MG HS review

The MG HS we're reviewing here is a world away from the two-seaters MG found fame with – but that's not been a bad thing for the car maker's bottom line.

Since the original HS was launched, this family SUV has sold in big numbers, and MG has now launched a new version. You might remember that the HS was restyled not long ago, but as you can see from the photos, this time the changes are more radical.

As well as a new look, the HS has been given an updated infotainment system, more standard equipment and the choice of either a regular petrol or a petrol plug-in hybrid engine. Best of all, the updates come with hardly any increase in the list price.

Can the latest MG HS match the Ford Kuga and Mazda CX-5 for sportiness, or the Citroën C5 Aircross and Kia Sportage for practicality? In other words, how do we rate it against the best family SUVs? Read on to find out...

The MG HS’s 1.5-litre petrol engine – badged 1.5T – is flexible enough in normal driving but doesn't pick up as quickly from low revs as the 1.2-litre petrol in the Citroën C5 Aircross.

The HS is fairly brisk when you work the engine really hard, officially sprinting from 0-62mph in 9.6 seconds with an automatic gearbox or 9.4 seconds with a manual. Speaking of which, the 1.5 T's six-speed manual gearbox is passable. It's not as slick as the equivalent in the Ford Kuga, Kia Sportage or Mazda CX-5 but it's more precise than the one in the C5 Aircross.

Meanwhile, the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic suits a slower driving style. If you've got a light right foot, it's smooth when moving off from a standstill or changing gears, but when you try to pull away quickly, the HS lurches forward clumsily.

The HS plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is a different ball game. Its official 0-62mph time is 6.8 seconds – which is slightly quicker than a Ford Kuga PHEV – and it feels lively in all situations.

Even more impressively, according to official figures the HS PHEV can run on electricity for up to 75 miles. For comparison, the Kuga PHEV and the Hyundai Tucson PHEV both officially manage 43 miles, while the Kia Sportage PHEV can do up to 41.

MG has also confirmed that a full-hybrid (HEV) version is just around the corner, bringing a potentially happy medium between the two current engine options.

The HS Plug-in is quiet in electric mode, and remains remarkably hushed when the petrol engine starts up. The engine also remains pleasingly quiet even when revving it hard – a total contrast to the non-electrified 1.5-litre petrol.

Wind and road noise are acceptable at 70mph, but the Kuga and Sportage are quieter still.

Ride quality varies depending on the engine choice. The regular petrol's set-up is decent rather than impressive. There’s a slight but constant fidget and larger undulations cause you to move around in your seat.

It’s not uncomfortable and avoids the floaty feeling of the soft C5 Aircross over undulations, but it misses out on that car’s wafting ability on motorways and A-roads.

The HS is more comfortable than some versions of the firmer-sprung Mazda CX-5 but not as agile. There’s less body lean through corners in the HS than in the roly-poly C5 Aircross, but we wish the HS’s steering was more precise and better weighted.

The HS PHEV gets stiffer suspension to deal with the added weight of the battery. For the most part it does a good job of managing that weight, remaining pretty smooth and settled at 70mph, but there’s a fair thump when you hit sharper or more substantial imperfections.

The extra weight affects the handling, with significantly more body lean and less grip. If you’re looking for a PHEV that’s more engaging and comfortable, try the Ford Kuga or Kia Sportage.

“I'm properly impressed by the 75-mile official range of the MG HS PHEV. You'll struggle to get that far in the real world but the real range should be long enough to do most journeys on electric power.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

A low starting price often implies rough edges and cut corners, but there’s an awful lot to like about the MG HS’s interior. MG has made a real effort to lift its quality, adding tactile perforated leather on the steering wheel and huge swathes of soft-touch plastic and faux-leather on the dashboard and doors.

When it comes to showroom appeal, the HS rates really highly, especially in Trophy trim and with optional tan leather. When you poke around the interior, the HS feels fairly high quality, although it's not a match for a Citroën C5 Aircross and doesn’t get close to a Mazda CX-5.

The driving position in the HS lines you up well with the steering wheel and pedals. Better still, every version comes with a six-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, while Trophy trim upgrades that to one with heating, lumbar adjustment and a memory function.

If you go for the MG HS Trophy, the driver's seat is upgraded to an electrically adjustable one with heating and a handy memory function.

Visibility is a bit of a mixed bag. You see, forward visibility over the bonnet is good, but your view out at junctions is hampered by the sleek, highly angled front windscreen pillars and their positioning with the wing mirrors, leaving no gap between the pair to see what’s coming. 

Rear visibility is pretty good, with small windows cut into the large rear pillars, helping you to see what’s next to you. To make parking easier, you get rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera with every HS. You can upgrade the camera to a 360-degree one if you opt for the top Trophy trim.

All versions come with a 12.3in touchscreen sitting in a long housing that connects it to a 12.3in digital driver's display behind the steering wheel. The driver's display is quite impressive and allows you to show a full screen map alongside the speedometer.

The new MG HS infotainment system looks great thanks to the bright display and responds to your inputs quickly enough, but it has its annoyances.

Unlike in the previous HS, you control everything through the touchscreen and you’re forced to delve into multiple menus every time you want to make adjustments, including to the air-conditioning. There are some buttons below the screen but they don't do much more than turn on the window demisters.

“It’s a real shame that almost all the physical buttons in the MG HS have been removed. The new infotainment system is a step up in terms of screen resolution and speed, but I found adjusting the air conditioning distracting.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The MG HS has always been a big car, and the latest version is even bigger, having grown in length and width.

No matter which version you go for or how tall you are, you’ll have no issues when it comes to head or leg room in the front. What’s more, the interior is wide, preventing you from rubbing shoulders with your front seat passenger.

There’s a small lidded cubby in front of the HS's gearlever, with a couple of USB ports and a 12V socket. The cupholders are a good size and there’s more storage under the sliding centre armrest, although that does block the cupholders when you move it to its forward position.

In the rear, tall adults will find they have plenty of space between their knees and the backs of the front seats, and even a 6ft adult won’t feel too hemmed in by the HS’s roof. It’ll still be a little tight with three people sitting side by side in the rear, but it’s definitely passable.

Indeed, there’s more space in the back of the MG HS than you’ll find in the Citroën C5 Aircross – although the Honda CR-V gives you more room than both.

All versions of the latest MG HS have 507 litres of boot space – an increase of 44 litres over the previous HS, and more than you’ll find in the C5 Aircross PHEV. Even so, non-PHEV versions of the HS’s rivals offer more space, including the Kia Sportage (562 litres), the C5 Aircross (580) and the CR-V (587).

You can drop the HS's rear seats in a 60/40 configuration, increasing the load space to 1,484 litres. That's handy – although the Peugeot 5008 has a more versatile 40/20/40 split. 

The HS has reclining rear seats, but they don't slide back and forth, and there's a useful covered storage area under the boot floor.

“While the boot space of the MG HS is big enough to take my wake-boarding kit, families with a couple of children will probably wish it was even more spacious.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

List price is where the MG HS really comes into its own, with the entry-level SE version costing only a little bit more than the VW T-Cross (which is a small SUV rather than a family SUV) and less than the Citroën C5 Aircross.

Indeed, even the top-spec Trophy trim with a regular petrol engine costs less than the entry-level Kia Sportage and much less than the cheapest Hyundai Tucson. 

The MG HS plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is priced so competitively that it undercuts the Ford Kuga PHEV, the Kia Sportage PHEV and the VW Tiguan PHEV by thousands of pounds.

Crucially, its pricing puts it within reach of private buyers – a rarity for PHEVs, which have traditionally been the preserve of company car drivers due to their high list prices. In fact, at its current price the MG HS PHEV is an enticing alternative to the 1.5-litre petrol.

The HS's entry-level SE trim comes with 19in alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, cruise control (adaptive cruise control if you go for the automatic gearbox), an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and lots of other kit.

We’d happily suggest sticking with the SE, but top-spec Trophy trim has merit. It doesn’t cost all that much more and adds dual-zone air-conditioning, an upgraded eight-speaker stereo, a powered tailgate, driving modes, rear privacy glass and wireless phone-charging.

If you’re thinking of running the MG HS as a company car the PHEV is definitely the one to go for because its impressive electric range and low official CO2 emissions put it in the 5% BIK tax bracket. That’s lower than all its family SUV rivals, ultimately costing you less each month.

The non-PHEV petrol engine should manage up to 38.2mpg, which isn’t terrible by any means. The PHEV will officially average more than 500mpg, but that's very unrealistic in the real world, and you’ll only get close if you mainly run on power from the battery (which takes four hours to charge from 0-100% with a 7kW home wall box).

Every HS has automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high-beam assist and rear cross-traffic alert. There’s also a driver attention monitoring system, but it’s very sensitive and we think it tells you off more than is necessary, which can get annoying.

Even so, the long list of standard safety equipment is all but unheard of at this price point, and helped earn the HS a full five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating.

The bad news is that MG came bottom out of 31 manufacturers ranked in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey. Fortunately, all MGs come with a seven-year/80,000-mile warranty, which is better than almost anything else out there.

“If, like me, you appreciate value for money, the MG HS is very tempting. Not only does it manage to undercut almost all its rivals on price, but it also gets loads of standard equipment.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here