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

MG HS video review

So can the latest MG HS match a Ford Kuga or 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...

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The MG HS’s 1.5-litre petrol engine (the 1.5 T-GDi) 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. In terms of acceleration times, it can officially sprinting from 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds with a manual gearbox or 9.6 seconds with an automatic.

The six-speed manual is not as slick as the equivalent in a 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 have 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 forwards clumsily.

The MG HS Plug-in Hybrid is a different ball game – and so good we named it Plug-in Hybrid of the Year at our 2025 What Car? Awards.

Its official 0-62mph time is 6.8 seconds and it feels lively in all situations. In fact, when we tested it, it managed the sprint in just 6.1 seconds, beating the equivalent BYD Seal U (8.6 seconds) and Jaecoo 7 (7.6 seconds) on the same day.

According to official figures, a fully charged up MG HS PHEV can run on battery power for up to 75 miles, and it came close to matching that in the real world, travelling 74 miles before the engine was forced to fire up. PHEV versions of the Ford Kuga, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage all manage 43 miles officially.

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 revved hard – a total contrast to the 1.5 T-GDi petrol. Wind and road noise are acceptable at 70mph, but the Kuga and Sportage are quieter still.

Ride quality in the MG HS depends on which engine you go for.

The 1.5 T-GDi has a set-up that’s best described as passable but uninspiring. It fidgets constantly over smaller imperfections, and larger bumps can catch it out. It stops short of being uncomfortable but it lacks the serene composure of a Citroën C5 Aircross on A-roads and motorways.

The Plug-in Hybrid has firmer suspension to cope with the added weight of the battery, and that brings a welcome improvement in body control. Sharper impacts like potholes and expansion joints still make their presence felt, but the PHEV feels more composed overall. It handles undulating roads with a surprising level of poise, giving you the confidence to carry respectable speed on twisty backroads.

The HS’s steering lets the side down somewhat, and the driving experience less engaging than in the equivalent Ford Kuga or Kia Sportage. If sharper handling and greater comfort are priorities, those rivals are good options.

“I'm properly impressed by the electric-only range of the plug-in hybrid MG HS, and I was chuffed that we got so close to the official figure during testing.” – 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. It feels miles more luxurious inside than a Dacia Bigster.

When it comes to showroom appeal, the HS rates really highly, especially in Trophy trim with optional tan leather. It feels fairly high quality and easily a match for the Citroën C5 Aircross in terms of plushness, although the Mazda CX-5 beats both.

The driving position in the HS lines you up well with the steering wheel and pedals. 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.

Visibility is a bit of a mixed bag. Forward visibility over the bonnet is good, but your view out at junctions is hampered by the angled front windscreen pillars and their positioning relative to the wing mirrors.

Rear visibility is pretty good, with small windows cut into the large rear pillars, helping you to see what’s over your shoulder. The entry-level MG HS comes with rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, while top-spec Trophy trim adds front parking sensors and a 360-degree camera.

All versions come with a 12.3in infotainment touchscreen next to the impressive digital driver's display (also 12.3in) behind the steering wheel. The driver's display can show a full-screen sat-nav map alongside the speedometer, and the touchscreen looks bright and responds to your inputs quickly enough.

Annoyingly, you need to use the MG HS's touchscreen to adjust the air-conditioning because there are no physical controls for the temperature and fan speed.

There are some buttons below the HS's touchscreen but they don't do much more than turn on the window de-misters. A lack of physical controls is a problem in many family SUVs but the Nissan Qashqai is much more user-friendly.

“The MG HS's new infotainment system is a step up in terms of screen resolution and speed but I found adjusting the air-con distracting because of the lack of physical controls.” – 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 MG HS have 507 litres of boot space – an increase of 44 litres over the previous version, and more than you’ll find in a plug-in hybrid C5 Aircross. Even so, non-PHEV versions of the HS’s rivals offer more space, including the Kia Sportage (562 litres), C5 Aircross (580) and 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, although 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 Volkswagen T-Cross – which is a small SUV rather than a family SUV – and less than the Citroën C5 Aircross. Really, its only direct rival when referencing the starting list price is the Dacia Bigster.

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, Kia Sportage PHEV and 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 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 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 a lower BIK tax bracket than many family SUV rivals – including the BYD Seal U and Jaecoo 7 PHEVs – ultimately costing you less each month.

The non-PHEV petrol engine should manage up to 38.2mpg, which isn’t terrible. 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 EV charger).

In terms of safety kit, 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 MG car models come with a seven-year, 80,000-mile warranty, which is better than almost anything else out there – Toyota gives you a 10-year warranty (if you service your car at an official dealer every year).

“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

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