MG 3 2018 review

MG 3 2018 review

It’s the changes in the cabin that impress the most, though, because inside it’s a totally clean sheet of paper. It feels far more up to date than before, with the adoption of an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay included on all but the entry level Explore model.

The display large and sharp enough, but it’s not the most intuitive system to navigate. It’s housed in a completely redesigned centre console and dash set-up, which includes fresh dials and a new steering wheel, lifted from the ZS.

The interior materials remain cheap, although at such a low price tag that’s not surprising. Step up to Exclusive trim and you get a leather steering wheel and partial-leather sports seats, which raises the bar a little and rounds off what is a thorough and worthy interior update.

On the road the steering remains decently weighted and offers a pleasant amount of feedback. But while the MG3 used to serve up a surprisingly sporty experience, the game has changed.

It means that this is a supermini that’s now just adequate to hustle around a bend, but it isn’t helped by the particularly high seating position. Elsewhere, it keeps the pre-facelift car’s major drawbacks, so that means a poor, rigid ride around town, where even small imperfections in the road surface can be felt through the seat.

Undoubtedly, the most disappointing aspect of all, however, is the MG3’s sole motor. It’s the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated unit used previously, updated with a new engine management system required to meet Euro 6D emissions regulations. Sadly, it’s a unit that’s overstayed its welcome.