MG Motor Australia has already announced its ZS Hybrid+ will receive an update aimed at addressing an issue with power delivery, but it has announced no such plans to roll this out to the mechanically related MG 3 Hybrid+.
“We’re really confident in our Hybrid power system and we think it delivers the right balance of power and efficiency for the average Australian driver,” said a company spokesperson when asked if a similar update will be forthcoming for the MG 3.
“Our engineers are always looking to refine the driving experience of our vehicles, so if we feel the need to tweak it in the future, we will.”
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As we’ve experienced in testing, the MG 3 Hybrid+ – as well as the ZS Hybrid+, with which it shares its powertrain – can see its power delivery dramatically reduced when the hybrid battery nears depletion.
This can leave the vehicle without the necessary power to overtake safely or comfortably climb a steep hill.
MG announced in January it was rolling out an update to address this issue in all versions of the ZS Hybrid+ small SUV. That included vehicles already delivered to customers, for which a fix can be carried out at MG dealerships.
“The Hybrid+ powertrain will actively charge the battery when more load on the powertrain is detected, the engine will charge the battery to retain a moderate State of Charge (SoC),” the brand explained in announcing the update for the ZS.
“When on an incline, the Hybrid+ powertrain has been recalibrated to engage the engine when the vehicle is driving with moderate or higher speed. The overall experience will be a balanced experience of power delivery and efficiency.
“When vehicle speed is over 100km/h, the Hybrid+ powertrain will engage the engine to ensure sustained power depending on the battery SoC.”
It’s unclear why the MG 3 Hybrid+ hatch – which has the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, albeit with 3kW less system power at 155kW – won’t receive the same update.
CarExpert’s video review of the MG 3 Hybrid+ from June 2024 revealed a similar issue as had been experienced with the ZS Hybrid+.
After prolonged periods of demanding driving, the battery would deplete and leave the hatch with almost one third of the power it normally has.
Once the battery was depleted, the MG 3’s instrument cluster showed just 45kW of power being produced. As with the ZS, there’s no direct way to control the hybrid system’s power delivery and charging, either.
In subsequent testing of an MG 3 Hybrid+ in Brisbane, this issue also occurred when driving in a mountainous area. After the battery depleted, the MG 3 couldn’t reach the posted 60km/h speed limit on a steeper grade even with the driver’s foot to the floor.
Despite this issue, the MG 3 Hybrid+ is bearing down on the hybrid-only Toyota Yaris in the sales race.
In the first quarter of 2025, MG delivered 393 MG 3 Hybrid+ hatchbacks – accounting for 12.8 per cent of total MG 3 sales – while Toyota delivered 519 Yaris Hybrids.
MORE: Everything MG 3
