There’s no shortage of hatchbacks in the Philippines depending on which segment you look, that is. In the budget A-segment, there’s a whole lot of options to choose from, along with various mini EVs from China.
But as one goes higher up each segment, the choices get slimmer. Blame it on the subcompact and compact crossover, but the hatchback isn’t seeing much action these days.
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In the B-Segment hatch class, the Honda City Hatch is the de facto king with Suzuki quietly selling the Swift and Toyota dropping the ‘regular’ Yaris. But in comes MG in the hopes to bring back some variety in the once-popular body style.
The car that the brand will soon bring in here is the MG 3. Previewed at the 2024 Manila International Auto Show, it will soon serve as the entry-level model of the MG Philippines lineup. There are no full specs for now, but based on the foreign-market model, it looks promising.
For now, at least, the MG 3 comes with two powertrain options. The first one is a 1.5-liter engine with 109hp and 142Nm of torque that’s offered in the Middle East. The other option is a a hybridized version of the same engine that offers a combined output of 192hp. The latter can be found in the European-spec model.
The one on display had a mechanical gear selector, suggesting that it’s the non-hybrid model that’s coming to the Philippines. For those who are curious, it uses an eight-speed continuously variable transmission.
From the outside, the front end follows the look for the GT sedan with the rest of the panels unique to this model. Sharp lines and creases are featured throughout the body for a sportier look. As for the interior, there’s a digital instrument cluster on board, along with a touchscreen infotainment system.
Prices are unknown at the moment, but anywhere below P1,000,000 would be a safe bet. As for customer availability, there is no definite date just yet. But given that it was shown at MIAS already, it might not be a long wait.
