Get ready for sticker shock! The 2024 MG 3 has hit Australian showrooms, but it's come with a hefty price tag. We're talking a whopping $7000 increase! And the worst part? It's no longer the cheapest new car you can buy.
The price has risen from $18,990 to approximately $26,000 drive-away, based on MG's list price of $23,990 before on-road costs. As a result, there are no longer any new cars on the market for under $20,000 drive-away. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the cheapest MG 3 was priced at $15,990 drive-away, and there were over 60 vehicles from 19 models and 14 brands available for less than $20,000. However, increasing material and shipping costs, along with the introduction of new models with more advanced features, have contributed to the disappearance of the sub-$20,000 drive-away new car.
MG describes its latest city hatch as an entirely new vehicle, featuring a larger and more rigid body, a redesigned interior, an extended list of standard features, and a range of active safety technologies not present in the previous model. For the first time, the new MG 3 is offered with hybrid power, pushing the top-of-the-line model to $29,990 plus on-road costs, which translates to well over $30,000 drive-away.
MG has eliminated nationwide drive-away prices for this new model, meaning the final price now depends on the specific government fees in the state or territory where the car is registered. The MG 3 has been Australia's best-selling city car in the "light car under $30,000" category for the past four years. Much of these sales have been attributed to the base model, which has seen its price climb from $15,990 drive-away five years ago to a peak of $19,990 earlier this year, before a recent reduction to $18,990.
The Excite model includes features such as 16-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch touchscreen compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7.0-inch instrument display, push-button start, single-zone climate control, fabric seats, a non-leather steering wheel, rear parking sensors, and a rear-view camera. In contrast, the previous MG 3 base model had a 7.0-inch touchscreen, an entirely analog instrument cluster without Android Auto, and four speakers instead of the new model's six, but it did include a leather steering wheel.
A significant improvement in the new MG 3 is its safety features. The new model comes standard with a full array of crash-avoidance technologies that were not available in the previous version. The Essence trim adds even more features such as a sunroof, LED headlights, synthetic leather and cloth seats, satellite navigation, a leather steering wheel, a 360-degree camera, keyless entry, and rain-sensing wipers.
The new MG 3 is available in two model grades – Excite and Essence – with options for either petrol or petrol-electric hybrid power. The most affordable MG 3 hybrid is priced at $27,990 plus on-road costs, or around $30,000 drive-away, making it the cheapest hybrid in Australia, even undercutting the $28,500 base version of the Toyota Yaris Hybrid. The non-hybrid versions are powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine that produces 110 hp and 142Nm of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) automatic, and compatible with 91-octane regular unleaded petrol. On the other hand, the hybrid models combine a 101 hp/128Nm version of the 1.5-litre engine with a 135 hp electric motor, resulting in a combined power output of 210 hp, and come with a three-speed automatic transmission and a 1.83 kWh battery. Fuel consumption is rated at 6.0L/100km for the non-hybrid and 4.3L/100km for the hybrid, though the latter requires more expensive premium unleaded petrol.
The 2024 MG 3 is expected to arrive in showrooms shortly.