Following its unveiling to dealers and journos, the MG3 was unveiled to the public for the first time at MG Live!
Seven pre-production MG3s were on display, three the public could sit in - a red and a white high-spec one (DAB, leather seats, reversing sensors) and a blue lower-spec one with attractive cloth seats. Specs and pricing are not yet finalised. There were also four further ones - a yellow and a grey one with vinyls, the blue one which was unveiled, and a white one with a sunroof (won't be in production as this would overcomplicate the process).
It was windy before the unveiling (a good omen!)
then came the unveiling:
You could just see what was inside the car...
but three cars were on show for punters to sit in.
MG Motor supplied people who knew what they were talking about technically to talk to the prospective customers, including a younger man off the production line who will be making these from IIRC mid-August, and the product manager Andrew Lowerson.
The production line worker was livid at Clarkson bashing *his* cars for "not being British" and for blaming a fault with the car for Clarkson's inability to operate the stop/start on a car which had actually been supplied to someone else at Top Gear - a producer? He had put his £100 down for a red one. What people order in the first pre-orders will inform MG as to what mix is likely thereafter.
MG3 and MG6 share the same line. MG3's vinyls are applied professionally at the end of the line here. MG will not dictate combinations. Vinyls will be guaranteed for one year.
Andrew Lowerson said there had been less UK product input into MG6 than with MG3. He said everything inside the car was how he had wanted it, including dash quality.
The key goes on the right, the dials are big (30-50-70 not 20-40-60) and the top-spec leather steering wheel has audio controls which also interact with a mobile phone, either via USB or by Bluetooth.
The car I was in could get Absolute 80s on DAB - the sound quality is subjectively excellent when parked with the engine off with six speakers including two tweeters in the front and four big speakers in the doors.
The dials "rev up" to max when you turn the key, as with MG6.
The car is very spacious, subjectively more so than the Mk2 Golf, which was the same size. Four people my size could easily fit in it - unlike (say) the Citroën C3. I could not stretch my arm to the far door of the car. If the seat is fully back for a very tall man (over 6') I could ride a short distance in the back. If I was driving I would not need the seat fully back and I could travel in comfort behind myself. This is a big improvement on my ZS and also better than the Mk2 Golf.
There are three trims of seat, 1) black leather 2) grey leather 3) cloth similar to the Zero which will be on the entry-level model. All seats are sports seats.
Trim such as the leather steering wheel above can vary - the red surround on the vents will be an option and there will also be silver and black IIRC.
DAB radio and reversing sensors will be on on the higher-spec models. No model will have satnav initially as this would complicate the car and drive up the price.
The handbrake is conventional and on the driver's (RH) side of where there isn't a transmission tunnel. A big improvement on MG6.Also on the centre not-transmission-tunnel are two forward cupholders, one towards the rear, a button to disable EPC, I think, and a 12V socket. Optionally this can be a lighter and the rearmost cupholder can be an ashtray.
The boot is a good size:
Only now do I see a 60-40 split rear seat backs- I didn't ask at the time.
Under the carpet there is room for a full-size spare or other options.
Higher-spec trim will have reversing sensors.
The bonnet props up conventionally, with a stick. As on the 6 (and the Mk2 Golf) the release is in the passenger footwell.
There is plenty of room for larger engines/ a diesel. We hear rumours of/wishes for both a smaller, more-frugal engine and a larger turbo nutter variant.
MG have obviously decided that the driving experience will be key, as the competition offer cars with far less oomph at the expected pricing points.
There is a docking station for phones to supply music and satnav on an adjustable sticky mount. (Note the central cubbyhole has a sliding screen). Many things the Zed driver has to visit a mechanic for to reset in T4 are user-configurable - the idea is few buttons and only those you regularly use, the rest being set in menus. For instance, drivers infrequently change the fan speed on the heating but often adjust the temperature.
compare that with how this historic orange MG uses the dash cubbyhole! (a rear-view mirror)
Andrew Lowerson told me he had specified all the details of the MG3. I think he has done a superb job! Here he is with a colleague:
Seven pre-production MG3s were on display, three the public could sit in - a red and a white high-spec one (DAB, leather seats, reversing sensors) and a blue lower-spec one with attractive cloth seats. Specs and pricing are not yet finalised. There were also four further ones - a yellow and a grey one with vinyls, the blue one which was unveiled, and a white one with a sunroof (won't be in production as this would overcomplicate the process).
It was windy before the unveiling (a good omen!)
then came the unveiling:
You could just see what was inside the car...
but three cars were on show for punters to sit in.
MG Motor supplied people who knew what they were talking about technically to talk to the prospective customers, including a younger man off the production line who will be making these from IIRC mid-August, and the product manager Andrew Lowerson.
The production line worker was livid at Clarkson bashing *his* cars for "not being British" and for blaming a fault with the car for Clarkson's inability to operate the stop/start on a car which had actually been supplied to someone else at Top Gear - a producer? He had put his £100 down for a red one. What people order in the first pre-orders will inform MG as to what mix is likely thereafter.
MG3 and MG6 share the same line. MG3's vinyls are applied professionally at the end of the line here. MG will not dictate combinations. Vinyls will be guaranteed for one year.
Andrew Lowerson said there had been less UK product input into MG6 than with MG3. He said everything inside the car was how he had wanted it, including dash quality.
The key goes on the right, the dials are big (30-50-70 not 20-40-60) and the top-spec leather steering wheel has audio controls which also interact with a mobile phone, either via USB or by Bluetooth.
The car I was in could get Absolute 80s on DAB - the sound quality is subjectively excellent when parked with the engine off with six speakers including two tweeters in the front and four big speakers in the doors.
The dials "rev up" to max when you turn the key, as with MG6.
The car is very spacious, subjectively more so than the Mk2 Golf, which was the same size. Four people my size could easily fit in it - unlike (say) the Citroën C3. I could not stretch my arm to the far door of the car. If the seat is fully back for a very tall man (over 6') I could ride a short distance in the back. If I was driving I would not need the seat fully back and I could travel in comfort behind myself. This is a big improvement on my ZS and also better than the Mk2 Golf.
There are three trims of seat, 1) black leather 2) grey leather 3) cloth similar to the Zero which will be on the entry-level model. All seats are sports seats.
Trim such as the leather steering wheel above can vary - the red surround on the vents will be an option and there will also be silver and black IIRC.
DAB radio and reversing sensors will be on on the higher-spec models. No model will have satnav initially as this would complicate the car and drive up the price.
The handbrake is conventional and on the driver's (RH) side of where there isn't a transmission tunnel. A big improvement on MG6.Also on the centre not-transmission-tunnel are two forward cupholders, one towards the rear, a button to disable EPC, I think, and a 12V socket. Optionally this can be a lighter and the rearmost cupholder can be an ashtray.
The boot is a good size:
Only now do I see a 60-40 split rear seat backs- I didn't ask at the time.
Under the carpet there is room for a full-size spare or other options.
Higher-spec trim will have reversing sensors.
The bonnet props up conventionally, with a stick. As on the 6 (and the Mk2 Golf) the release is in the passenger footwell.
There is plenty of room for larger engines/ a diesel. We hear rumours of/wishes for both a smaller, more-frugal engine and a larger turbo nutter variant.
MG have obviously decided that the driving experience will be key, as the competition offer cars with far less oomph at the expected pricing points.
There is a docking station for phones to supply music and satnav on an adjustable sticky mount. (Note the central cubbyhole has a sliding screen). Many things the Zed driver has to visit a mechanic for to reset in T4 are user-configurable - the idea is few buttons and only those you regularly use, the rest being set in menus. For instance, drivers infrequently change the fan speed on the heating but often adjust the temperature.
compare that with how this historic orange MG uses the dash cubbyhole! (a rear-view mirror)
Andrew Lowerson told me he had specified all the details of the MG3. I think he has done a superb job! Here he is with a colleague:
Last edited by patpending on Sun Jun 16, 2013 4:21 pm; edited 7 times in total
)
paintwork, white sills, and arch extensions with letterboxes from Homebase in them (lots of this!)
I like the mirrors on this one:
