New MG model is expected to feature hybrid power, but no electric version.
The next-generation MG3 supermini will be revealed at the 2024 Geneva Motor Show on 26 February, more than a decade after the current model was unveiled.
To remain an economical new car for customers to buy, the MG3 will be sticking with petrol power, although its engine is likely to get a helping hand from some level of mild-hybrid tech. It’s the most basic form of electrification, and offers slight improvements in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions compared to pure-petrol cars.
Despite MG’s success with value-focused EVs such as the MG4, the new MG3 will not be offered with an all-electric powertrain at this stage.
More technical details will be released at the car’s unveiling, but we already have a very clear idea of what the new MG3 will look like, courtesy of the company’s latest teaser image, and a set of patent images that leaked online last year.
The front end will draw heavily from the striking MG Cyberster sports car, as we can see similarly shaped swept-back headlights, flowing bodywork and tapered bonnet that flows into a sharp nose.
Of course, unlike the battery-powered Cyberster, the MG3 needs a grille to feed air to its engine and radiator, and it looks like it’s going to be an absolute whopper, stretching the width of the car and featuring horizontal slats. The front end is completed by a large set of air intakes on either side of the bumper and an equally aggressive ‘carbon fibre’ splitter.
Based on the patent images, the rest of the MG3’s bodywork will be much simpler, and looks to get traditional rear door handles – not ones hidden in the C-pillar like the Renault Clio’s – and a clean rear end design.
Expect useful gains in cabin space and refinement compared to the current MG3, plus a brand new interior that should feature the same infotainment system and 10.25-inch touchscreen as found in the MG4 hatchback and MG5 wagon.