THE MG3 hatch is the smallest car the Chinese-owned company has produced since it began to revitalise the marque.

And even though it's been on the market for a long time the five door still sells steadily thanks to very reasonable new prices and an excellent seven year 80,000 mile warranty.

Those low prices new make it one of the cheapest cars available in this country and they also mean that secondhand values are also way lower than most of the opposition.

The 3 looked good when it was launched back in 2013, and with a redesign in 2018, still stands the test of time particularly well.

That revamp included a new upright grille with distinctive headlamps, and LED day running lights - a family look shared with the ZS small SUV.

It suits the supermini well and stands out from the crowd of lookalike models at the lower end of the market.

There is a range of different graphics packages to go with the six paint colours, and these can be enhanced with contrasting mirror covers.

Higher end models also have a bodykit with sill extensions and a rear roof spoiler, but as far as the graphics are concerned, some combinations work better than others.

There is just one engine option - a smooth non-turbocharged 1.5-litre with 104bhp. This drives the front wheels through a five speed gearbox and the combination brings up 60 miles an hour from rest in a decent 10.5 seconds while managing 43 miles per gallon.

The VTi-Tech engine gives surprisingly good performance and as long as you use the revs and the gears it will give decently quick trips across country on ordinary roads.

There's enough urge - as long as you're in the right gear - for safe overtaking given enough space, but pushing the revs up regularly is going to affect economy.

The five speed box is good to use and the clutch is reasonably light, but there is no automatic option for those who would like one.

A good feel from the steering helps to give confidence to the driver through the corners, and the car strikes a decent balance between a comfortable ride over most surfaces and grippy handling in the bends. This combination offers plenty of fun for a more enthusiastic driver.

On price there's no denying the MG3 offers extraordinary value for money and it comes with good levels of equipment.

Mid-range Excite trim has air conditioning, sat nav, parking sensors, alloy wheels, DAB stereo with remote control, four airbags, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, traction control, alloy wheels, heated electric mirrors and remote locking.

Top Exclusive trim adds sports seats, cruise control, tartan upholstery and a reversing camera. Good interior size means adults can travel comfortably in the rear seats and the 285 litre boot grows to 1,262 litres with the rear seats folded.

Pay about £6,700 for a '20 20-reg VTI-Tech Explore, or £11,750 for a '22 22-reg Exclusive Nav.