New MG3 Hybrid+ goes on sale as the UK's cheapest full hybrid car

The all-new MG3 Hybrid+ was unveiled less than a month ago at the 2024 Geneva Motor Show, but has already gone on sale priced from £18,495. That’ll be a punch in the gut to its key rivals in the supermini class; the full-hybrid MG3 is close to £1,000 less than a base-spec petrol-powered Vauxhall Corsa.

The price gulf grows even further when the MG3 is compared to hybrid superminis, such as the Renault Clio E-Tech and recently facelifted Toyota Yaris, entry-level versions of which start from £21,295 and £22,630 respectively. Even a top-of-the-range MG3 in Trophy trim costs only £20,495.

Hybrid+ powertrain, performance and fuel efficiency

The new MG3 features the company’s first full-hybrid powertrain, with the Hybrid+ setup similar to those found in the Clio E-Tech and Yaris Hybrid. 

The MG3 uses a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor to drive its front wheels, producing a combined 192bhp. As much as 134bhp of that comes from the e-motor alone, along with 250Nm of torque.

The 1.83kWh battery in the MG3 is also larger than most hybrid superminis, which MG says allows for more pure-electric driving, especially around town. The MG3 can sprint from 0 to 62mph in exactly eight seconds – compared to 9.3 seconds in the hybrid Clio. MG says its hatchback can return up to 64.2mpg, while emitting 100g/km of CO2

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You don’t have to plug the car in anywhere to charge the battery though, as that’s taken care of by the engine working together with a separate generator motor. The Hybrid+ system automatically selects one of its five possible powertrain modes depending on the situation, but drivers can toggle between Eco, Standard and Sport settings.

MG says its Longbridge-based engineering team has tuned the chassis and suspension on the MG3 Hybrid+ for UK roads, and like every new MG, it comes with a seven-year/80,000-mile warranty as standard.

Prices, trim levels and equipment

The MG3 Hybrid+ is available in two trim levels – SE and Trophy. SE trim includes a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.25-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus sat-nav, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors and the MG Pilot suite of driver-assistance systems. This bundles together adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, driver attention alert and active emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection.

For an extra £2,000, the MG3 Hybrid+ in Trophy trim swaps the base model’s halogen headlights for LED units, and builds on the standard kit list by adding a 360-degree parking camera, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, leather-effect upholstery, keyless entry, rain sensing wipers, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert.

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