The VW Polo GTI is no longer the most powerful B-segment hatchback in South Africa.
That title now belongs to the MG3, which made its debut earlier this month.
The MG3 is currently available in four specifications with prices starting at R269,900, making it one of the most affordable cars in the country.
This is not the full story, however, as the Chinese hatchback also has a flagship hybrid model with the stats to rival the top dogs in its segment.
This version of the MG3 is fitted with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, which is assisted by an electric motor powered by a small 1.83kWh battery.
The end result is that the MG produces an impressive 155kW and 425Nm – 8kW and 105Nm more than the Polo GTI.
Now, some might argue that it makes no sense to compare a hybrid to a hot hatch, but the performance gap between the two cars is smaller than you might think.
As a reminder, the GTI is a high-octane version of the Polo fitted with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
This generates a total of 147kW and 320Nm, letting the German hatch accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 6.7 seconds.
In comparison, MG claims that its hybrid hatch can sprint to 100km/h in 8.0 seconds.
Where it gets interesting is when you look at reviews of the MG3, as many have found that the automaker is under-selling the car’s acceleration time.
During a road test, Carwow found that the MG3 hybrid can reach 100km/h in 6.7 seconds – the exact same time as the GTI.
Of course, the driving experience will still be quite different, given that the Polo has a sport exhaust and all the other modifications and accoutrements one would expect from a track car, but the MG3’s performance is impressive nonetheless.
A hot hatch for less?
While the MG3’s surprisingly good performance stats are certainly a selling point, the main draw of any hybrid is its fuel consumption.
The Chinese hatchback boasts a frugal economy figure of 4.3l/100km, giving it a range of 837km despite having a relatively small 36-litre tank.
The Volkswagen, on the other hand, consumes 6.4l/100km, allowing it to travel 625km on its 40-litre tank.
So the hybrid is the winner when it comes to the economy run – as expected – but this wouldn’t mean a whole lot if the MG was more expensive to buy.
This is the real advantage of the MG3 that puts everything else into perspective, as the range-topping hybrid goes for R469,900, in contrast to the GTI’s R585,900.
That’s a difference of R118,000, meaning that the Polo is 24% more expensive than the MG.
The MG3 is actually closer in price to the Suzuki Swift Sport, which is widely considered to be the last ‘affordable’ hot hatch in South Africa at a starting price of R463,900.
If that wasn’t enough, it turns out the MG3 is also the most powerful car you can buy in South Africa for less than R500,000.
For this price, you also receive a fairly extensive spec sheet that includes 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, keyless entry and start, a leather multifunction steering wheel, six speakers, climate control, a 7-inch digital driver display, and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Additionally, it features driving aids such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, traffic jam assist, onboard navigation, blind spot monitors, lane-change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.
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