Road Tested by Hugh Maguire.
The new MG HS PHEV is a mid sized SUV that offers the best of both worlds in terms of economy and range. As its a plug-in hybrid boasting a claimed 120km or so of electric range it means we finally have a PHEV with decent electric range. When combined with the petrol engine MG claim it should offer this new MG a range of about 1000km.
There are two trim levels to choose from namely ‘Excite’ and ‘Exclusive’. I have spent some 500km behind the wheel of the Exclusive version to see how it compares with rivals. Needless to say all the mainstream manufacturers offer PHEV’s too with varying electric ranges so this new MG has its work cut out for it if its to steal sales from them.
So how does it look?
It’s not a head turner by any stretch of the imagination however I like its proportions and the design is cohesive. The slim LED front headlights and big grill look great and its side profile is good too, with the rear being hosting a full width light bar. A trend that I am not a big fan of. It was once unique now all seem to be at it! As an overall design it looks well.
What is it like inside?
Earlier MG interiors came in for some negative comments due to the propensity of some cheap looking materials. If you look hard enough there are some hard touch plastics about the cabin but in general I must say this interior is very nice and a big step up in quality from previous models. I particularly like the new driver display and centre screen combined as one unit. It looks very well.
The model on test here is the Exclusive which boasts imitation leather trim and a host of standard kit. Worthy of particular mention is iSMART whereby using your mobile phone you can provide a wifi connection to the car, remotely turn on the heated seats on a frosty morning if the car is plugged in, send navigation destinations to the car and so forth all via the handy MG app.
Accmodation is very good with lots of leg and headroom and a decent sized load area of some 507 litres with the rear seats in place.
What is under the bonnet?
A 1.5 litre petrol turbo combined with a 135kW electric motor and a 24.7 kWh battery. MG claim an electric only range of 120km from a full charge in reality in mixed driving which included some motorway I achieved 93 km. Fuel consumption is not class leading here when running on petrol power only. All PHEV’s suffer in this regard as once the battery is depleted you are carrying around a very heavy electric motor and battery that your not benefiting from. The must do with all PHEVS is plug in as often as possible. I averaged a fuel consumption of 6.6 litres per 100km.
So what is it like on the road?
In short its driving dynamics are really its weak point. It rides and handles reasonably well but you only need to try to hustle it down a twisty road to see the limitations in the handling department. In this area its rivals are more dynamic and accomplished for sure. Nevertheless if simply toddling along from A to B is your thing the new MG HS will suffice with a quiet refined cabin and plenty in terms of comfort.
Hugh’s Verdict.
The big win here is the price point with the Excite model starting from €40,995 which puts it below many rivals for an SUV in this class. The Exclusive on test costs from €43,995. If your looking for an PHEV SUV that is competent if not earth shattering in any one way the new MG HS will certainly fit the bill.