New MG3 driven

Auto facepalm dudes

Are you joking?

It looks cheaper than everything on the market except tata nano, many other reviewers stated that it is below par on chassis and needs a lot of work if possible, the plastics and finish look paper thin.


But noooooooo it wears an MG badge so autoexpress gives it 4 stars. Now we know what stars mean to your evaluation.

By giorikas81 on 22 April, 2011, 11:56am

Oh no!

It looks as interesting as a preloved bananna skin.

The engine, looking at the position of the strut towers, seems to be in front of the "front axle".

Combined with the bananna skin it may not provide handling that we expect of a modern hatch

By daimler2 on 26 April, 2011, 7:25am

Negative comments

I really do get peed-off by some of the puerile, supercilious and downright negative comments made by some of the respondents - such as the two above. Before I can make any factual comment I will have to see the car in the metal, what I will say at this point is that the design appears to be individual and it will be immediately identified as an MG3 and not another cloned, look-a-like something or other.

By Gregorius on 26 April, 2011, 7:32am

Negative comments

I really do get peed-off by some of the puerile, supercilious and downright negative comments made by some of the respondents - such as the two above. Before I can make any factual comment I will have to see the car in the metal, what I will say at this point is that the design appears to be individual and it will be immediately identified as an MG3 and not another cloned, look-a-like something or other.

By Gregorius on 26 April, 2011, 7:35am

Hilarious negative comments!

Its funny that one of the writers above comments that auto express gives it four stars because it wears an mg badge, when its clear that he's one of those dullards that instantly dismisses it because it wears an mg badge. At least AE have actually driven it.

Or is it because of the chinese connection? He should be careful condemning something for having chinese money behind it as the future is going to involve an awful lot of it. At least the chinese are willing to invest in british design and technology. Maybe the british should follow their lead. As for the car, it looks like any other new super mini, no better, no worse. Doesn't exactly excite, but then is not in the market too excite.

By steedie on 26 April, 2011, 7:42am

In for a struggle

Unless the pricing of the new MG is VERY competitive, I worry that it will only sell in tiny numbers to those nostalgic individuals who remember when the brand produced interesting cars.
As for the styling, it looks to me to be a bit of a hodge-podge. I can see Astra VXR in the nose, Skoda Fabia in the profile and old Fiat Punto in the rear.

By snappyuk on 26 April, 2011, 8:20am

Smike

Tumblehome on C pillar and blacked out edges of rear screen mean that rear threequarters visibility will be dreadfull, even by todays poor standards

By smike on 26 April, 2011, 9:40am

Innovative Design ?

If AE had shown the external pictures of this car (without any badges) and said it was the next Fabia, I'd have believed them!

There seems to be a lot of Skoda/VAG design elements, particularly under the bonnet. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and if they can get the build quality up to VAG standards, then this could be an excellent car. However, in the current economic climate, fuel economy & emissions seem to be the main consideration for many buyers, so MG are really going to have to improve the car in this area before launch to ensure success.
Unlike some other knee-jerk reactionists, I'm not going to comment further on the design - it looks "ok" in the pics, but until seeing it in the flesh in a more mainstream colour, it's difficult to be objective from the few images in this article.

By j_harden on 26 April, 2011, 9:48am

if its cheap it will be successful

the key to success is price,most people are struggling and a cheap run about that is economical is what they need.I dont care about MG i never have but if the chinese can get pricing and reliability right these will sell especially given what vauxhall,ford,vw charge these days for little supermini's but the koreans are getting better all the time so they must at least equal Kia Hyundai for quality warranty etc.The only thing i thought looked odd is the rear window which appears to be tiny?

By nickbsmooth on 26 April, 2011, 10:01am

WHAT IS IT?

Ok, they bought a design from a British Design house, and externally it looks modern and a little funky! The nose looks like maybe a Mitsubishi or Honda. Internally it looks very dull, very boring, very Asian. Interesting that the engine is 1.5 litres. That is the capacity of choice for most of the Asian manufacturers, and only offer 1.6 litres for the European market. All depends on pricing, because, I would never choose the MG over a Skoda, so it needs to undercut it by a fairly substantial margin. Who would buy it? Look to those loyal to British Marques that bought the Rover City, and halve the number, to get close. Not on my wish list.

By CyprusYid on 26 April, 2011, 10:18am

MG? whos kidding who?

If this was designed and engineered in the Uk it must have been by my local Chinese takeaway manager Mr Chan.
It lacks style.
it immitates other brands.
Could well be bought by the mugs that bought the re-badged Tata.
All in all, its naff!

By toycollector on 26 April, 2011, 11:14am

Read it again.

I would love to say something positive about a car wearing the MG badge but even the Auto Express report, which usually has boundless enthusiasm about a paperclip holder in a BMW or some spyshot of a rear light cluster on a Mazda, sounds dreadfully dull.

"looks good in the metal", not great, or superb or brilliant, just good. "Budget supermini", "youthful Skoda Fabia", "pulls reasonably strongly" and "lacklustre economy" might as well say it's a pile of ****.

I can't see anyone buying this car unless they have no brain. Can we have our badge back please?

By craiglife on 26 April, 2011, 12:03pm

Hmm...

Distinctive, but that may be entirely due to the loud paint job. The interior is smart, but dull. Could be from any cheap supermini. Also, considering the size of the car, it has got a really tiny rear window. Should be fun to park! I agree with other comments that price will be crucial and that the car may stand out better when we actually get to see one. Personally, I think I'll play safe/dull and opt for a Skoda!

By nhunt2 on 26 April, 2011, 12:27pm

re: Are you Joking?

Did you ever stop to think that if the model gets to the UK and by the time RHD versions are made, that suspension and spring settings might be changed? The Chinese company behind it have tons of cash to inject into the MG brand - unlike a lot of British companies - or what's left of them.

I like this design - it is far more sporty looking against the Fabia which tried to copy the Suzuki Swift rather unsuccessfully.

By volvofan on 26 April, 2011, 6:46pm

andy

It's awful not worthy mg name,let mg name rest in peace ,let the chinese invest in a new car brand instead of flogging a dead horse .Rover & Mg dead ,past, history move on build better more interesting cars.

By andy6310 on 26 April, 2011, 8:05pm

From a British Design house? More likely from a Pork Butchers!

That thing is supposed to be an MG? Never in a thousand years! It would be OK as a new Dacia Mini or similar - or even from the people that make some quaint forms of Minis down in Graz for BMW but that is never an MG! Can not even say " Nice Try!"

Whoever in this British Design House - where is it? - that signs off things like this should end up going through the Traitors Gate into the Tower of London! Surely such people are not really automobile designers? Are they then proud of their work at the end of the day?

Why on earth cannot someone in the UK come up with some brilliant design for a real MG - or even for a real 21 Century ADO 15 with all the modern developments of to-day built into it ? And - dare I day it - build it then in Britain?

By vandenplas4litre on 26 April, 2011, 8:49pm

Interesting Car.

I like it! Refreshing to see an all-new MG! I especially like the tail lights and paintwork. Has potential but needs to be priced keenly to attract potential buyers.

By JTravolta77 on 27 April, 2011, 11:32pm

Is it any more of a styling challenge than the original Ka?

Looks like so many new models with those sharp edges and trapezoidal features (see the new Focus front end)

Interior neat.

Issues are the quality of the fittings VW group must be the level to work for. The ride and handling (the new MG 6 seems to have got it right) and the pricing Fair point made about that rear window and view back

By sherbo1959 on 29 April, 2011, 7:10am

LOOK!!

I think most of the people have missed the most important issue here....

WHAT IS THAT SUV IN THE BACKGROUND?? MG-X5??

MG3.... well its as nice as any other car of simialr class/price.

ADO 15 - MG - Nostalgia..... we've gone metric old boys... time to move on!

Why is there no British manufacturers..... because we could never move on!

Long live foreign investment because we certainly have the talents to build and design cars ...

By def90cars on 2 May, 2011, 5:31am

Badge of Honour

Take the badge off. Go on, take it off. Imagine that AE had presented this car as a new model, not attributed to any particular manufacturer.

Is it too big a leap to imagine that this could have been the new Audi A1?

Nope, not as sweet. But not THAT far from the ballpark...

By FloatingVoter on 2 May, 2011, 9:58am

Floating VOTER ^^^^

Obviously a BMW, Audi, vw salesman worried about his job... A lot of new cars coming up and they not from Germany for a change...
it's not designed to take on the Audi A1 or BMW 1 series, the JAG will sort them out not MG
TBH it's a good looking car and will fly out of the show rooms..

By liverpool on 12 June, 2011, 5:30pm