2022 MG 3 Review

August 16, 2022

About the MG3

The MG3 is a light hatchback that serves as the entry point into MG Motor’s range in Australia.

Priced from $18,490 drive-away, it’s one of Australia’s cheapest new cars on sale and is similar in size to the Kia Rio and Suzuki Swift.

MG is very much moving in the direction of becoming a serious contender to the likes of Toyota, Mazda, Kia and Hyundai. It has been outselling brands like Honda and Subaru for some time but the way it’s going, it will likely be giving Hyundai some sleepless nights in the coming years.

How much does the MG 3 cost?

There are two variants of the MG 3, the base model 2022 MG 3 Core (tested here) which is currently advertised for $17,990 drive-away (up $400 from earlier this year) and the slightly higher-spec 2022 MG 3 Excite which comes in at $19,490 drive-away (up $800 on last year’s pricing).

What do you get?

The base MG 3 Core comes with the following standard features:

Reversing camera
Rear parking sensors
8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system
Wired Apple CarPlay
Cruise control
Four-speaker sound system
Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
15-inch alloy wheels
LED daytime running lights
Tartan fabric trim
Satellite navigation is a $500 option on the MG 3 Core.

The MG 3 Excite adds the following:

Leatherette and tartan fabric trim
16-inch alloy wheels
Six-speaker sound system
Satellite navigation
You can find further details on all the options and inclusions offered across all variants in the MG 3 specifications sheet.

What is the MG 3 like on the inside?

It feels very much like an $18,000 car on the inside. Although the MG 3 surprises with some modern features like its high-resolution 8.0-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay, and an actual leather-wrapped steering wheel (take note Toyota), it by no means exudes any form of luxury or premium feel.

Considering the base model Toyota Corolla has a plastic steering wheel and looks not all that much better inside (in fact, the MG 3 has more soft touch plastics), it’s hard to really criticise the MG 3’s interior given the price.

We would go so far as to say, the front seats are actually comfortable, and you would have no issue sitting there for extended periods of time.

The four-speaker stereo is decent, as is the reversing camera.

The rear seats are also pretty decent and given the MG 3 is a much larger car inside than the Mirage and Picanto, it can be a more comfortable place for those looking to utilise the rear seats more frequently.

The MG 3’s quoted luggage capacity is 307L, increasing to a maximum of 1081L with the rear seats folded.

How does the MG 3 drive?

It will absolutely get the job done as an inner-city car for commuters, but if you intend to do lots of driving across highways in the country where overtaking trucks is a regular requirement, we would probably recommend something with a little more power.

The MG 3 isn’t not slow enough to be painful though, and the decision to go for a four-speed automatic transmission in lieu of a CVT makes the driving experience less droney, and more engaging.

You do feel a lot through the seat and steering wheel. Although this is probably unnoticeable to most drivers who are jumping into perhaps their first car or coming out of an old ca.

Overall, we rate the MG 3’s on-road manner as decent for inner-city and urban driving where the roads are smooth and the highways are infrequent, but outside of that we suggest an alternative choice.