MG officially released its facelifted MG6 saloon today with subtle cosmetic revisions, improved interior and specifications, mechanical updates and a £3,000 lower entry price.

On the outside, the facelift brings a tweaked nose with a new bumper incorporating LED day-running lights, a reworked grille and headlamp clusters, while at the rear, there’s a restyled bumper and different exhaust tailpipe.

Inside, MG claims that “almost every area of the interior has been enhanced to give even higher levels of comfort and convenience”. Visible changes include the instrument panel cluster, a new seven-inch screen for the infotainment system, and the replacement of the wonky mechanical handbrake with a space-saving electronic one.

Under the hood, the Birmingham-based firm dropped the petrol unit keeping only the 1.9-liter turbodiesel engine that has been revised for 2015. It produces the same 148hp (150PS) and 350Nm of peak torque, but it now delivers a combined fuel economy of 61.4mpg UK (4.6l/100km) with 119g/km of CO2 compared to the previous model’s 57.6mpg and 129g/km respectively.

It’s also faster than the outgoing MG6 with the 0-60mph (96km/h) taking 0.5 seconds less at 8.4 seconds.

MG has introduced three new trim levels, all of which are said to feature “key upgrades from the out-going model”, including the “S”, “TS” and “TL”.

More importantly, MG has repositioned the 6 in terms of pricing to compete more squarely against the smaller Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra, with the entry-level “S” model now starting from £13,995, which represents a price drop of £3,000. The better-equipped TS starts at £16,195, and the TL, from £17,995.

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