MG Unveils New Supermini In China

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Tue, 04 Jan 2011

MG Motors has unveiled its new small hatchback, the MG3, at the Guangzhou Motor Show in China.

Designed in the UK, the five-door supermini is set to go on sale in China in March 2011, priced from only £5,900, although it won’t arrive in UK showrooms until late 2012.

The MG3 is similar in size, to the current five-door Ford Fiesta, measuring just under four metres long, 1.728m wide, and 1.517m tall. The design of the car draws heavily on the Zero concept car seen at the Beijing Motor Show in May.

MG’s parent company Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has only confirmed one engine so far, a 109bhp 1.5-litre petrol that can power the car up to a top speed of 113mph – matching the 1.4 petrol Fiesta.

A smaller 67bhp 1.3-litre petrol unit is planned, along with a diesel engine, while a sportier 156bhp turbocharged version of the 1.5-litre unit may also be added to the line-up.

SAIC also announced at the Guangzhou Motor Show that it’s on track to begin UK production of the firm’s Focus-rivalling MG6 in the first quarter of next year.

The firm plans to build the cars at the old Longbridge site near Birmingham, and will sell its products through Vauxhall dealerships, starting from spring 2011.