New MG 3 XPower: : our most wanted cars 2026
MG has yet to get sporty with its capable and efficient MG 3 supermini. We think that needs to change.
At some point, one of the Chinese brands has got to go crazy and do something fun. And MG, in some ways the least Chinese of the lot, could be in a strong position to capitalise on the dearth of affordable hot hatches.
The Ford Fiesta ST, Hyundai i20 N and even Suzuki Swift Sport are no more. RenaultSport Clios may make a reappearance but not for a few years, while a VW Polo GTI costs more than £31k and a MINI Cooper JCW a couple of grand more than that. The Peugeot 208 GTi and returning Vauxhall Corsa GSE are going electric and will take on the Alpine A290 or Abarth 500e.
What we’re really missing is a cut-price petrol- powered performance hero – the kind of hot hatch that could offer fun on a budget and bring some real attention to a car maker’s line-up.
MG is well placed for a few reasons. Obviously the heritage is a big one, and there’s a rich vein to tap into – from the classic sports cars to the underrated and adept, but flawed, MG ZR and ZS of the 2000s. Those cars were produced by talented and under-resourced engineers in the last desperate throws of a floundering MG Rover about to go under.
MG already has the brand, too, and has even dipped a toe in the water of modern hot hatches with the lightning-quick but otherwise entirely regular electric MG 4 XPower. Sub-four-second 0-62mph acceleration from a family hatchback is obscene, but MG would have to work harder on the looks and the handling to make a proper hot hatch, rather than the traffic-light champion that is the MG 4. It’s pointlessly and amusingly rapid, but hasn’t been engineered for anything other than straight-line sprints.
Luckily, there’s a little gem in the range that could be a great basis for exploiting this hot-hatch void in the UK car market. We’ve always been impressed with how tidily the MG 3 handles, and the existing hybrid powertrain in the regular car puts out almost 200bhp, so could even be left as-is, or given a modest boost to differentiate the performance variant.
What it would really need is a little bit of that Longbridge magic that made the ZR and ZS good to drive: clever suspension tweaks and the bodykit that transformed the humble Rover 25 and 45 into something much more appealing and brought the brand to a younger audience.
So I’m asking for larger wheels, bigger bumpers, a neat rear spoiler that isn’t full-on boy-racer silliness, and some bright bold colours to mark out the playful hot hatch. Add some red contrast stitching and nice sports seats inside, and ideally wrap it all up for well under £30k.
But it’s got to handle well, too. I want a car that can stand up to comparisons with some of the best and most well thought of recent hot hatches – cars such as the Fiesta ST or i20 N. It’s not about outright power; this thing would be light, agile and most of all, fun.
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