MG HS Review 2024

Written by Al Suttie

7/10
heycar ratingPHEV offers impressive driving range
  • 2024
  • SUV
  • Petrol, PHEV

Quick overview

Pros

  • Keen pricing
  • Cabin quality and kit
  • EV range of PHEV

Cons

  • Petrol engine a bit noisy
  • Lazy infotainment
  • Too many warning bells

Overall verdict on the MG HS

“You could never accuse MG of not trying to cover every base in the mid-size SUV sector and the HS caters for those keen on value. That attractive pricing doesn't come at the expense of quality or driving ability, and the plug-in hybrid model has a superb EV driving range.”

MG HS Review: driving dynamic

With up to 75 miles possible in the MG HS PHEV, it makes you question whether you need to bother with more costly all-electric rivals when doing your bit for the environment. Should you choose the MG over the likes of the Nissan Ariya or even MG's own ZS EV? We'll find out in this MG HS review.


The PHEV version of the MG HS shares the same 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine as in the petrol-only model. It's not the smoothest engine in this class of SUV when worked a bit harder, but it is better than the motor it replaces in the previous HS. You have the choice of a six-speed manual or seven-speed auto with the petrol model, while the PHEV (plug-in hybrid) comes with a two-speed auto as the only transmission choice.


MG makes no claims about the HS being an off-roader and power only goes to the front wheels. That's no big problem in our view as the HS drives in a similar fashion to the better SUVs in this class. The ride is not as plush as a Ford Kuga's and the handling quite quite live with a Mazda CX-5's, but overall the MG is easy to use in town, on the motorway, and when you come park it up at the end of a journey.


While you're in the HS, you'll note that MG has made considerable strides in the fit, finish and quality of the cabin. It's now right up there alongside a Kia Sportage or Hyundai Tuscon in this area, which is good company to keep. You also enjoy a generous amount of equipment in the HS, especially in the upper Trophy trim that is not a huge financial leap up the ladder.


However, we do wish MG would tone down the number of audible warnings it delivers as you use the car. Most can be switched off, but it is distracting to hear a warning when simply driving normally as the car's sensors seem more hair-trigger than those in most of its rivals.


We'd also appreciate an infotainment system that is quicker to respond. It also needs the on-screen menus to be more intuitively organised, and it's a disappointment to find another car with the heater controls moved to the touchscreen rather than offering physical buttons.


These gripes aside, however, the MG HS is a good family SUV with plenty of rear passenger space and a decent boot. Factor in MG's seven-year warranty with the HS and manoeuvres itself into a strong position among its competitors.


Looking for a used car for sale? We've got 100s of MG Approved Used Cars for Sale for you to choose from, including a wide range of MG HS cars for sale. If you're looking for the older version, you need our used MG HS (2020-2024) review

There is a lot to like about the MG HS, not least its keen pricing, strong warranty, and generous amount of standard equipment. It also comes with good space for people and luggage, and the plug-in hybrid model has an excellent battery-only driving range. For anyone who wants or needs a mid-size SUV that won't be costly to own and run, the MG HS a solid choice.

You can choose the MG HS as a simple petrol-only model with a 1.5-litre turbocharged motor that delivers 169PS. Your only decision here is between six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes, and we'd take the manual as the auto can feel a bit snatchy when pulling away from a standstill.


The other power option in the MG HS is the PHEV plug-in hybrid model. It uses the same petrol motor but with a battery pack and electric motor that boost overall power to 307PS, making it almost three seconds quicker over the 0-62mph dash than the petrol-only version. The PHEV also claims a combined EV driving range of 75 miles and carbon dioxide emissions of 12g/km, which will seal the deal for company drivers and many others.

There's no shortage of talented rivals for the MG HS, not leas the Ford Kuga, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Qashqai and Ariya, Peugeot 5008, SEAT Ateca, Volkswagen Tiguan, and even the Citroen C5 Aircross.


You can also never ignore the Hyundai Tuscon or Kia Sportage when thinking about this size of SUV, while the Renault Austral is another to consider carefully.

Comfort and design: MG HS interior

"In all the fundamental ways, the MG HS is a good choice in this SUV corner of the market thanks to good cabin space, quality, and driver comfort. Only the infotainment leaves us thinking there is room for improvement."

MG HS Review: interior

Open the door to the MG HS as the driver and you find a seat that is at an agreeable height, so no climbing up or slithering down into it. The seat itself is supportive in all the right places, helped by six-way electric adjustment that is standard across the range. The Trophy model further adds synthetic leather upholstery, but every HS has a good driving position in relation to the major controls.


However, the HS driver is presented with some blind spots due to the steep angle of the windscreen and its pillars. You can work round this in most situations, but you will be glad of the front and rear parking sensors fitted to all HS models. The Trophy also comes with a reversing camera as an added bonus.


The steering wheel offers sufficient adjustment to assist with getting comfortable in the driver's seat. You'll also find the main dash display is clear and easy to read, as is the infotainment's touchscreen. The rest of the dash is taken up by the broad air vents, while the centre console is uncluttered and offers two cupholders and Trophy versions come with wireless charging. The PHEV model also has V2L, which is a fancy way of saying it has a plug socket you can use to charge or run any appliance with a three-pin plug.

MG has come of age with its more recent models and the HS is no exception with build quality that is on a par with most in this sector. It's easily a match for the Ford Kuga or Nissan Qashqai, though a Mazda CX-5 is still a cut above.


Spend a few minutes delving about the HS's interior and it's only when you get to the more hidden reaches of the door panels and pockets will you find anything like a rough edge, and that's common to most of the MG's rivals. Everywhere else, the HS is finished in soft-touch materials that are put together neatly and feel more than solid enough to withstand family life.

Based purely on appearance, the MG HS's 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and matching size digital dash display, are every bit as impressive as those found in a Hyundai or Kia. They are joined together to form a broad sweep of screen data, and the graphics are clear and easy to read on both.


The infotainment set-up includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so no hassle when you want to link up your smartphone. However, you will need to use a cable for this rather than do it wirelessly. On the plus side, Trophy models come with wireless charging for phones.


The only downside of the MG's infotainment is the way its menus are arranged. They are not as logically stepped as we'd like, so you can spend longer than is ideal working through screens to get to what you want, plus there are few shortcut buttons. We also dislike the fact the heating and ventilation is controlled through the infotainment screen rather than good old proper buttons, but that's not a unique problem to the HS, so we won't hold it against the MG too much.

The MG HS has always been one of the more spacious cars in its class and this generation is even roomier. That's great news for anyone who finds themselves in the back seat of the HS as there's loads of headroom, legroom, and shoulder width for two adults. You can even fit a smaller person in the middle seat without feeling hemmed in, though three adults will be pushing it for comfort on longer trips.


There's also decent space under the front seats for rear passengers' feet, which is not the case in all of the rivals to the HS. As well as this, there are Isofix child seat mounts in the two outer rear seats, and access through the back doors is good to make buckling up junior an easy task.


Fitting a pushchair into the boot won't leave you exasperated, either, as the HS offers 507-litres of load space with the rear seats in place. It's not the biggest boot in this class of car - the Kia Sportage and Citroen C5 Aircross easily better it - but the load sill isn't too high and the boot is a plain rectangular shape. Drop the 60-40 split rear seat backs and you can free up as much as 1484-litres of space in both the petrol and PHEV models.

Handling and ride quality: What is the MG HS like to drive?

"MG has two options when it comes powering the HS. There's a simple petrol-only model or the petrol-electric plug-in hybrid model. Both have their appeal, but we'd err towards the PHEV for its smoother nature and excellent EV driving range."

MG HS Review: driving dynamic

The other point that makes us come down in favour of the PHEV is its better driving manners. Whether it's the slightly firmer suspension settings it comes with to counter the weight of the battery or the greater overall weight itself, but the plug-in model deals with lumpy road surfaces more adeptly than the purely petrol model.


A Ford Kuga driver will still have bragging rights about which is the best SUV in this sector for outright driving enjoyment, but the HS can be driven with some with gusto and not feel out of its depth. However, you're not encouraged into this sort of behaviour by the lifeless feel of the steering as you turn into a corner.


In the petrol version of the HS, the suspension becomes a bit bouncier and unsettled on undulating roads at higher speeds. However, both are fine on the motorway and happy around town.

Starting point for the MG HS range is the 169PS 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, which comes with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Our preference is the manual as the auto can be a touch jerky as it pulls away from a standing start even when you try to be as smooth as possible with the throttle pedal.


The engine itself works just fine and delivers reasonable performance, taking 9.4 seconds to cover 0-62mph in the manual and 9.6 seconds for the auto. However, the engine does get a little coarse when worked further up into the rev range.


The PHEV model uses the same petrol engine but with power dialled down to 142PS. However, the plug-in HS's electric motor works with the petrol engine to deliver a combined 307PS, which means the PHEV is good for 0-62mph in a brisk 6.8 seconds.


The petrol engine is generally quiet and unstressed, while the battery can provide near silent EV driving for up to a claimed 75 miles. A two-speed automatic gearbox in the PHEV also offers very smooth driving in all conditions.

If you're a press-on kind of driver, you may find the 1.5-litre petrol engine in the MG HS a bit uncouth. When stretched towards the upper end of its rev band, the four-cylinder motor gets noisy and does not have the characterful whirr of some of its three-cylinder-engined opposition.


In the PHEV version of the HS, it's rare you ever need to work the petrol engine that hard as the EV side of the equation kicks in and delivers strong acceleration.


In either model of HS, there's some wind noise from around the door mirrors at motorway pace and a little tyre rumble, but not so much as to make you raise your voice to talk or turn up the volume on the stereo. In this respect, the MG HS is middle of the class for its refinement, a bit behind a Mazda CX-5 but better than a SEAT Ateca.

MG Pilot is a suite of safety equipment fitted to all HS models. It comes with front, side, curtain and centre front airbags, as well as two rear Isofix child seat mounts. You also get automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and bicycle detection, lane keep assistance and departure warning, blind spot assist, speed limit warning, and driver fatigue alert. On top of that, the HS has a forward collision warning, rear corss traffic alert, and door open buzzer.


Front and rear parking sensors are standard across the range, along with hill start assist, tyre pressure monitoring, and ESP traction control. Choose the HS with the DCT automatic gearbox and you also get adaptive cruise control and traffic jam assistance, and these features are included with the PHEV versions.


This MG HS had not been tested by Euro NCAP at the time of writing, but the previous generation model achieved a five-star rating and we have no reason to suspect this HS will perform any differently.

MPG fuel costs: What does a MG HS cost to run?

"THE MG HS PHEV might cost a little more on list price, but its impressive economy and EV driving range makes it the value champ of the range."

MG HS Review: front three quarters

With a combined economy claimed at 565mpg, the MG HS PHEV should, in theory, cost pennies to run for most driver's daily commutes. Of course, this does rely on you charging the car up with electricity and making the most of this energy source. Even if you're not so calculated in your use of the HS PHEV, we reckon it will see average consumption of more than 50mpg.


That number is well ahead of the claimed official average of 38.2mpg for the six-speed manual HS 1.5 petrol model. With the automatic gearbox, that drops to 37.2mpg.

As we write, the MG HS is still too fresh out of the blocks to make a full judgement on its reliability. What we can say is MG ranked in the middle order of car makers in the most recent HonestJohn Satisfaction Survey, coming home 18th out of 29 manufacturers with an overall score of 88.83%.


MG certainly shows faith in its products as, like the rest of the company's models, the HS comes with a seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty as standard.

When it comes to getting insurance cover for your MG HS, the cheapest model is the 1.5T SE with manual gearbox that sits in group 21 (out of 50). That's a little bit higher than the group 17 rating for a basic petrol-powered Kia Sportage, but the MG should not be too costly with its premiums.


Further up the scale, the 1.5T Trophy with automatic gearbox is in group 25, with the plug-in hybrid models around three groups above.

Starting with the MG HS Plug-In model, its 12g/km carbon dioxide emissions means you should pay £10 for the first year's road tax. However, as it's hybrid power means it's classed as an alternative fuel vehicle, it's entitled to a £10 discount, so road tax is free for the initial 12 months. After that, it pays the standard rate, which is £190, but the £10 discount still applies to lower this to £180.


With the purely petrol-powered HS models, they emit between 168- and 172g/km, so the lower emitting manual gearbox versions pay £680 for the first year of road tax. Unfortunately, the automatic tips over into a pricier bracket and its customers will shell out £1095 for the first year's Vehicle Excise Duty. After that, the 1.5T models pay a flat £190 per annum.

MG HS price

"If you don't mind a car with a handful of miles on the clock, you can make a useful saving over a brand new MG HS."

MG HS Review: side profile

By useful saving, we mean £1000 off the list price with no haggling for a car with less than 350 miles on the dial and direct from an MG dealer.


If you're more relaxed about mileage, an HS with 2000 miles under its wheels could be yours with a saving of £2000 from the original price and still with a current number plate.


A brand new MG HS costs from £24,995 for the 1.5T in SE trim with the manual gearbox. Upgrading to the automatic transmission costs £1500 in the SE or Trophy models, while a Trophy with the manual 'box starts at £27,495.


The plug-in hybrid MH HS PHEV costs from £31,495, with the Trophy version adding the same £2500 premium as with the petrol-only version.

Whether you want to go for the petrol or plug-in hybrid version of the MG HS, the cars come in two simple trim levels. This starts with the SE that has 19-inch alloy wheels, LED lights front and back, automatic headlights and wipers, rear privacy glass, electric windows all-round, and front parking sensors.


The SE also has the MG Pilot safety systems, manual cruise control, cloth upholstery with electrically adjusted front driver's seat, six-speaker stereo, sat-nav incorporated into the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, four USB ports, and a rear parking camera.


Upgrade to the automatic gearbox in the 1.5T petrol model and the MG Pilot safety system gains adaptive cruise control and Traffic Jam Assist.


With the Trophy model, you enjoy a side step that runs beneath the doors, rear parking sensors, and electric adjustment for the front passenger seats. The front seats are also heated in the Trophy and the driver's chair has powered lumbar adjust. Trophy customers also get synthetic leather upholstery, eight speakers for the stereo, a 360-degree view parking camera, wireless phone charging, automatic air conditioning, and a powered tailgate.

Ask the heycar experts: common questions

The MG HS is not offered with four-wheel drive and all models send power to the front wheels only.
Family buyers are very well looked after by the MG HS as it has lots of space in the front and back seats, plenty of safety kit, generous equipment, and a decent boot. It's also affordable to buy and run, and comes with a lengthy warranty.
MG already has the ZS EV in its line-up, plus the sportier looking MG4 pure EV. The MG HS covers off the other end of the market with its simple petrol model and the petrol-electric hybrid.