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This is the new MG3, the second car to come out of the reinvigorated MG Motor company
since it restarted life under Chinese ownership. It's a fresh-faced, handsome little tyke of
a car, with a wide mesh grille, edgy up-turned running lights, and blacked-out A-pillars
that create a wrap-around look to the windscreen. The edgy theme continues with a sharp shoulder
line and kicked-up crease that flow towards the rear bumper, where you'll find a chunky
diffuser and a suggestive square tailpipe. Customisation is a strong-point for the MG3,
with a variety of roof and bonnet graphics, plus alloy wheels and coloured wing mirrors
to choose from. The interior is equally appealing, with a simple roll-top theme that allows for
plenty of space, with a good range of adjustment to the front seats. Only the steering wheel
lets the side down, with adjustment for height, but not reach. Of course, some of the materials
in here are a little hard and scratchy, but then this is a car that costs just £8,399
and even our top-of-the-range 3Style model costs less than £10k, but still benefits
from goodies such as cruise control and parking sensors. Still, the instruments hang their
needles sportily at six o'clock and perform a little dance when you turn the key, while
the ventilation controls deserve a special mention - twist the temperature control and
a series of lines change from red to blue. Simple, yet charming. The stereo features
DAB digital radio and Bluetooth integration on all but the base model, and there's also
the option of connecting your phone or iPod through a USB input in a special roller-topped
cubby on top of the dash. Space in the back is excellent, greater than nearly all of its
rivals, and even practicality in the boot is decent, with 285 litres of cargo space,
rising to 1,262 litres with the seats folded and loaded to the roof. Power comes from a
1.5-litre petrol engine with 105hp and 137Nm of torque. It's no rocket-ship, with 0-62mph
taken care of in 10.9 seconds and a top whack of 108mph. Still, the result of this rather
modest amount of power is an insurance rating of group 4E, making it appealing to young
drivers. Economy is pegged at 48.7mpg on the official tests, and we had no trouble maintaining
a 45mpg average during our time with it. The gear-lever, while a little loose, slots smoothly
and cleanly into each of its five ratios, and while it's easy enough to keep the little
engine on the boil, there's a sense that a small, quick-spooling turbo would do wonders
for the driving experience. That's not to say it's frustrating. In fact, it's quite
endearing, and you'll quickly find yourself willing the little MG through the corners
the way you might champion an underdog. But then, that's exactly what the MG3 is, and
you'll soon discover that this is a car that seemingly elbowed its way to the front of
the queue the day they handed out the chassis components. Body control is taught, grip is
tenacious, and feedback through the hydraulically-assisted steering is abundant. The limit of adhesion
arrives with friendly, gradual understeer, and the stability control only intervenes
when absolutely necessary. In short, it's engaging in a way that many a car twice the
price can only dream of. In fact, the limitations of the suspension really only show themselves
at speed on bumpy dual-carriageways, but it's here that things can get a little bouncy.
So, while it might not be the last word in performance, the little MG3 is as cheap as
it is cheerful, incredibly spacious, thoroughly practical, and far more engaging to drive
than it has any right to be. Throw in a few sensible customisation options and it begins
to exude a beguiling sense of British 'cool.' One might even say it's the spiritual successor
to the original Mini.