A game-changing hatchback for SA

MG MOTORS dipped its toes into the South African waters again in January with the petrol-driven ZS and HS SUVs, complemented by the fully electric, low-slung Cyberster.

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MG will officially start reporting monthly sales figures from next month, but for now, it has sold just under 2000 units in the past six months and grown its dealer network to 44, with another six scheduled to open before the end of the year.

To widen the net, the company has added the all-new MG3, marking the local debut of its third-generation bestselling compact hatchback.

Yes, you read it correctly; the MG3 is a fully-fledged hatchback. It is offered in two variants: a petrol engine with either a five-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a Hybrid+, the first conventional, non-plug-in hybrid system fitted to an MG model.

There are two grade options: Comfort and Luxury, with the Hybrid+ offered only in Luxury guise.

Exterior

MG says it’s a torpedo-inspired silhouette anchored by a striking “sharkline” front profile with Projector LED headlamps (on the Luxury model) and LED DRLs.

They've incorporated some of the Cyberster design language, including its “bubble butt” rear profile.

It stands on 16-inch alloys, and in St Moritz Blue, it’s a fine-looking car, while the Hamstead Grey we also had on the launch drive tends to camouflage the lines.

Flare Red, Morning Yellow, York White, Blade Silver and Pearl Black wrap up the rest of the colour palette.

Interior

Inside, it’s a neat and well-thought-out cabin with soft-touch finishes on the dashboard and door cards, raised stitching and brushed metal accents providing a quality look and feel.

Behind the square top and bottom multi-function steering wheel, there’s a seven-inch digital driver display, and in the centre of the dash, the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system is wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible.