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MG3 review: can top-and-tail revamp make this sprightly supermini a genuine contender?

MG3 facelift - AE driven August 2018
MG3 facelift - AE driven August 2018

As we approach the centenary of MG Cars, we should recall that when the company was formed its famous octagon badge was no more than a sales and marketing penumbra of then-mighty Morris, with William Morris (later Lord Nuffield) as the major shareholder.

MG's first car was made out of borrowed bits and ever since it has been principally a badge-engineered car maker - students of today's Volkswagen Group might say that's not always a bad thing.

Since the Thirties MG has been through as many owners as I've had new shoes; good, bad, laughable and potentially actionable. It's now owned by the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), China's largest car maker, which is state-owned and controlled, and last year produced seven million cars with a turnover of $29 billion US.

As well as joint ventures with Volkswagen and General Motors, SAIC also owns MG and Roewe, which was initially based on technology which underpinned the Rover 75 and is now one of China's only luxury-car marques.

The UK gets three of the five MG models: the GS and ZS  SUVs and this, the MG3, a B-segment four-door hatchback (aka supermini), which competes in one of Europe's largest markets, although it's heavily divided between conventional hatchbacks such as the MG, soft -roaders, crossovers and premium products.

MG3 facelift - AE driven August 2018
A new bonnet, wings, bumpers, lamps and tailgate have given the MG3 better presence

The British-designed and Chinese-built MG3 was launched in the UK in 2013 (although it had been on sale in the far east since 2011), with suspension and steering settings finessed in Britain.

It was price-competitive, the naturally-aspirated, chain-cam 16-valve engine was peppy and it handled well, although the ride was firm.

Sales, however, were unspectacular, last year occupying only a third of the 4,500 MG cars sold. This was partly because MG has all the presence of the Invisible Man and patchy dealer coverage, while the MG3 looked dull inside and out.

Hence this mid-life facelift, a top-and-tail revamp that has been pretty successful.

MG3 facelift - AE driven August 2018
An all-new dashboard is available with a variety of surface treatments. The new seats feel a bit weird at first, while the driving position isn’t bad

A new bonnet, wings, bumpers, lamps and tailgate have given this supermini better presence and the roof treatment is interesting but not too quirky. Inside there's an all-new dashboard, with a variety of surface treatments including metallic tartan.

The new seats feel a bit weird at first, almost like your gran's Parker Knoll wingback, but are ultimately quite comfortable and, given the firm suspension, provide a welcome relief for the nether regions. The driving position isn’t bad despite the tilt-only steering adjustment, although driver and passenger sit quite close.

There's plenty of room in the rear seats, though three abreast might be a bit of a stretch, and the boot is a modest 285 litres if you use the spare wheel well as storage, 256 litres with the optional spare and 1,262 litres with the rear seats folded. They fold 60/40, but only on to the squabs, so the load bed is heavily stepped.

MG3 facelift - AE driven August 2018
The boot provides a modest 285 litres of luggage space but only 256 litres if youspecify a spare wheel. There is 1,262 litres with the rear seats folded although the resulting load area isn't flat

It's a simple facia with analogue instruments and a touchscreen, which is basically just a digital display for the audio system. There's a USB charge slot, but no satnav system is offered, nor trip-based economy meter, but all except the entry-level models get a DAB radio, and the mid-level 3Form (geddit?) gets air-conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth and steering-wheel audio controls.

At the top of the heirarchy, the 3Style+ adds 16-inch wheels, automatic headlightss and wipers, reverse parking sensors, electric mirrors and leather seats; this is predicted to be the most popular model.

Safety consists of twin front, side and curtain airbags, electronic stability control, corner brake control, electronic hill hold and traction control, though there are none of the radar-and camera-based safety systems that are standard on some rivals.

MG3 facelift - AE driven August 2018 - Credit: Dean Smith
The five-speed gearbox is reasonably slick but a sixth forward ratio would be useful for motorway cruising Credit: Dean Smith

The naturally-aspirated engine is not over-endowed with low-down torque and is pretty vocal, but it pulls well and with an all-up weight of 1.15 tonnes the MG3’s performance is eager-sounding and on the sprightly side of modest.

We're still not sure whether the claimed Combined fuel consumption is based on the new (and hopefully more realistic) WLTP test, but even so 48.7mpg is not exactly brilliant by class standards. It might be better if there was a sixth gear, because at 70mph in fifth the engine is spinning noisily at more than 3,000rpm. The gear shift is stiff and mechanical-feeling, but the clutch action feels smooth and you can whizz through the ratios quite quickly.

Our test route around the West Midlands revealed that the ride is firm but well balanced. There's little side-to-side head tossing and the wheels traverse sleeping policemen well, although the 16-inch Goodyear Efficient tyres set up a racket over sharp bumps and there's also a fair bit of wind noise at motorway speeds.

MG3 facelift - AE driven August 2018 - Credit: Dean Smith
Like the previous model, the handling is terrific; English reckons that there's nothing this size and in this price range provides such pure responses Credit: Dean Smith

Like the previous model, the handling is terrific, almost as if the spirit of Cecil Kimber still haunts the famous octagon badge. There's nothing in this size and price range that is as much fun and gives such pure responses; the hydraulically assisted steering is direct and well weighted, while the front disc/rear drum brakes are responsive and powerful.

“We don't want to be the cheapest in the market, someone else can do that,” says Daniel Gregorious, MG's new head of marketing. “What we want to be is the best value package on the market.”

So is it? This “New MG3” is certainly a better looking car than its predecessor and there's more equipment, a better looking interior, a seven-year warranty and a low 4E insurance group.

I also believe that a good-handling car such as this is a safe car, because it informs about the limits of grip and balance and weight transfer. But these cars are often driven by young people and the lack of autonomous city braking, even as an option, is a shame. So it's a solid three stars, but a bit short of four.

THE FACTS

MG3

TESTED 1,498cc four-cylinder petrol, five-speed manual gearbox, front-wheel drive

PRICE/ON SALE range from £9,495 to £12,795 (as tested £12,795)/now

POWER/TORQUE 105bhp @ 6,000rpm, 101lb ft @ 4,500rpm

TOP SPEED 108mph

ACCELERATION 0-62mph in 10.9sec

FUEL ECONOMY 48.7mpg/37.7mpg EU Combined/Urban

CO2 EMISSIONS 136g/km

VED £205 first year, then £140

VERDICT This revamp has done much to address the criticisms of this otherwise likeable little car. The interior is spacious and comfortable and it seems well put together. While some might find the ride quality too firm, the payback is in balanced handling and great agility. Old-fashioned fun, yes, but to really compete in this sector MG's safety systems should be more up to date.

TELEGRAPH RATING Three stars out of five

THE RIVALS

Citroën C3, from £11,560

Not the finest hour in Andre Citroën's legacy, this five-door has an attractive entry price, but the handling is roly poly, the interior is stripped to the bone, the starter three-cylinder engine in 68PS form is feeble and the ride isn't the greatest, either.

Dacia Sandero, from £5,995

While there is a lot to like in the Dacia Duster SUV, the five-door Sandero looks and feels cheap and there's little to recommend in its dynamics, or it's 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. Sums up the old adage, that you get what you pay for.

Fiat Tipo, from £13,390

The original was a fun, fine-driving hatchback and this one isn't. Some Tipos are worth looking at, including the diesel estate, but lower down the range you're paying too much for something that appears to have been cut out of a flat pack with a Stanley knife.

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