The MG 3 supermini will be given a new front-end design in time for its arrival in the UK. This UK registered test car was spied testing in southern Europe, and is our first look at the entry-level MG ahead of its expected UK arrival in 2013.
The five-door MG 3 went on sale in China last year, and is undergoing a series of revisions to make it more suited to European tastes. These include chassis tweaks and interior quality and spec improvements, as well as some added finesse to the styling.
At just under four metres long, 1728mm wide and 1517mm tall, the MG 3 is as long as a five-door Ford Fiesta but slightly narrower and taller. It has been designed at the Longbridge design studio of MG Motor’s parent company, SAIC.
Engine options are less clear at present, but are expected to include 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre petrols at launch, with a new range of smaller turbocharged engines currently in development alongside General Motors due to follow around a year after launch.
SAIC is also understood to be in talks with potential partners over supplying a diesel.
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Steedie another leg-end
hahahahaha steven211 the 2nd. Hello Steedie. It's not really fundmental. To torque to Steven u need to torque in this infecktious cruizing torque. Drivel and delusions are the key. Embarrassment on an internet forum? You need to get out more. I'd be embarressed driving a rover or in particular a Ford Fiesta as the 'soft touch type materials' aren't crowbar friendly.
It's funny. I'd typically state that about MG/Rover 'out-dated perceptions and slightly racist pro British sentiments'. After all the inability to understand the market and the buyers led them to alienate the modern Brit. 2005 was a great year we moved on from our past. I see you have went to the Steven211 school of quotations. First the MG website and now the Birmingham post. Despite that 4.5 Billion is p*ss in the ocean in the car industry especially as the MG/Roewe products are ageing like the Rover 400/45/zs had done by 2000's. Obviously according to your theory that the 4.5 billion is going to outshine the little investment spent by all the German companies? How about the Japenese, the american's, Korean's? I hear De ja Vu again! That 4.5 billion is going to make massive inroads from all the Rover fans when the phoneix 4 came running in. I often remember getting quoted on the 500m or so that the phoneix 4 had to spend on rover. Actually the half billion loan note from BMW, which the phoneix 4 then lent on to rover with interest was going to turn rover around. Don't get me wrong 4.5 billion is not something to be turned down, but only fraction of it will ever make it to the British economy. Also there are plenty of western manufacuters including the German's that have a far far greater influence on our economic output than SAIC.
Heavily tweaked? This again sounds like MG of the past. MG badge on a rover makes all the difference.
Duh. All these forums are heavily subjective and car design by it's very nature is subective. If a VW badge ended up on an MG3 I'd expect that Longbridge would have run out of work to do i.e. applying the MG badges. Also with Steven 211 and Steedie window licking Longbridge MG they decided to stop you two loitoring and put you to good work. Obvioisly being slightly deluded that VW's are just badge engineered cars. Steven211 and Steedie come back with the badges from the local VW delear and what do we have a brilliant VW 3. Smilerforce is that easily influenced I want to buy one now.
Yeah, but going back to this article tell me exactly what MG mean's now? I don't deny the British talent after all SAIC haven't got the skills. Creating a production facility (well glueing badges on the Roewe's) at the old Longbridge plant could be considered genius. Firstly it motivates the staff as the local area still feels sore after losing their baby in 2005, and secondly its good market testing. I'd refer to it as a cynical marketing ploy. MG will be a product made and consumed in China and for the short to medium term future be a product to flirt with brummies. The western car market is saturated enough.
If China and the Chinese in general are going to take comments on a forum so seriously I think you have little respect for such well regarded business people. After all the shrewd Chinese business people had the intelect to walk away from buying MG/Rover, and take with them the little that was worth acquiring. You actually sound like every MG / Rover fan back then blaming everyone from Gordon Brown to the wool head off top gear. I suppose you could do a Steven211 special and come onto motoring magazine's website and start claiming that the press are happy to take backhanders.
Anyway for the umpteenth time I'm trying to revert back to the MG3. Let's just say the badge looks beautiful and well engineered. Long live the MG badge. For that reason alone I would happy to have this car as courtsey car when I randomly end up getting my car serviced in brummy land.
All the Best Stevennnnn and Steedie.
I'll go get the violin
You sound like a spoilt kid. Well if you lend me your rover I think we can make a far more useful, better handling and better performing instrutment. I'm thinking strings for a Violin? I just need a Violin moment to get your through this emotional time. Get over yourself a learn the english language. This is a forum open to debate if you can't put a convincing argument across including at times some incomprehensible english expect critique. It has squat all to do with respect and being a decent human being. This is a motoring magazine that sells its self on the WRITTEN word. This is also a section where you will be judged on your WRITTEN word.
Just to do your method of quotation this is the place I think you should be going >> http://www.bournville.ac.uk. It'll do you the world of good than hanging around kit car carages. They put people first!!!
Exactly... so MG are not a car manufactuer. They are employed to rebadge the SAIC product. A car garage could do the same job. GM are going into to partnership not so much an issue with the cost of developing a new engine it's because China is growing market they need to increase market share to stay competitive and restructure the unprofitable european market. Ok so you have a 11 year old rover 25 with a MG ZR suspension. What are the critical differences that differentiate the ZR suspension from the normal 25 suspension?
Plus this car is over a decade old so its relvance of handling are obselete. Again living in the past? Then you follow on with comparing apples with pears. Wouldnt it be better to compare the uprated fiesta then compare your modified job? Plus you have modified a 25? That is generally driven by the blue rinse brigade. The fiesta has a much wider appeal. The best way to describe your car is the grandad with leather pants.
Just buy a BMW and get with the crowd you will probably forget all about Rover.
Back to the MG3 again dump it and leave it near me. I could make a new business model out of recycling MG3's for the musical instrutment business. Imagine Steve211 we could have a full orchestra outside your house?
I have been on this forum for
I have been on this forum for quite along time now and I have never known someone so rude, you are a disgusting human and a troll with your attitude towards peoples issues. How do you know I am not dyslexic? Forums are forums, they are not english exams, people who critisize people english are loosing an argument. The majority of people on here do not care about the standard of English because it is a motoring forum, not an English forum. They just judge you on your opinion not your A level in English. You need to grow up. By the way capitals go at the start of a sentence or a name of something, not a whole word, just saying ;).
College, been there done that, fully qualified mechanic with a BTEC in Engineering , I know how a car works unlike some people on here. MG ZR suspension is 20mm shorter (car is 20mm lower), the springs and damper rates are different. The castor and camber angles are different. The springs are a different shape with less coils.
Handling is rellevent, who cares about the age, quite allot of new cars handle worse than their older siblings. I would rather have an old car that handles better then a new one, a car that actually has real feel and weight in the steering rather then the fake EPAS of new cars. Rover 25s are normally driven by the younger people round here because they are faster and cheaper to insure than other cars, they also handle better then most. Old people normally drive Fiesta's now, or Kia's, Hyundai's et al. As someone who has been to a local cruise the majority of cars are the likes of 25's, ZR's, VW polo's, Golf's and Civic's, not many Fiesta's.
My car has many BMW parts, most of the electrics say made in Germany with BMW badges, so its a tiny percentage of a BMW. Just needs RWD and a bigger engine. In a few years when MG grow just like other car companies have come back to me and say you were wrong, I know you will.
I am no longer going to contribute to this thread because you are a troll and a reason why many members have left this forum. Go and get a life and start learning how to use a forum properly. Don't bother replying!
Steven211 the orchestra is waiting
Hahahahaha you spat your dummy out now Your way to easy to break. Come here and kiss this sexy troll!! When you don't get your own way do do you stamp your feet? Throw your keyboard at the screen? Shed tears? Got to be careful with those tears it could rust your Rover 25 to bits. Your just as personally insulting, but I don't get wound up like you. Please please don't take it out on your youthful car. It's very fragile.
It's not supposed to be an English Test, it's a debate about MG3. The problem is your delusions are taking over and then you get worked up because someone does not agree with you. There's no argument that's been lost here your just too immature in my opinion to understand the world of motoring.
I couldn't care less if you dyslexic or not. The whole point of the internet is it breaks down these boundries, you can be whatever you want. The irony from all this is you come onto website that earn's it coin in motoring journalism, and sells its product on the written word then claim it doesn't have relevance. Then carry on by various misquotes misunderstanding, waffle, wild claims of bribery in motoring journalism and then compare autocar write like you. Then you get all emotional, stamp your feet and ball on that you have personal issues when you can't keep up a debate. This has got so far away from the MG3 it's funny.
The whole car industry works on innovation and progress. You can't sit there a say who cares about age? Otherwise I choose my feet they have superb handling. That's all the Z car range were. Far too focused on one attribute.
In a few decades when the college grows onto the former MG site I'll enroll you on course in journalism and then you can report on the next emerging market where every global car brand can run to next. Sales were poor before 2005 and sales are poor now. A saturated european market will not entertain a tarnished low cost brand. The existing brands are struggling enough now with oversupply.
Haha don't blame your personal issues on why everyone else is leaving this forum. Things change that's what you can't handle with the car that you own and this forum. The rules of any forum is lack of rules that's what promotes good debate. You get way to deep, emotional and paranoid.
I had to reply you got emotional with me! Laters lover xx
Smileforce - clearly bottom of the class...
'Your way too easy to break' - seriously? Someone who criticises another persons english makes THAT fundamental error? 'You are' - shortened = You're. To save yourself further embarassment I'd avoid making personal comments in future.
As for your arguments on the subject. They are all rather biased and ill-judged based on out-dated perceptions and slightly racist anti-Chinese sentiments. Be assured, the Chinese are coming, and the quality of their products will outshine anything Germnay has to offer in just a few short years. The fact that they have chosen to invest in the UK and that they value British design input is frankly amazing, given the hostile reception they get from a certain sector of our society. SAIC are investing 4.5 Billion worldwide in R&D - that's not exactly small change. (http://businessbirmingham.com/media-centre/latest-news/45bn-mg-investment). They are very much an up and coming car maker.
Whether you like the design of the MG3 or not is a subjective matter (athough I have a sneaky suspicion that Smileforce would suddenly take a shine to it, if it had a VW logo plastered on its bonnet). Bear in mind SAIC are launching a range of mainstream cars, they are not trying to be revolutionary at this stage - that would be a foolish gamble and would clearly backfire in the more conservative markets that they are also selling into.
If they succeed, and given their resources, I have no doubt they will, then we will eventually see some more exciting sports related vehicles.
Some people seem to forget that MG's roots do not lie in making sports cars - that came later - they started off making tweaked versions of standard Morris cars. So SAIC's present plan for MG with them making heavily tweaked versions of their Roewe brand fits in very well with MG's heritage.
At the moment, the UK is heavily involved in the design of these vehicles, what was Ricardo2010 and is now MG Design in Longbridge are an incredibly talented group of British designers and engineers (about 300 or so). It's a successful relationship and should grow nicely. But if people like Smileforce continue their China-bashing approach - sooner or later the Chinese may decide to invest somewhere else. After all, we're clearly not very good at investing in ourselves these days- so without the Indians or Chinese to provide the money and have faith in our abilities as a nation, we'd achieve very little.
Hahahaha
Hahahaha Brilliant! I did have to read it twice mainly for the comedy value and secondly trying to make sense of your waffle.
Your level of written experssion is terrible. 'Door handles should be metal and materials should be a soft touch type?'. My english teacher would of thrown an ergonmically designed dictionary at my head for such a statement!! Also if autocar had written something in a similar style I would of expected it to be 1st of April. Don't get me wrong this a forum so I don't expect a thesis from myself, but at least make some attempt to write coherently.
Please find a relaible resource to quote from >>>> http://mg.co.uk/news/2010/11/29/mg-birmingham-designs-cleaner-cars/. Not the manufactuers website! SAIC/MG will happily sing their own praises and artificially inflate the facts presented to them. Find me a car manufactuers website that says 'Don't buy this car?'
No no no. MG's are put back together they have already been manufacutered. They are really glorified Chinese kit cars. I agree vauxhall spread the wings wide for many business reasons labour costs, local expertise, currency but I suppose the similarities are Vauxhall's are rebadged Opel's.
I can obviosuly see your passionate about your car and I wouldn't knock another person's car, but don't start belating that your cars comparable to a Modern Fiesta or Focus ST. It shows your delusions rather than your passion. Clean ergonomics are not a halfway house. If a short arse like yourself is struggling with your steering rack and using another manufactuers car design does not suggest to me ergonomics were part of the package that was for sale.
As having owned German cars myself it's not the soft materials?! It's the no compromised car design, style (albeit understated), fit and range of finishes and feeling you have bought into a brand. You do feel that every part has had a design champion. Unlike a Ford or Vauxhall that still sell on the notion of stack them high sell them cheap. Although in terms of a value product you can't fall off with Ford and imo to a lesser extent Vauxhall.
Brilliant Quentin wilson with a mud flap! That review is 17 years out of date we have had several governments, september 11th, the iraq war, the rapid rise of the internet, ipod, ipad, global finanical crisis. To name such a few. Things have changed quite considerably since then. You seriously need to stop living in the past like every MG/Rover owner. My whole point in the first place. Stop living on past glories, put this brand to bed and celebrate what is great now (AND NOT THE MG6, MG3)
Cool story bro, don't tell it
Cool story bro, don't tell it again! The typical sign of an argument being lost, use of English being brought into the matter, not everyone is pefect. I had learning difficulties at school due to personal reasons so shut up. My source is allot more reliable then any of yours will ever be, gullible for beleive journos who just get backhanders from the highest bidder.
On regards of comparing my car (ZR suspension) to a new Fiesta, well my car has not been in a ditch, but a Fiesta with me did end up in a ditch, can't go around corners :P. And my car has no sqeaks or rattles inside. For me and others Germans car are all about the quality, that is what attracts me to the Golf for example. I love Golf interiors, they have a nice premium feel to them that you do not find in any other car, but you just have to pay a little extra. I do agree with you on design and style with German cars though.
steven211 wrote: On regards
Really so what your saying is your ancient 25 handles better than a new Fiesta, really?
Perhaps that has more to do with the driver than the car.
Citytiger wrote:steven211
Yes, it has ZR suspension and pollybushed anti roll bars, the engine weighs less than 100kg so it is not nose heavy and it has practically no body roll or understeer (understeers a tad 20mph or below). The car is low and has good camber which means it has good grip. The Fiesta is tall, boxy with much softer suspension. They are like a Jag compared to my car for comfort. Age doesn't make difference in handling, look at the Civic for example or the new Focus, both are said to handle worse then their older siblings. Look at the ZS it dates back to the 80s, but it was the best handling FWD car according to Tiff Neddell, it was up with the likes of the Integra Type R etc.
Roverdose
Touche with you personal issues. It has absolutely no relevance. You are joining into debate on comments forum??? The written word is your only tool. You need a level of written expression especially when talking on subjects that often require very descriptive and technical explanations. If this is a struggle for you i'd suggest using your keyboard as doorstop.
Your delusions are running riot again? A suggestion from me is to stop hanging around these wannabe car factories and enrol at one of the more inspiring places to open at longbridge - The new college!! Here's you should be able to learn the faux pas of background reading and resource based quoting. I agree totally that journalistic material needs to be read on a broad scale to understand the motives and the reasons for forming the points of view of the organisations and individuals involved. The last thing you want to do is to quote directly from news reel of car manufacturers website put together by the MG PR team. Only then will you have more substance to defend your passion for rover and also using something less offensive than quentin's mudflap.
So you have a rover 200 with a ZR suspension?? Yeah but a fiesta isn't supposed to be a car that handles. Are you sure that extremely methodical test wasn't the result of the very scientific notion of Luck?
Well money branding and german enterprise as well as things like years of industrial desgin under the famous bahaus movement have led to the german cars being the benchmark upon which other mass car manufacturing is measured. BMW is the German car that still stands out for me its such a rewarding car to drive. If you don't do German, Japanese always come up trumps if you can handle some of the quirky interiors and exteriors.
Still ....MG3 - lose the brand it stinks. Start Fresh.
Well most forums don't care
Well most forums don't care about English standard unless the English is "ths init blud", decent human beings respect peoples issues and treat them with respect.
It is a car factory with potential, do you really expect them to do full BIW, paint, engine/trans building when they are only making 2000 1.8 turbo MG6s a year? If so you really do not understand the costs of car production. One metal pressing die is worth £3 million for example (words of Vauxhall), they would never get the money back. It makes more sense now with small numbers to build most of it in China then finish it here. Most of the parts for both markets come from the EU, engine parts from UK, Caparo UK make nuts and bolts etc. You have to give them time, they are a brand new car company. Nissan UK started by doing the same as MG, but now look at them. GM need new engines, but do not have as much money as SAIC, so it makes sense for them to do a deal with SAIC for new engines.
Its a Rover 25, 200s have different suspension, and much slower steering, 200s handle like a boat thanks to having an anti roll bar 6mm thinner and have zero steering feel. MG chassis engineers were probably the best in the buisness for FWD cars, just look at the ZS. MG ZR was meant to be a bit of a hardcore car even as a 1.4, a Fiesta is a normal car for old people to drive to the shop in.
I quite like BMW cars, their latest cars stand out to me especially the 5 series and new 1 series. They have an agressive, but understated look about them and are probably a hoot to drive. Their diesels are probably the best you can get, I would die for a 335D coupe, I love them.