MOTORING JUNE: MG HS PHEV Trophy

George Loveridge Driving Around for Travel News Update

We have seen a fair few MGs in Travel News Update, having sampled the all new MG3 at the start of the year. However, this time we have got the totally revised HS PHEV. The previous generation HS was MG’s best-selling vehicle to date. Therefore, what does this new model have to offer?

I had a first generation HS PHEV on loan back in 2021, and I loved everything about it. It was an ideal daily driver, returning modest performance and superb economy. Moreover, it was a well sized SUV that was appropriately sized for UK roads, and still returned admirable interior space. This 2025 model does much the same, and more! They have taken the original formula and have essentially made everything better. Well, almost everything.

Mechanically, we have got a 1.5-litre petrol engine that is coupled to a 24.7kWh battery, sending 303bhp to the front wheels via a two-speed automatic gearbox. All of these credentials result in an easy average of over 80mpg across local trips. Being a plug-in hybrid, you get the best of both worlds. You can easily switch between EV (electric vehicle) and HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) modes.

From a full four-hour slow charge, we get 75 miles of electric range to play with, working alongside the regular petrol tank we can squeeze up to 610 miles out of this thing between the pumps. Being an HEV, the HS will also use regenerative breaking to help charge the battery. Performance wise, we get three driving modes; comfort, normal and sport. Both comfort and normal feel very much the same, however they do hold back 20% of the car’s potential power. We have a power percentage display on the driver’s information screen, and even when you plant your right foot, we can see that we only get 80% thrust! However, switch to sport mode and all 303bhp and 305Nm are released, and it does feel like quite the speed machine. The two-speed automatic gearbox is great for passenger refinement, although not so good for anything else.

On the motorway, the car revs at 2400rpm which feels a little high. Moreover, when cornering on a trailing throttle, the front wheels spin up easily when they get a great big boot full of power that has not been managed by a thoughtful gearbox. On that note, the 19-inch wheels sit within Bridgestone tyres which love to squeal at any given opportunity, less sidewall would combat this. We have to remember though, this is an award-winning mid-size SUV and not a sports car. 

On short trips, the car actually returns north of 99mpg, as it’s using a healthy combination of electric and petrol power. On the motorway, you can opt to use EV mode only, but the range soon plummets at more than a mile per percent. However, because of that high revving engine, the HS only managed to return 51.4mpg on a 280-mile drive from Yorkshire to Dorset. Sure, this is impressive for a 2-tonne petrol SUV, but I did expect better. One thing you really noticed on the previous generation, and indeed with other hybrids, is the ‘kick’ when the petrol engine came in. I have to admit that in this revised model, the transition is seamless and it feels the same to drive ether you’re using it as an EV or petrol vehicle. 

Inside, the MH HS is refined and comfortable. If, a little bland. Unusually, we get black leather, which is fine, along with orange stitching throughout the cabin. Personally, I’d have gone for red! There are heated seats exclusively in the front, but this heating does extend to the headrest which is very nice indeed.

As is fashionable in the 2020s, the traditional instrument cluster has been ditched in favour of one long glass creen across the dash, housing the central infotainment in the middle, and driver’s information in front of the flat bottom steering wheel. All new MGs have ‘favourite’ buttons on the steering wheel. These look like two stars, and give you control over what they do. For instance, I opted for one of the two buttons to change the media platform, and the other the drive mode. This is great, but it highlights that there are very little buttons within the cabin. There are just a few on the dash for climate on or off, heated front and rear screens and the hazard lights.

Otherwise, everything is within a menu, within a menu, and then in another menu. Which, I will continue to argue is incredibly unsafe. That’s not MGs fault, it just seems to be the way we’re going. Despite this, rear passengers get if anything too much space, even as a six footer, I feel like a child again in the back of this car with high door cards and ample leg room. The boot is an okay 507 litres, but this is interrupted by the charge cables which MG have still failed to find a permanent home for.

The George Loveridge Verdict:

I racked up nearly 700 miles in the HS across a week, which I feel is enough time to really get to know it. Honestly, my only real complaints are with the motor industry and what is fashionable in cars these days. Oh, and I have to concede that the interior does feature some scratchy plastics, glossy surfaces that look cheap and nasty. Plus, the stitching on the driver’s seat is already starting to tear after just 5000 miles. However, if I were in the market for a sub £40,000 SUV, I would go for the MG HS over anyone else. The Kia Sportage Hybrid sells in huge numbers, and yet is less fuel efficient than the MG, and is more expensive! Additionally, the KGM Actyon is roughly the same price, but is petrol only and suffers with horrendous fuel economy. That being said, it does have a better interior. The HS is not boring, it’s a safe and practical option with amazing economy for its size, and plenty of power.

Price as tested: £34,495
Lead in price: £31,995
Average fuel consumption: Range (petrol): 610 miles; Range (electric): 75 miles
Engine size: 1496cc
0-60: 6.8 seconds

Performance 8
Handling 6
Transmission 10
Noise 9
Economy 9
Ride and Comfort 10
Accommodation 7
Styling 7
Brakes 8
Finish 5
TOTAL= 79%

www.mg.co.uk/new-cars/new-mg-hs-plug-in-hybrid

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