MG HS long-term test: report 4

The car MG HS 1.5 T-GDI DCT Trophy  Run by Chris Haining, sub-editor

Why it’s here To see whether MG's family SUV is a genuine bargain, or a car whose low price leads to too many compromises   

Needs to be comfy and relaxing on a long motorway commute without costing the Earth on petrol; offer the practicality an action-packed life demands

Mileage 4724 List price £28,995 Target Price £27,689 Price as tested £29,495 Official fuel economy 37.2 mpg Test fuel economy 42.7 mpg 

27 May 2025 – Time to panic?

Range anxiety is usually something associated with the drivers of electric cars. So why am I suffering this syndrome with my petrol-engined MG HS family SUV?

Well, it’s certainly nothing to do with its fuel efficiency. In fact, I’ve been quite impressed by just how economical this heavy and substantial machine actually is, despite it having only a comparatively twitchy 1.5-litre petrol engine for motivation. A calculation after my last petrol top-up (487.7 miles after my previous trip to the pumps) showed 42.7mpg – handily beating the car's official 37.2mpg figure.

So, with nigh-on 500 miles of range at my disposal on a tankful (much more than the 275 miles suggested – but never achieved – by my previous electric Mini Countryman E), why the anxiety? 

Well, as with most cars these days, a dashboard range display counts down with every mile elapsed, with a “low fuel” warning pinging up at 90 miles, so you’ve plenty of scope for topping up en route at your leisure. However, when the read-out dips to 51 miles in the HS, you’re in trouble. Rather than ticking down to 50 miles and beyond, the number switches to three angrily flashing dashes, as if to exclaim “what the hell are you playing at?”.

The other day, this became a real issue. On leaving the What Car? office in Twickenham, my indicated range was 114 miles… three miles short of getting home, but I knew there were plenty of places to stop and fuel en route, including a BP garage on the outskirts of Brentwood. As I predicted, the “for goodness sake refuel me!” warning popped up as I passed the M11 junction, so the Brentwood garage was theoretically well within my “reserve” fuel range. 

When I got there and found it closed due to an electrical fault, the anxiety really set in. With no indicated range, I had no idea how far I could continue to an alternative filling station. The next in my homeward direction was 12 miles East. Could I reach it? I chickened out and instead opted for one two miles in the direction I’d just come from.

Fortunately, I reached it (with a sigh of relief), only to find that the tank swallowed 51.9 litres of unleaded. That means I theoretically had 3.1 litres of petrol left all along – enough to cover 25 miles at the official economy figure. I was never in peril, then, but I could do without the car making me panic unduly.

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