The next-generation MG 3 hatchback has yet to be revealed, but we now know exactly what its interior looks like.
This MG 3 spied locally still wears camouflage on its exterior, but its interior is completely undisguised. The vehicle is set to be officially revealed on February 26.
Most immediately visible in the interior shots is the distinctive two-tone black and greyish white treatment applied to the doors, dashboard and centre console.
The seats feature distinctive diamond-patterned inserts and their faces are finished entirely in the lighter of the two interior colours, with black only used on the seatbacks.
The dashboard features two separate, free-standing screens: one a digital instrument cluster, the other an infotainment touchscreen.
Switchgear on the centre stack is minimal, with just a single row of buttons placed below the touchscreen. Sitting below this row is a pair of air vents.
On the centre console, there’s a rotary dial gear selector, as well as buttons for the electronic parking brake, auto hold function and drive mode selection.
There appears to be a wireless phone charger and a small shelf ahead of the shifter, while behind it sits a covered centre compartment and a centre console bin with a padded armrest.
Step into the back and there are rear air vents at the rear of the centre console, plus map pockets on the seatbacks.
The doors are mostly finished in black, though the armrests are finished in the grey/white contrast colour and the door handles have a metallic appearance.
While the exterior of this vehicle is camouflaged, a leaked image of the new MG 3 has been published online revealing more aggressive styling in the vein of the MG 5 sedan. The exterior has also been revealed through various teaser and patent images.
The new MG 3 will finally get autonomous emergency braking, mandatory on all newly introduced models in Australia from March 2023.
Other new safety technology we are likely to see on the next MG 3 include traffic sign recognition, lane-keep assist, and tyre-pressure monitoring.
It’s set to be offered not only with a petrol engine, but also a hybrid powertrain for the first time.
MG hasn’t confirmed specifications for the new model, but it offers a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain in the ZS-based VS crossover in Thailand.
The VS marries a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine making 80kW and 142Nm with a 70kW/200Nm electric motor and a 2.1kWh lithium-ion battery.
The hybrid crossover has a combined power output of 130kW, with claimed fuel consumption as low as 5.8 litres per 100km.
MG Motor Australia CEO Peter Ciao told CarExpert in 2023 the new model is unlikely to earn a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
“It will definitely be a hybrid and it will have a lot more safety equipment, too, but it won’t get a five-star safety rating,” Mr Ciao told CarExpert.
“It’s important that MG Australia offers some of the most affordable cars in the segments we compete in and we want to continue that with the new MG 3,” he added.
Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but it’s expected to be slightly more expensive than the current model, which opens at $19,990 drive-away.
Current MG 3 
Despite its age, the MG 3 has grown in popularity and held a whopping 43.3 per cent share of its segment in 2023.
MG Motor Australia sold 15,430 examples of its compact hatchback in 2023. It outsold the Suzuki Swift (6914), Mazda 2 (5181) and Kia Rio (4067).
The MG 3 is currently the cheapest model in Australia since Kia increased the pricing of its recently facelifted Picanto. It’s the only car in Australia to sit underneath a $20,000 price tag, with the base Core currently available at $19,990 drive-away.
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