As the MG brand is now under Chinese ownership it shouldn't have come as a huge surprise that it decided to unveil its new supermini at the Shanghai Motor Show. Called simply the MG3, it is due for European launch later this year and will be built at the Longbridge factory in the UK.
Exterior
Designed to appeal to young buyers, the MG3 will offer a degree of personalisation for the exterior and interior - something that is now rapidly becoming the norm for small city cars. Styling wise it would appear that MG has also tried to make it a practical car with a boxy looking design that should offer reasonable interior space.
A black A-pillar helps give the impression of a wrap-around windscreen while the front-end features a full-width mesh grille that draws focus to the MG badge. The lower bumper is highlighted by LED daytime running lamps, which appear in a 'hockey stick' design.
Interior
MG says its five-door layout, along with a long flat roof, results in improved leg- and head room for rear passengers; it claims that it will be best in class. The rears of the front seats are sculpted so that legroom for rear passengers is improved while the front features a 'rolled and raised' dashboard to maximise comfort for the front occupants.
Mechanicals
Powering the MG3 will be a normally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine with peak power of 105hp. This VTi-TECH engine will be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, but as yet no official performance or emissions figures have been issued.
Anything else?
MG is a brand that is struggling to regain market share and after the recent preview of its proposed SUV, this MG3 could go someway to helping it get more sales. The styling has still been played relatively safe and the fact that it looks more than a little like the Skoda Fabia in side profile may not be a coincidence.
The MG3 will remain a little bit of an unknown until pricing is officially announced, and if MG can get that right, this supermini might just start to appeal to a wider audience.