Overall rating:

MG3 to fight in the hotly contested supermini marketplace and it's got merit if value is your biggest consideration, as the £9,999 maximum price undercuts all its rivals.

Key Facts

Pricing: £9,549
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol
Transmission: front-wheel drive, five-speed manual
Body style: five-door hatchback
Rivals: Ford Fiesta, Kia Rio, Skoda Fabia
CO₂ emissions: 136g/km
Combined economy: 48.7mpg
Top speed: 108mph
0-62mph: 10.9 seconds
Power: 106hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 137Nm at 4,750rpm

In the Metal:

If you can peel your eyes off the sticker price on the windscreen for a moment then you'll see an attractively styled supermini. Pert and upright with some bold styling around the front and rear, the MG3 certainly doesn't scream value from its lines. The MG badging in the headlights is a neat touch, as is the standard fitment of daytime running lights, the MG3 a pleasingly, assertively styled supermini.

Inside, it's more obviously from the budget end of the spectrum with the plastics at the harder end of the tactility scale, but it's all neatly built and far from offensive. Everything works well though, and the equipment count is high; surprisingly so, at the MG's price point. It's spacious enough too, the rear seat offering good head- and leg room - if a push for three across the bench, while the boot deep and well proportioned too.

Driving it:

MG is making a lot of noise not just about the low pricing and the MG3's fun-to-drive character. The pricing's right, though the drive isn't consistent with the company's claims. That's largely down to the 1.5-litre engine, which, despite producing a decent 106hp, rarely feels like it. To get anything approaching the performance offered you need to work it hard and keep busy with the five-speed gearbox. That transmission doesn't offer the slickest of shifts and there's a sizeable gap in the ratios - which leaves you waiting for what little torque there is on offer to arrive again. To make anything approaching brisk progress you'll have your foot pinned to the floor, which won't improve the MG3's economy nor display it in its best light regarding refinement.

Take stock of your expectations and drive the MG3 at a more pedestrian pace and it's a better proposition. The steering, while inconsistent in weighting, does deliver some feel through the rim, meaning it's moderately enjoyable when you eventually reach a bend. The suspension delivers a curiously firm low speed ride, which doesn't translate to greater control as you reach out of town speeds. The result is a ride that could be better, particularly in its likely urban environment. It's not a huge distraction, just more noticeable than it is in the majority of its rivals.

What you get for your Money:

The MG3 plays heavily on the value card, and it's not just a case of a low purchase price. None will cost you more than £9,999 as standard, the only real cost options being metallic paint at £395 or one of the graphic styling packs at £199-£225. Ignore the headline-grabbing £8,399 3Time unless you're really strapped for cash, as the 3Form at £9,299 adds desirable kit like DAB radio, Bluetooth with audio streaming, leather MG design steering wheel with audio controls, the 3Form Sport adding alloy wheels and a sports style body kit. Heading the range is a MG3 Style, it adding automatic wipers and headlamps, cruise control and reverse parking sensors to that.

Worth Noting

It might be cheap and inexpensive to insure, but the economy and emissions of 136g/km and 48.7mpg are lagging behind the best of the competition. MG says you can buy a lot of fuel given the differences in list prices, and while that's technically correct, it does rather underline the 1.5-litre engine's relative lack of sophistication.

Summary

You're unlikely to pick the MG3 over the established supermini choices out there, cars like Ford's Fiesta, Vauxhall's Corsa, the Mazda2 and many others driving with greater sophistication than the small but spacious MG. If cost is your key motivation the MG3 fills a value gap left as cars like Kia's Rio and Hyundai's i20 have moved into the mainstream. Cheap and relatively cheerful, it's well worth a look if you absolutely must buy new and want a lot of equipment for your money.