MG Car Club
A Higher Standard for MG?
By Adam Sloman
Pictures Andy Knott, Colin Grant and MG Motor
The MG HS is a hugely important car for MG Motor. The SUV sector is the growth sector in a market where new cars are struggling to find buyers – can it continue the improvements of the revised MG3 and ZS?
I’ll say it quietly, and at risk of offering a conclusion at the start of a test, but the MG HS is the best car from MG Motor yet.
Launched in China in late 2018, coming as a replacement for the GS, MG’s first SUV, which arrived in China back in 2015 and the UK in the summer of 2016.
It continues the design language from the China-only MG6, the ZS and ZS EV and the revised MG3, with its large ‘stellar field’ grille and bold, prominent MG octagon. Size-wise, it’s slightly longer than the GS it replaces, (4574mm for the HS versus 4500 for the GS) but slightly narrower, too (1689mm versus 1664mm for the new car) – it’s a pleasing car to look at, with hints of Mazda CX5 and Mercedes Benz GLC to its rear.
More than just value for money
Like other cars in the MG range, HS is offered in three levels of trim, Explore, Excite and Exclusive. Explore kicks things off at £17,995, followed by the manual Excite at £20,495 and the Exclusive at £22,995. If you opt for the auto and you’ll pay a £1,500 premium.
All HSs enjoy keyless entry and push-button start, automatic headlamps, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and cruise control. The Explore features 17″ alloys, as opposed to the larger wheels offered on the Excite and Exclusive.
Excite and Explore feature synthetic leather seats, while those opting for the auto get adaptive cruise control and on Exclusive automatic models, a power tailgate.
The paint on our ‘Farringdon Red’ test car was a deep, metallic paint with a deep shine to it, even as the skies darkened and the rain began to fall as we prepared to leave the launch venue. Twin exhaust pipes and 18″, diamond-cut alloys complete package.
Once behind the wheel of the HS, the improvement in interior quality, fit and finish is immediate – all the materials are soft-touch, while the steering wheel, similar to that in the ZS, is wrapped in soft leather. The seats in this top-of-the-range Exclusive model are full leather, with Alcantara trim completing the picture – their high backs adding to the sporty feel inside the cabin, and they’re very comfortable. They’re also heated, and electrically adjustable. Red stitching on the steering wheel, seats and gear shift add a sense of sportiness the car aims to evoke.
A 10″ touchscreen dominates the dashboard, and the sea of buttons from the GS have been replaced with a simple row of seven buttons, which MG referred to as ‘the piano keys’ – these house controls for temperature and radio volume, as well as controls such as front and rear demister.
Frustratingly, some controls require you to use the touch screen, which can prove tricky while on the move, but overall the system is simple and intuitive. The DAB radio and sat-nav will be immediately familiar to anyone who has used either in the ZS. Naturally, the HS supports Bluetooth connectivity for both telephone calls and media streaming, while there’s also support for both Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The system is completed by a second TFT screen located between the two dials.
The screen offers up additional information, such as speed limit warnings, collision warnings and more traditional information, such as the fuel and temperature gauge. The dashboard itself is finished in leather, with subtle mood lighting fitted to both the dash and door cards – you can set the colour to whatever you choose; opt for the HS automatic and the mood lighting automatically switches to red when the car’s ‘super sport’ mode is engaged.
The standout feature on the Exclusive has to be the full-length panoramic glass roof, which MG calls the ‘Skyroof’. It’s a feature that really gives the car a premium feel and as you’d expect, floods the interior with light, making it feel open and airy. Unfortunately the weather on our test day only allowed us to open the roof for a few minutes, but on a summer’s day, it’s sure to come into its own.
On the road
The HS is the first petrol MG to be offered with the MG Pilot suite of safety features that include, deep breath, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, Intelligent Headlight Control, Traffic Jam Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Detection and Door Opening Warning.
Under the bonnet you’ll find the 1.5 litre turbo-charged SGE engine that was used in the previous GS. Here it’s developing 159bhp and 184ft lb of torque. There’s clearly been some development since GS, however, since the power delivery feels much smoother in the HS and the GS’s tendency to occasionally over rev seems to have been rectified. It’s well-refined and hushed at tick-over and remains similarly so while on the move.
There’s a choice of transmissions, either a six-speed manual, or a seven-speed, DCT auto. For now, the HS is offered with just one engine option, the aforementioned 1.5 turbo, though MG has hinted that there may well be additional powertrain options to come. All models are front-wheel drive.
For caravanners or those with trailers heading to race meetings, the HS can tackle a maximum towing weight of 1,750kg, putting it on par with the likes of the Range Rover Evoque, and comfortably ahead of the likes of the Nissan Qashqai.
We only tested the six-speed manual, but the shift was slick and precise – simply put, it’s easy to get accustomed to the car.
The HS’s suspension is well suited to the pock-marked roads we all contend with every day, softening bumps and bangs pretty well, without falling into the roly-poly wallow that many will associate with an SUV. Body-roll is well contained, too, for the most part. There’s a decent sense of weight through the steering wheel, too – hustle the HS along a B road and it will prove to be a willing, engaging partner.
So – the big question: should you buy one?
Like the ZS before it, HS serves to further undermine those who look at the new crop of MGs and say people buying them are only after an affordable car with a long warranty – here is a car every bit the rival of Nissan’s Qashqai, Skoda’s Kodiaq, or Peugeot’s 5008. If bottom-line price is your priority, there’s the Dacia Duster; the HS is a genuinely quality proposition, packed with all the latest safety kit – not just on the top of the range, but right across it. It’s well equipped, well screwed together and engaging to drive.
For me, personally, the HS was always going to be an interesting proposition – as the owner of both a 2016 MG 6 and MG GS, it’s intriguing to see the improvements each new car brings and the HS represents another leap forward in so many areas.
Every new MG so far has raised the bar for the brand, bringing it closer and closer to the more established European competition – HS changes all that.
MG Motor has a car that can go toe-to-toe with any of its class rivals, with the added bonus of a lower price-tag and an industry-leading warranty. What’s not to like?
Technical Specification
| Model Test: MG HS Exclusive | £22,995 |
| Extras: Metallic paint at | £595 |
| Engine Displacement | 1490cc |
| Cylinders/Valves | 4/16 |
| Maximum Power (Bhp) | 159 @ 5500rpm |
| Maximum Torque (lb ft) | 184 |
| 0-60mph seconds | 9.6 |
