If there's a brand that has invested heavily in hybrid cars until they become its signature, it's Toyota. The Japanese brand has been perfecting this technology for 20 years, achieving excellent results. But now a rival has emerged. MG has developed revolutionary hybrid technology that threatens Toyota's dominance.
MG has been on the market for years, although it won't hit the ground running until 2023, thanks to its range of electric cars at a more affordable price (if we take into account the help of the Moves III project).
But, above all, thanks to the ZS SUV, a model that led the sales charts for several months last year and remains one of the five best sellers in Spain throughout 2023, Dacia Sandero, Seat Arona and the. Toyota Corollaand models that transcend status Peugeot 2008, Hyundai Tucson and Toyota C-HR.
Therefore, the Chinese brand, although of British origin, is not only targeting low-cost brands like Dacia, but also other generic brands. After its new presentation, it is already looking towards the premium segment IM (Intelligent Mobility) Division At the Geneva Motor Show, it will introduce cars with the most luxurious finishes.
MG's main innovation at the Geneva event, the automotive industry's most important of the year, was its new utility model, which looks to turn the B segment upside down. : Its revolutionary hybrid technology.
This is MG's revolutionary hybrid technology
We're talking about the 4.12-meter-long MG3 Hybrid vehicle, which will soon hit the market, with a non-plug-in hybrid propulsion system, a novelty for the Chinese manufacturer.
That's the key feature of the new Chinese model, its revolutionary hybrid technology that makes Toyota's ears stand out. In fact, the MG3 Hybrid points directly to one model: the Toyota Yaris.
But what is it about MG's hybrid technology that threatens Toyota's dominance? To begin with, its power. In essence, new Systema Hybrid Plus It consists of five main components: engine, transmission, battery, electric motor and generator
The MG3 Hybrid+ has a propulsion system 1.5-liter gasoline engine and 80 kW (107 hp) electric motoras well as an independent generator motor that allows for a variety of propulsion system operating modes.
The system provides a Combined power is 195 hpThe highest in its class, which allows it to accelerate Accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in 8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 170 kmphAnd according to the brand data, it will recover from 80 to 120 km / h in 5 seconds.
Also, MG assures that there is an average consumption 4.4 litres/100 kmAll of these records are still pending approval, with CO2 emissions of 100 g/km.
Either way, we're dealing with a more powerful hybrid system than the 132 hp offered by the Toyota Yaris or the 140 hp offered by the Toyota C-HR and Corolla. You'll have to resort to the 197 HP GR Corolla to match the power of the MG3 Hybrid.
And, being more powerful, the consumption of the Chinese model (in the absence of homologation) is two-tenths more than the Yaris: 4.4 liters on average in the MG3 Hybrid and 4.2 liters in the Yaris. The Corolla claims the same combined consumption as the MG3, but it's bigger, heavier and has 55 HP less.
The secret? Battery
So the MG3 Hybrid promises performance, but performance. And thanks to the high-capacity battery for a non-plug-in hybrid car. has 1.83 kWh capacityThis allows you to make more use of the electric motor.
To give us an idea, the Toyota Yaris battery 0.75 kWhWhen using the Corolla 0.85 o 0.91 kWh, depending on the version. The Renault Clio E-Tech's battery is bigger (1.2 kWh), but it's still a long way from the MG3.
With this battery, MG ensures that its utility vehicle can reach a The top speed is 95 km/h and up to 40 km in fully electric modeUnbelievable for a self-charging hybrid, in general, it cannot travel a few kilometers without using the heat engine.
Also, according to the manufacturer, the car will remain in circulation Sustained speed of 40 to 80 km/h using petrol engine as electric generator, which will allow more operation of the electric motor. All of this translates into greater efficiency.
Finally, the MG3 Hybrid has five driving modes, each of which is automatically selected by the Hybrid Plus system:
- E.V: Works only with electrical power for the time allowed for charging.
- in order: Generator drives the electric motor for propulsion.
- In series and boom: Continuous driving and recharging the battery when the charge is low.
- Towing and loading: The motor drives the wheels and charges the battery through the generator.
- In parallel: Both the engine and the electric motor drive the wheels.
It seems that MG has developed a hybrid technology capable of keeping Toyota on the ropes, and not only because of the promising performance and performance data, but also because of the new MG3 Hybrid's price. Below 20,000 eurosLess than the price of a Yaris.