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A special offer on the MG 3 hatch makes Australia’s most affordable new car even more affordable for a limited time.
MG has reduced the price of its most affordable MG 3 hatch, making Australia’s cheapest new car $1000 cheaper for a limited time.
The MG 3 Vibe, the entry-level variant in the MG 3 range, has had its price reduced to $20,990 drive-away before options.
The hatch has previously been listed at $21,990 drive-away, with the current saving applying until 28 February 2026, unless extended.
The MG 3’s closest rival on price, the Kia Picanto, starts from a lower $19,190 before on-road costs for the entry-level Picanto Sport manual, but with on-road costs added comes to $22,140.
Opting for a Picanto automatic to match the auto-only MG brings its on-road price to $23,240, with no discounts or special offers currently available on Kia’s hatch.
While the Picanto sits in the smaller ‘micro car’ sales class in Australia, the MG 3 fits into the ‘light car’ category alongside rivals including the BYD Atto 1, Mazda 2, Suzuki Swift, and Toyota Yaris.
The electric Atto 1 starts from $23,990 plus on-road costs, making it Australia’s cheapest EV, but far from the country's cheapest new car.
Pricing for the automatic Mazda 2 G15 Evolve starts from $27,290, the manual Suzuki Swift starts from $24,990 – or $1000 more for an automatic – and the hybrid-only automatic Toyota Yaris starts from $28,990, all before on-road costs.
Mazda currently has a drive-away offer on the 2025-plate Mazda 2 from $28,990, Suzuki has the Swift manual priced from $25,490 drive-away, and Toyota doesn’t currently offer any promotions on the Yaris.
In 2025, the MG 3 was Australia’s most popular light car, selling 8350 examples compared to the second-placed Mazda 2's 4346 units. Over the same period, the Picanto reported 7166 sales.
Despite leading the class, the MG 3 saw sales drop 33.5 per cent year-on-year, without help from runout stock of the previous-generation model to boost figures.
The current MG 3 Vibe is powered by the same 81kW/142Nm 1.5-litre engine as other non-hybrid models in the MG 3 range, but does without features like alloy wheels, push-button start, rear air vents, a one-touch up/down driver’s window, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
