- Price: NIS 120,000
- Competitors: SEAT Ibiza, Škoda Fabia, Opel Corsa
- Likes: Space, equipment, handling, warranty, and price
- Dislikes: Performance and fuel consumption
- Rating: 8/10
Is NIS 120,000 a lot or a little for a supermini? Until recently, this price could buy a small family car or even a cheap compact like the Škoda Scala. In 2025, this price is enough to make the petrol version Israel’s cheapest supermini, while the next in line, the SEAT Ibiza, costs NIS 123,000, and the Škoda Fabia and Opel Corsa NIS 125,000.
The petrol joins the hybrid version of the Chinese supermini with an originally British badge, launched here last year. It features the same 1,500 cc engine, without the hybrid’s powerful electric motor, and costs NIS 8,000 less. The hybrid received high praise from us, even winning a comparison test against the Toyota Yaris and Suzuki Swift. And the petrol?
Design: The dimensions are identical: 4.11 m long, 1.79 m wide, 1.50 m high, with a 256 cm wheelbase. The design is also the same, trying to convey a sporty message but creating a slightly bulky silhouette. Overall, small and modern, without Chinese quirks.
Interior: MG and its parent company SAIC make an effort to appear European and keep a solid design in the cabin. There is a 12.5-inch multimedia screen and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster.
The design is clean, with pleasant color combinations, upholstery where needed, and an attempt to create a sense of luxury. But almost everything is operated via the screen; the steering wheel buttons are clumsy and multifunctional, performing more than one action. The displays and fonts in the instrument panel are too small.
Things improve in the comfortable front seats, but drop again because the steering wheel only adjusts for height, and rear visibility is limited due to the low top of the rear window.
The rear seat is relatively deep and comfortable, surrounded by the same soft door upholstery as in the front, and passengers benefit from rare air vents for a car of this size. It’s a shame the door opening is narrow, making entry and exit difficult.
Trunk: With a modest 293-liter capacity, it’s not one of the largest in its class. Folding the seat is slightly cumbersome and it cannot be split, so it only folds completely. Either a supermini with a small trunk or a two-seat estate.
Equipment: The petrol version comes only in the Comfort trim, the lower of the two hybrid trims, but still generous. It has 16-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch multimedia screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a digital instrument cluster, keyless start, rearview camera, rear parking sensors, climate control, electrically folding side mirrors with demisting, and iSmart app functionality for remote vehicle location, locking/unlocking, fuel level, tire pressure, and more.
Safety: Autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping system with adaptive cruise, lane-keeping with steering correction, emergency lane positioning, speed sign recognition with automatic speed adjustment, and automatic high beams. The MG3 has not yet been tested in the European crash test but received a low 3/5 rating in the Australian equivalent. MG responded that the European model is different and will receive a higher score when tested there.
Engine and Performance: We don’t remember the last time we tested a petrol car without a turbo. Here is a fairly basic 1,500 cc, 115 hp engine paired with a CVT automatic transmission.
While the hybrid, boosted with a strong electric motor and a combined 194 hp, accelerates as long as the battery is charged, the petrol is slower. It is 100 kg lighter but has a lower power-to-weight ratio and a weaker engine. It’s not slow, but compared with hybrids and common turbo petrols in this class, it’s less nimble. It’s also noisier due to the engine and CVT.
Fuel consumption is also affected. On our test, we achieved around 13 km/L on average; with relaxed driving, 14 km/L is possible, while the hybrid reaches 18 km/L.
Comfort and Handling: MG again tries to maintain European manners. Not at the level of a Peugeot 208, but very good for a Chinese car, with good control of body roll in corners, reasonable ride comfort despite firm suspension tuning, and even decent steering.
Bottom Line: A simple calculation shows that even someone driving 15,000 km per year would save around NIS 1,800 annually with the hybrid, before additional maintenance savings due to longer brake life. Over three years, the price difference pays off, and the hybrid is likely to retain value better. Those driving more than 15,000 km a year save even more with the higher-priced version.
The petrol is suitable for low-mileage drivers or those seeking the cheapest offer in the category, which recently lost the Mazda 2. Buyers get a relatively cheap car that doesn’t feel cheap, well-equipped and pleasant to drive, with a relatively long warranty for a petrol car, even if noisy and not particularly fast. Ideally, every petrol version should be even cheaper. As it is, it seems more like a way to illustrate the value of buying the hybrid.
MG3 Petrol: Technical Specifications
- Engine: Petrol, 1,498 cc, 115 hp at 6,000 rpm, 14.4 kg·m torque at 4,500 rpm
- Transmission: CVT automatic, front-wheel drive
Dimensions:
- Length (m): 4.11
- Width (m): 1.80
- Height (m): 1.50
- Wheelbase (m): 2.56
- Trunk (L): 293
- Weight (kg): 1,219
Performance (Manufacturer):
- 0–100 km/h (s): 10.8
- Top speed (km/h): 185
- Official fuel consumption (km/L): 15.6
- Test fuel consumption (km/L): 13
Safety:
- European crash test rating: Not yet tested
- Active safety: Autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping system with adaptive cruise, lane-keeping with steering correction, emergency lane positioning, speed sign recognition with adaptive cruise, automatic high beams
- Warranty: 5 years or 150,000 km