2024 MG3 revealed: First new model in 13 years won’t be Australia’s cheapest new car

The latest-generation 2024 MG3 – the first all-new model since 2011 – has debuted ahead of its mid-year Australian launch.

MG Australia has confirmed that “due to advancements in technology, safety and specification”, the new MG3 will not be priced from under $20,000 when it arrives in local showrooms.

It will be the first time a new car hasn’t been available for under $20,000 drive-away, with the cost of the one-size-smaller Kia Picanto hatch also increasing following a recent mid-life update.

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The current MG3 hatch debuted in China in 2011, arrived in Australia in 2016 at $13,990 before on-road costs, and is now priced from $19,990 drive-away.

“There will be a price increase of around $5000 associated with the new model, thanks to the introduction of new world-class technology, safety updates and all-new specification,” said an MG Australia spokesperson.

That would see the new MG3 priced from around $24,990 drive-away – up 25 per cent, and equivalent to the larger MG5 Vibe sedan due for safety upgrades later this year following a poor zero-star ANCAP safety rating.

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MG has committed to a $4 million investment to improve the MG5’s safety, which would likely move it beyond its current drive-away prices to amortise these added development costs.

With an automatic transmission, the similarly-sized Mazda 2 and Toyota Yaris hatches start from around $28,500 drive-away, while the soon-to-be-replaced Suzuki Swift auto is priced from $25,990 drive-away.

The new model has a revised exterior look inspired by the MG4 EV, MG5 sedan and MG One SUV, including a wider grille, pull-out door handles, and horizontal tail lights.

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Inside, it features a wider 10.25-inch touchscreen running MG's latest infotainment – which includes Android Auto missing from the current model – a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, hard-button shortcut controls, USB-A and USB-C charge ports, and a wireless phone charger.

There's also an electronic parking brake with auto-hold function, an engine start/stop button, and a flat-bottom steering wheel derived from the MG4 EV with piano black controls.

It also adds active safety features absent from the current MG3, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assist.

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The MG3 will be available with a hybrid powertrain in its model line-up, becoming the second vehicle in the budget-focused, city-car segment to include the option of a fuel-saving powertrain after the Toyota Yaris.

The hybrid system combines a 75kW/128Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol with a 100kW/250Nm electric motor for a 143kW total system output.

It has a 1.83kWh battery and offers four drive modes: Electric-only, series-hybrid, 'series and charge', 'drive and charge', and parallel-hybrid.

MG claims an eight-second 0-100km/h sprint time, with a selectable 'sport' calibration to "get the best out of the combined power output", along with 'eco' and 'standard' modes.

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Oddly, the hybrid powertrain is matched to a three-speed automatic transmission, down one gear from the current MG3.

It has a WLTP-rated combined fuel consumption of 4.4L/100km, compared to 6.7L/100km for the outgoing model under the less stringent ADR testing cycle.

A non-hybrid version of the petrol powertrain will also be offered in Australia.

Under the skin, the MG3 is based on a new 'scalable' platform, which is said to improve comfort and dynamics. The chassis and suspension was developed in Europe and China, with unique tunes for different markets.

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Measuring 4113mm long, 1502mm tall and 1797mm wide with a 2570mm wheelbase, the new model is 58mm longer, 2mm lower and 68mm wider with 50mm more between the front and rear axles. It has a 293-litre boot, down 14L.

More local details on the 2025 MG3 are due to be confirmed closer to its mid-year Australian launch.

“The current MG3 is at the end of its lifecycle which means that now is the best time to buy a brand new car for the price of a used one, before the new model hits our shores,” added the MG Australia spokesperson.

Below: The current MG3 hatch, which was last updated in 2018

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