The Chinese revolution in the local car market has largely centred around one body style – SUVs and all its crossover extensions. Big, small, cute, bullish, petite or electric… you name them, they bring them.
While the Chinese have also gradually increased their presence in the bakkie segment, they have been largely inactive in the hatchback space. Something we find amusing, because hatchbacks still rank alongside SUV/crossovers and bakkies as one of the most popular local body styles.
It was only a matter of time until one of the ever-increasing amount of local Chinese operators pulled the trigger. MG made the first move in the second half of 2025 when the Chinese-owned British marque introduced the MG3.
MG3 up against Polo
Off the back of achieving successful sales in the United Kingdom and Australia, the MG3 was a well-calculated entry into the B-hatch segment where the Polo and Polo Vivo, Toyota Starlet. Suzuki Baleno and the Hyundai i20 rule the roost.
After Road Test Editor Mark Jones had a brief launch drive around the fairest Cape, we finally got to spend some quality time in the MG3 over the December holidays. We got the sample the 1.5 Luxury Auto, which at R344 900 is the top derivative bar the 1.5 Hybrid+ Luxury.
The 1 106km we covered in the MG3 was largely around town, where we believe most of them will spend most their time. But we tossed in a few shortish open road trips for good measure and were pleasantly surprised how comfortable it kept four occupants for a few two-hour stints.
Heaps of swagger
While the MG3 does not really stand out from the crowd in terms of styling, we felt that its curvy design complemented by St Moritz Blue metallic paintwork is quite a sight for sore eyes. Sharply-styled LED headlights above a blacked-out in front gives the hatch a fair bit of attitude, with a rear spoiler and stunning two-tone 16 alloy wheels to boot.
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Ours were wrapped in Kumho rubberware which we have to credit for withstanding two almighty blows in small craters disguised as potholes on the atrocious R509 between Magaliesburg and Derby previously documented as a road.
Inside, the MG3 brings the level of plushness you’d expect from a Polo contender. There are hard plastics present, but enough soft-touch finishes alongside brushed chrome touches blend in well with the simulated leather upholstery. While the D-shaped steering wheel is unfortunately only tilt and not reach adjustable, it’s soft grip definitely adds to a more pleasurable drive.
Cabin is well-specced
The MG3 1.5 Luxury features a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.25-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The spec also includes keyless entry with push-button start, 360-degree camera, tyre pressure monitor system and adaptive cruise control.
Safety comes in the form of seven airbags and MG Pilot which includes forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, speed limit recognition, autonomous emergency braking and traffic jam assist. Overzealous systems like the lane keeping can be switched off… only for it to turn itself on again after the next engine start.
Boot space is adequate at 293 litres, but at least this ensures that the legroom is decent in the rear. Rear air vents is also a huge plus for rear occupants on hot summer days.
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CVT doesn’t do MG3
If you by now are wondering what the catch is, here we go. The MG3’s 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine that makes 81kW of power and 142Nm of torque is a decent mill, but let down by sleepy CVT transmission.
Jones hit the nail on the head when he had the following to say about the CVT model on his launch drive: “I blame a combination of a half asleep CVT box and a completely asleep accelerator pedal for spoiling the party.” As with all CVTs, when you are making your merry way in bumper-to-bumper traffic and hit every red light on your way to work, no problem. But should you need more oomph under hard acceleration… problem. Especially on the open road, where overtaking becomes an annoying process due to the CVT’s droning. But once you are past and the box starts to chill, all is dandy.
The lethargic nature of the CVT does not do the MG3 justice at all. Dynamic handling and sure-footedness give the hatch such a sporty character that it is a real pity this can’t we carried through to a more dynamic powertrain. But are going to take an educated guess and say the manual will solve all the problems.
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MG3 makes a solid start
We did not come close to MG’s fuel consumption claim of six litres per 100km. The best we managed was 7.2L/100km during a 157km open road trip strictly adhering to the national limit, with the figure for its entire stay coming in at a rather bloated 8.4L/100km. You’d expect a smallish hatch to be more frugal than this, but then again it’s not the first Chinese product with a drinking problem.
The MG3 wears the moniker of being the first Chinese local hatchback on offer with a fair degree of swagger. We don’t think it will deprive the usual suspects of too many buyers, but it’s a solid start, Besides, Rome… or rather Beijing, wasn’t built in a day.
