Photo: MG
Remember MG? Yeah, it's that British brand loved by pipe tobacco-smoking gentlemen in tweed jackets. But the modern-day MG is not loved by those gentlemen, partly because MG isn't offering a modern roadster model.
Every British auto enthusiast wants an all-new MG A or MG B, not the econobox known as the MG3. But this is what the SAIC Motor-owned automaker offers these days. Compared to the first-gen MG3 SW, which was based on the Rover Streetwise, the MG3 is underpinned by a new platform.
That doesn't make it fun to drive, though. It's hard to expect superior driving dynamics or a finely tuned chassis from a front-wheel drive supermini powered by a 1.5-liter engine with 105 bhp and 137 Nm of torque. On the plus side, the improved-for-2016 MG3 is cheap, costing just £8,399.
If you want all the bells and whistles, the 2016 MG3 3Style Lux can be yours from £10,999. Be warned though - even in top specification, the MG3 is a spartan car. Compared to the 2015 model year, the 2016 model year got better with the introduction of stop-start. As such, CO2 emissions are now rated 124 grams per km. That's similar to the CO2 figure of a BMW 318i saloon, which is much heavier than the MG3.
However, the supermini's Euro 6-compliant engine isn't the only improvement made. In addition to the revised four-banger, the Longbridge-based company's city dweller is now available with a little bit of chrome on the front grille for extra visual drama. If you opt for the Red Nose or Hello Yellow paint, MG will gladly let you choose from "selected roof color combinations." "Selected" is a synonym for white or black, though.
Even though it will be made available to buy at dealers across the United Kingdom next week, the MG3 doesn't cut it. Even the gray-haired Suzuki Swift has more pizzaz. Still, we have to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar - the pricing puts other B-segment hatchbacks to shame, except for the Dacia Sandero (£5,995).
That doesn't make it fun to drive, though. It's hard to expect superior driving dynamics or a finely tuned chassis from a front-wheel drive supermini powered by a 1.5-liter engine with 105 bhp and 137 Nm of torque. On the plus side, the improved-for-2016 MG3 is cheap, costing just £8,399.
If you want all the bells and whistles, the 2016 MG3 3Style Lux can be yours from £10,999. Be warned though - even in top specification, the MG3 is a spartan car. Compared to the 2015 model year, the 2016 model year got better with the introduction of stop-start. As such, CO2 emissions are now rated 124 grams per km. That's similar to the CO2 figure of a BMW 318i saloon, which is much heavier than the MG3.
However, the supermini's Euro 6-compliant engine isn't the only improvement made. In addition to the revised four-banger, the Longbridge-based company's city dweller is now available with a little bit of chrome on the front grille for extra visual drama. If you opt for the Red Nose or Hello Yellow paint, MG will gladly let you choose from "selected roof color combinations." "Selected" is a synonym for white or black, though.
Even though it will be made available to buy at dealers across the United Kingdom next week, the MG3 doesn't cut it. Even the gray-haired Suzuki Swift has more pizzaz. Still, we have to give Caesar what belongs to Caesar - the pricing puts other B-segment hatchbacks to shame, except for the Dacia Sandero (£5,995).
Google News