MG Motor UK HS review

“The most important car we’ve ever launched,” according to MG, while crediting the outgoing HS as a turning point in its post-Rover resurgence. Indeed, the HS badge is now rather a big deal; it accounts for a third of MG’s annual sales as the company’s UK numbers continue to rise. It already outsells Skoda, the former champion of pragmatic, practical motoring, and may soon elbow out Vauxhall to secure a spot in Britain’s top ten manufacturers. This is a far cry from the mediocrity of the MG 6 saloon that kickstarted the Chinese era of MG on our shores.

Though it’s fair to say the old HS wasn’t exactly stellar, merely a bargain bin SUV that aped a few neat design cues and tapped into the burgeoning plug-in hybrid market to boost its appeal. Though, what appeal: it still accounts for five per cent of mid-size SUV sales, battling hard against the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson in the most popular aisle in the British car market, and is individually a top ten bestseller overall.

Big shoes to fill…

Its second coming fills them more snugly, too, a new platform yielding a larger footprint. But rather than claim its increased length and width bring ‘sportier, more road-hugging looks’ as its rivals might, MG focuses on an altogether more useful gain: space. There’s more of it everywhere, with proper room for adults in the back seats and a boot that’s not only grown over the old HS but is now matched between pure petrol and plug-in models. A rare claim.

We’d forgive MG for shouting more about the design gains, though. This is a snazzier car than before; with its extra length all poured into the wheelbase, newly dinky overhangs contribute to an overall glow-up from dowdy, anonymous crossover to – well – a less dowdy, less anonymous crossover. It heralds a new MG design language, we’re told, and it’s broadly successful if a little generic. Is it just us who spots a whiff of Tesla in its rear light treatment?

What else is new?

There’s a new turbocharged 1.5-litre engine that powers both pure petrol and PHEV versions (a regular ‘self-charging’ hybrid follows in 2025). In the former, it hooks up to a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes for peak claims of 167bhp, 202lb ft and 0-62mph in 9.4secs. The latter is another beast entirely, pairing a slight detune of the engine with an electric motor for 303bhp and 319lb ft peaks and a 6.8sec sprint to 62mph. All models are front-driven only.

Luckily MG has worked a lot harder on separating ICE and PHEV versions and each gets its own unique chassis tuning to avoid the pogoing-on-Prozac sensations of the old plug-in. While it accounted for around 15 per cent of HS sales in 2023, expect its share to climb with a newly impressive EV range (75 miles yields 12g/km CO2 emissions and a bargain five per cent BIK rate) and better tech (including vehicle-to-load, so you can charge e-bikes and suchlike with its 24.7kWh lithium-ion battery). MG wants to welcome company car drivers who’ve spent their last few years in a full EV and feel burned by the experience. As fully electric sales falter – the cheap-as-chips MG 4 hatch included – this particular HS might snare more cautious buyers.

So prices are still good?

‘A medium SUV for the price of a small SUV’ is the claim. Which basically means a Qashqai rival for the price of a Juke. So while HS prices have climbed by almost a grand in pure petrol form (or a more palatable £400 for the PHEV), it’s still at the cheaper end of not only crossovers, but the new car market as a whole.

Your entry point is £24,995 for a petrol manual in base SE trim, which still brings Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a rear camera and parking sensors, a pair of 12.3in display screens and a host of active safety equipment.

Another £1,500 adds the seven-speed DCT auto, while £2,500 upgrades you to Trophy trim and its dual-zone auto air con, heated leather seats, electric tailgate and 360-degree parking camera. The PHEV starts at £31,495 in SE trim and curiously adds side steps for an infinitesimally more rugged look. It also promises more resilient used values than its closest rivals.

The new HS represents a useful step forward; a car whose looks, powertrain and perception of quality have all improved. Just be aware that its character hasn’t shifted too much and that most of its sophistication is skin-deep. Some cloying technology and truly irritating safety bongs also hint at a car made to fit industry regs and sell in droves now rather than feel relevant in a few years’ time.

Though in the face of cost-of-living challenges, there’s plenty to celebrate in a car that delivers so much space and equipment for the money – all backed up by a generous warranty – and the PHEV certainly makes a strong case for itself. We won’t begrudge anyone choosing one. It’s simply that we sense, as a TopGear.com reader, you’re a car enthusiast on some level. This second-gen HS won’t sate you, however much of a glow the Cyberster now casts over the MG range.