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It probably came as no great surprise to you to see that SUVs are now Britain’s favourite kind of car (that’s according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the pre-eminent trade body).
No other “genre” sells so many, and they come in a vast variety of flavours – from small petrol and hybrid models such as the Peugeot 2008, say, all the way up to all-electric behemoths (still relatively green) such as the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. With the arrival of a new-generation MG HS, I imagine the SUV will become just that little bit more popular.
TL;DR? This full-size SUV model is terrific value. Go try one. It is indeed one of the outstanding offers on the new car market today – even accounting for some dramatically discounted electric cars. It’s a more than respectable choice in terms of perceived quality and image, and the 1.5-litre petrol model can be had for £24,995, while the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option starts at £31,495.
Every model gets the same smart contemporary styling, along with decent equipment levels, including a powered tailgate, a panoramic reversing camera, and wireless/induction smartphone charging – plus 19in polished alloy wheels – and the full complement of cruise control and driver assistance to help keep you and your passengers safe.
Despite the car’s big door point, the boot isn’t actually as capacious as more costly rivals (Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage), but it’s not bad. Granted, this is one of those faux SUVs in the sense that it only comes with front-wheel drive, but when was the last time you needed a serious off-roader? This is comfortable, mostly spacious, practical family motoring, with a fashionable emphasis on affordability.
As a package it’s hard to argue with, so my gripes are relatively few. The most annoying thing – sadly not so unusual these days – is that too many functions have to be accessed when you’re on the move, via the 12.3in touch-control screen.
It’s clear and responsive enough, but, on a trip to see Leicester City gallantly lose to Liverpool at Anfield on Boxing Day, on an appropriately misty evening, I found myself fumbling through menus to turn the front spotlights and rear fog lamp on, which doesn’t feel like the best human-machine interface. Same goes for the heated seat.
I blame Elon Musk and his famous Teslas for this touchscreen craze (albeit one of his lesser crimes), and it’s a shame MG haven’t followed the trend to get buttons back on dashboards for their latest product.
To my mind, the sombre “leather-style” seats and black interior on my test example were a bit dull – the tan-coloured option sounds more uplifting – but it’s nothing that would put most people off. If you want a more adventurous, classier environment, go for a Peugeot or a Mercedes-Benz, but be prepared to pay for the privilege.
The utterly conventional petrol engine and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (six-speed manual optional) aren’t much fun to use, in truth, or especially brisk, but it’ll return about 40mpg. Much more promising, by all accounts, is the plug-in hybrid, which is officially capable of travelling 75 miles on electric power only, and is much brisker as well as more economical (not counting the higher list price/monthly lease).
Oddly, given MG’s Chinese origins these days (their vehicles are built by Shanghai Automotive), there’s no “pure” BEV (battery electric vehicle) zero-emission variant, but I imagine the slightly chaotic state of the official electric vehicle mandates may have something to do with that.
Some say the MG cars aren’t the most reliable, but then again they will throw in an 80,000-mile/eight-year warranty, and I’ve never had one go wrong on me. By the way, the HS does score the full 5-star safety rating in Euro NCAP safety tests, as it should.
A cloud on the horizon no bigger than a man’s hand with all Chinese-made vehicles (which include Volvos, Dacias and Teslas as well as more obscure brands) is the possible imposition of tariffs in some near-future global trade war. You might want to order your new MG before that particularly economic bun fight gets underway, and assume you’ll still be able to get the spares.
