2024 MG3 Pricing and specifications

The 2024 MG3 city car has arrived in Australia, introducing MG’s first ever regular hybrid model but also an entry-price rise of just over $7000 to end the era of new cars available for less than $20,000 drive-away.

MG has announced a starting RRP of $23,990 for its second-generation MG3 where the outgoing model cost from $18,990 drive-away to continue sharp deals that have made it Australia’s best-selling city car since 2020.

The price rise follows the Kia Picanto’s move above the $20K drive-away mark earlier this year. MG flagged such a possible price increase earlier this year, noting that the new MG3 would step up significantly in standard equipment.

17

This includes major additions to the MG3’s safety arsenal, which should help contribute to a much better crash-safety rating than the three-star NCAP score of the old model.

Where anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control were about as advanced as features got with the previous MG3, the latest model incorporates various warning systems (forward collision, lane departure), multi-monitoring (blind spots, rear cross traffic, tyre pressures, “unsteady driver”), and assistance features (adaptive cruise, speed-limit notification, emergency lane keeping).

A brand-first regular petrol-electric drivetrain follows the plug-in hybrid offered in the HS midsize SUV and features in Hybrid+ variants that sit above the regular petrol MG3s.

17

The hybrid commands a $4000 premium over the equivalent standard petrol.

Whether petrol or petrol-electric, there are two trim grades familiar to MG showrooms: Excite and Essence.

All models sit on stylish (to our eyes) 16-inch alloys, a size up for entry models, and provide dashboards graced with a digital display combination of central 12.25-inch infotainment screen and 7-inch driver cluster.

Essence models ramp up tech, materials and convenience to tempt buyers to impart with just an extra $2000.

17

Starting with the exterior, the headlights switch from halogen to LED, vehicle entry becomes keyless, wipers adopt an auto mode, and the MG3 gains a small sunroof.

Blue continues as one of the brighter exterior paint options alongside a new yellow and red in an expanded palette that also features your staple white, black, silver, and grey. Yellow and white are no extra cost, where others are metallics costing an extra $700.

Inside, the upholstery changes from cloth to a combination of pleather/fabric, the steering wheel swaps from pleather to real leather, the infotainment system adds navigation and digital radio, and MG throws in a three-year subscription to its iSmart telematics that links various vehicle functions to the owner’s smartphone.

Functions include car location, door locking/unlocking, cabin climate preset, route transfer, and vehicle diagnosis.

In the city-car class that has more than halved in entrants over the past four years, remaining competitors to the MG3 include the Mazda 2, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Yaris, and Volkswagen Polo.

17

Only the Swift and Yaris offer hybrid drivetrains. The Swift, which has also just launched in next-generation form, is a simpler ‘mild hybrid’ with limited electric assistance; the Yaris has been a regular petrol-electric model only since early 2024.

The Yaris was once one of Australia’s most popular city cars, but sales have plummeted since the entry price rose by about $9000 in the second half of 2020.

Capped-price servicing ranges from $234 to $536 for the petrol MG3, with the Hybrid maintenance costs slightly higher – between $235 and $628 depending on vehicle age/mileage. Intervals are every 12 months or every 10,000km.

Warranty is seven years, unlimited kilometres.

17

17

17

17