect. On occasion, I need to disconnect my phone from the car and reconnect. 

The graphics are reasonably clear and usually responsive. There is a slight lag between screens but never slow enough to be a problem. 

My biggest frustration with the infotainment system is that passengers can only see the temperature in the cabin by going into the screen. This renders the physical buttons to adjust the temperature, somewhat redundant. 

The MG i-Smart app on Essence models allows MG owners to connect to their vehicles remotely, checking information such as fuel levels or battery charge levels, whether doors are locked, and you can also cool or heat your cabin before you get into the car. Subscription is free for the first year and will cost you $50 per year after that. 

Is the MG 3 a safe car?

Although it's widely known that the new MG 3 comes with abundantly more safety equipment than its previous iteration, the car doesn't yet have an official ANCAP rating. 

We do know that the car comes with driver and passenger airbags, two side airbags and two curtain airbags. 

What safety technology does the MG 3 have?

Safety has been a hot topic with the MG 3 over the last few years. Despite being the segment best-seller, the previous iteration of MG 3 wasn't even awarded an ANCAP rating. 

The difference between the previous iteration and this model is night and day. The safety technology in this MG 3 is the most noticeable – and noteworthy – difference between it and the last iteration.  

All variants of the MG 3 come with MG's advanced safety technology, MG Pilot, which includes intelligent speed limit assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, active emergency braking, lane assist system – including lane keep and lane departure, intelligent high-beam assist, blind-spot detection, door opening warning, traffic jam assist and a 360-degree camera. 

Other safety features that appear across all models include a seatbelt reminder alert, adaptive cruise control, intelligent cruise assist, forward collision warning, unsteady driving warning, pedestrian warning and more. 

If anything, the safety features in this car are a bit overzealous, but I'd rather the safety features be too present than not present at all. It was only small things like the speed limiter not recognising school zones and lane-keep assist appearing too sensitive. These are minor quibbles, and if you find any of these systems too annoying, they can be turned off in the settings.

Even though it’s a small car, the 360-degree camera is a helpful aid when navigating parking spots or other tight manoeuvres, though the quality of the camera isn't quite on par with the car's rivals.  

How much does the MG 3 cost to run?

MG has upped the ante in terms of warranty with the MG 3 (and all other models in the range) now covered by a 10-year, 250,000km warranty. While it’s not an unlimited km warranty like some brands, it should offer enough coverage for typical privately-used vehicles. In cases where the car is used commercially (like ride-share, delivery, or as a rental) the warranty reduces to a seven-year, 160,000km term.

MG offers five-year, fixed-price servicing across petrol and hybrid models. Servicing is every 12 months or 10,000km. Some rivals have longer intervals between services: the Mazda 2, Toyota Yaris and new Suzuki Swift require servicing every 12 months or 15,000km. 

Meanwhile, fixed-priced servicing costs see the MG 3 land about in the middle among its competitors. Maintaining the MG 3 Hybrid+ for three years will cost you $922, for five years will cost $2008. The Toyota Yaris Hybrid and the new Swift Hybrid are slightly more affordable at $1225 and $1955 for five years respectively.  

The Mazda 2 is $2116 for five years of maintenance and the Volkswagen Polo is $3423. 

It will cost you $1724 yearly to insure an MG 3 Hybrid+ Essence. This seems to be a few hundred dollars more expensive than its closest competitors, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances. 

The top-spec Suzuki Swift Hybrid and Toyota Yaris Ascent Sport Hybrid are just under the $1400 mark to annually insure, while the Mazda 2 G15 GT and Volkswagen Polo 85TSI Life are just more than $1400. 

Is the MG 3 fuel-efficient?

As you may have gathered from my full car, I really put this little car through its paces. Over the week, we drove the highway, the city, suburbs and country roads, and by the time I gave the car back, my fuel consumption was 5.3 litres per 100 kilometres. 

MG claims fuel consumption of 4.3L/100km, which can be separated into 0.9L/100km for city driving and 6.3L/100km for highway driving. 

This is more efficient than the petrol variant of the new MG 3, which claims an average fuel consumption of 6.0L/100km, but the petrol variant can also take 91-octane unleaded petrol whereas the hybrid model requires 95-octane unleaded petrol or above. The fuel tank size in the hybrid model is also just 36L.

What is the MG 3 like to drive?

The MG 3 Hybrid+ Essence is a front-wheel-drive car with a 1.5-litre hybrid engine. Both the Essence and lower-spec Excite hybrid models produce 75kW and 128Nm from the petrol engine with a 100kW/250Nm electric motor for a claimed combined power output of 155kW. In the case of the MG 3’s only other hybrid rival, the Toyota Yaris claims 67kW/120Nm petrol, 59kW/141Nm electric, and 85kW combined.

Despite the bold 155kW combined power output, the MG 3 Hybrid + feels a bit gutless on the road. This lack of power didn't trouble me, but if you are after light car in the hope for something a bit sporty, then I'd consider a different option.  

Having called it gutless, I will try and counter that by saying it’s a balanced, pleasant drive. By which I mean, while it may not have the outright urge of a little hot hatch, the suspension is the right amount of firm without becoming uncomfortable on longer drives, it corners well, and it's not overly sensitive in its response to braking or acceleration.

Talking of acceleration, despite its lower power figures the Hybrid+ Essence does boast a 0–100km/h acceleration time of 8.0 seconds, which is faster than the Toyota Yaris Hybrid range and the new Suzuki Swift Hybrid.

There are three driving modes to choose from: Eco, Standard and Sport. There is no option to drive purely in EV mode even if you want to: the internal car system adapts to either electric or hybrid driving based on the environment and situation you're in, and this is subtle enough that most times you won't even notice the change. When the battery is charged enough, though, the car will be in EV mode for longer than some of its rivals. 

Driving the MG 3 exposed some of the more, shall we say, affordable aspects of the car: road noise was present, especially at high speeds, and the seats weren't particularly comfortable after long stretches of driving. The steering wheel felt incongruously big for a small car but was light, and visibility was good – aided of course by various sensors and safety features. 

Personally, what I delighted in the most with the MG 3 was just how easy it made journeys. It may not be the most exhilarating drive, but the novelty of being able to squeeze the car into tight parking spots in busy beach suburbs or the city didn't wear off. These aspects of the car aren't exclusive to the MG 3, of course. Any light car would manage the same, but the parking sensors plus the 360-degree camera, though not the sharpest of lenses, made navigating these elusive spots all the easier in the Hybrid+ Essence.

How much weight can an MG 3 tow?

The MG 3 can tow up to 500kg either braked or unbraked, though bear in mind that it is a light car and cars of this size are not designed to be towing anything substantial. A small trailer is about what you can expect to be moving. 

Should I buy an MG 3?

The MG 3 Hybrid+ Essence is a lot of great things: it's easy to drive, easy to park, and the improved technology and safety features are also markedly improved from the last model. Then there’s the hybrid engine, which promises to be more efficient. 

But the problem is that same description could be used for any number of light or small cars with hybrid engines. In many ways, it’s a vicious cycle: MG had to improve its safety and technology in the MG 3 in order to keep up with competitors. But the flip side is that these improvements come at a cost – a cost that used to set the MG 3 apart. Nowadays, the difference between the ever-expanding pool of relatively affordable cars with a hybrid engine feels minimal.

Knowing some of its closest rivals have more compelling running costs and more affordable drive-away prices makes this top-spec model harder to justify. I think if I were in the market for a hybrid MG 3, I would have to test-drive the lower-spec Excite and this variant back-to-back and carefully weigh up the differences between each before I made any final decisions. It may be the case that the Hybrid+ Excite model is the more practical choice. 

How do I buy an MG 3? The next steps.

The MG 3 Hybrid+ Essence is on sale now at local MG dealerships. 

There are two variants to choose from, and both petrol and hybrid models available across the range, so it would be useful to do some research into hybrid versus petrol if you haven't already done so to help with your decision-making. 

My advice would be to drive both specs of the MG 3 and trial a couple of competitors before making any final decisions. The new mild-bydrid Suzuki Swift and hybrid Toyota Yaris would be two go-to recommendations to trial. 

Check out the MG website for stock of your preferred MG 3 variant, and you can then find your nearest MG dealer. 

Head to Drive Marketplace to find other MG vehicles for sale, and stay up to date with all MG news and reviews here. 

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