[G0MRL]

Roverchippy's Allegro has a 1500cc 68 bhp engine, and must be heavier than the MG3. The latter has 106 bhp. Surely it should be able to heave the same weight of trailer with no trouble. Are the brakes better or worse in the MG3? If the trailer is braked, that hardly matters. Maybe it's all about rules and regs?

 

[Windy]

Roverchippy's Allegro has a 1500cc 68 bhp engine, and must be heavier than the MG3. The latter has 106 bhp. Surely it should be able to heave the same weight of trailer with no trouble. Are the brakes better or worse in the MG3? If the trailer is braked, that hardly matters. Maybe it's all about rules and regs?

I'd guess that the gearbox and maybe clutch are not up to coping with continuous high torque without overheating. Trailers and caravans do not exist in China so there was no need for a heavyweight gearbox or clutch, it makes reasonable sense to only offer them on a UK diesel and maybe more powerful petrol versions rather than make everyone pay the extra and also loose some refinement - littlechicken did so the gearbox was very nice.

 

[G0MRL]

The MG3 gearbox is one of the nicest I've used, in 54 years of driving. Another memorable gearbox I used (just for the hell of it, it was such fun) was in an MG Midget around 1965.

 

[traineecollins]

MG3 Brochure;

Kerb weight; 1155kg

Maximum weight of vehicle + trailer; 1875kg

.......



What was the towing capacity of a 200/25 1.4 (105) or even a 400/45 1.4 (105)?

 

[Man in the Car]

500kg unbraked for all 200/25/ZR and 1000kg braked for the 1.4 and obove (1.1 was limited to 700kg braked).

200kg does seem ridiculously low (almost pointless as a trailer will account for most of that) and I cannot believe it has anything to do with engine size - it gives me the impression that it is the actual platform that has not been designed to tow in the first place.

However, I doubt if it will have any measurable impact on new sales though - I rarely see any cars in the MG3 size and class with towbars fitted in their earlier years - what few I do see have been so fitted by a subsequent owner.

 

[JohnMandersand]

MG3 Brochure;

Kerb weight; 1155kg

Maximum weight of vehicle + trailer; 1875kg

Which would make 720kg. Much better than the 200kg figure.

 

[MGDiesel]

According to the brochure, it's 200kg UNBRAKED. So I would expect braked to be considerably more.

 

[matthewsemple]

Trailers and caravans do not exist in China.

Or

At a recent automotive show in China I did talk with an RV importer and manufacturer from Tai’an City in Shandong that claimed to be doing swift business with its imported RV’s and Trailers (Caravans for UK’ers)

And

Picture of Great Wall Caravan

It may not be as popular as it is in Europe but as with all types of consumerism this will be something that China is catching up on.

 

[roverchippy]

According to the brochure, it's 200kg UNBRAKED. So I would expect braked to be considerably more.

Just to confirm...200KG is for braked and unbraked. Me and the sales person at the sales center checked it. He phone it through and that is 100% the case.

makes sence if it is for the diesel

 

[Windy]

It may not be as popular as it is in Europe but as with all types of consumerism this will be something that China is catching up on.

I'm not convinced about that, not in the near future anyway, although the Maxus RV did attract quite a lot of interest when they took it on tour.

 

[H Musgrove]

Being unable to effectively tow anything is quite an oversight on a new car design. As mentioned above, it suggests to me that the engineering on the car is of the old Ford school of thought; that is to say bare minimum.

The vehicles kerb weight, wheelbase, suspension design and engine size suggest it should be able to match the old R3.

It certainly -and finally- puts paid to the myth that these cars are 'designed and engineered in England'.

 

[simcor]

The easy answer to this question is for someone with an MG3 to let us know the train weight on the vin plate. The train weight less the kerb weight will give the towing maximum weight.

Can you order a tow bar for an MG3 yet? It has to be type approved to be fitted, if there is no type approved tow bar available the company has declared the vehicle not suitable for towing or has insufficient mounting points for a tow bar.

We have seen one MG3 with a towbar in camo so far, maybe the design has fallen foul of being able to have a decent towing ability? Witter only lists a towbar for the MG6 so far none for the MG3 so I would suggest you probably can't even get a tow bar fitted to an MG3 which makes it all academic.

MG's configurator shows a tow bar as an accessory but has anyone actually ordered one to be fitted?

 

[H Musgrove]

The tow weights for the MG6 are impressive enough.

 

[roverchippy]

The easy answer to this question is for someone with an MG3 to let us know the train weight on the vin plate. The train weight less the kerb weight will give the towing maximum weight.

Can you order a tow bar for an MG3 yet? It has to be type approved to be fitted, if there is no type approved tow bar available the company has declared the vehicle not suitable for towing or has insufficient mounting points for a tow bar.

We have seen one MG3 with a towbar in camo so far, maybe the design has fallen foul of being able to have a decent towing ability? Witter only lists a towbar for the MG6 so far none for the MG3 so I would suggest you probably can't even get a tow bar fitted to an MG3 which makes it all academic.

MG's configurator shows a tow bar as an accessory but has anyone actually ordered one to be fitted?

Walking around the production line a few weeks ago with the bloke from the sales center showed that there were only 2 cars with a towbar fitted...

 

[JohnMandersand]

Is that MG3 or MG6?

 

[roverchippy]

Is that MG3 or MG6?

mg3.......

 

[snifferdog1]

It certainly -and finally- puts paid to the myth that these cars are 'designed and engineered in England'.

The myth? Ive been round SMTC in Longbridge. There were lots of British staff there, working in harmony with their Chinese colleagues, designing MG badged cars. In fact, the tour guide had worked there for 32 years and had MG in his blood.

There was also completely dis-assembled Fiesta and a Golf there.

 

[H Musgrove]

The myth? Ive been round SMTC in Longbridge. There were lots of British staff there, working in harmony with their Chinese colleagues, designing MG badged cars.

Yes, this is true. However the fact remains that Longbridge is now approaching 300 employees who are assisting over 2,000 chinese engineers designing MG badged cars. He who pays the piper gets the tune....

These cars are designed for China primarily and then eventually adapted for UK consumption. Thats entirely understandable. Its just when they lie and say they're design and built for Britain, it gets my goat-up. The tow-bar scenario says it all. Rover put great store by their towing ability of cars.

 

[snifferdog1]

Yes, this is true. However the fact remains that Longbridge is now approaching 300 employees who are assisting over 2,000 chinese engineers designing MG badged cars. He who pays the piper gets the tune....

These cars are designed for China primarily and then eventually adapted for UK consumption. Thats entirely understandable. Its just when they lie and say they're design and built for Britain, it gets my goat-up. The tow-bar scenario says it all. Rover put great store by their towing ability of cars.

These are MGs though and MG have never really bragged about their ability to tow.

I agree that China is MGs main market now, and fair play to them, we owned it for long enough and made a complete balls up of it.

However, the design brief for the MG6 was to introduce European styling to the Chinese market.

 

[H Musgrove]

These are MGs though and MG have never really bragged about their ability to tow.

Thats a weak argument for a lack of towing ability. The MG3 is more Austin than MG if the truth be told. Nobody expected to tow with a MGF, although plenty did with a MGB. Just ask MG_John.