MG Motor UK MG3 review

A quick reminder then. All versions (for now anyway) get the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and 134bhp electric motor paired with a 1.83kWh battery, sent to the wheels through a three-speed auto gearbox. Nice and simple.

We touched on it briefly on the previous page, but running occurs in a variety of ways. 'EV' allows you to run on electric-only power for as long as charge allows. In 'Series' mode, the engine powers the generator, which powers the electric motor. As does 'Series and Charge', only it also tops up the battery. Then there’s 'Drive and Charge', where the engine drives the wheels while also charging the battery, and 'Parallel', where both engine and electric motor power the wheels. Phew.

Not that you’re really aware any of that’s going on. The engine has a tendency to be a bit vocal, so you do notice that kicking in. But it prioritises EV mode, and around town, there’s a surprising amount of shutdown and silent running.

Is it... fun?

Well, the old MG 3 was pretty good in that sense and on first impressions it would seem the firm has at least tried to retain some of its fun characteristics here. Indeed, MG says its Longbridge-based engineering team specifically tuned the chassis and suspension for UK roads.

But it really depends on your expectations. The steering is direct, it grips gamely, there’s little body roll, but the payoff is the noticeably firm ride. It's particularly brittle around town where there are potholes, speed bumps and more to deal with, while on a British B-road it just doesn't feel quite as polished as some of its rivals, such as the Renault Clio.

A 0-62mph sprint time of eight seconds means it’ll beat most rivals off the line, but that tailors off as the speed rises and the electric motor runs out of steam. There's also a slight delay upon pressing the accelerator, and it's a similar story when you press the brake pedal too.

Three driving modes – Eco, Standard and Sport – also tweak the steering weight, throttle response, and electric motor/engine running configuration, but you'll likely just keep it in its Standard mode and leave well alone. If you're looking for more involvement, it's probably worth waiting for the non-hybrid complete with – gasp – manual gearbox.

Talk efficiency to me.

MG claims up to 64.2mpg (we saw just over 61mpg over 120 miles) while CO2 emissions from 100g/km should make for decently low tax and company car rates.