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Independent SME Fleet Motoring News

MG HS PHEV

by Andrew Walker

MG have slowly but surely been improving their products, with the electric MG4 really shaking up the EV sector.  It was helped by the fact that it looks great & is also very good to drive. MG are hoping to perform the same trick with their best selling HS, which has accounted for 27% of MG’s global sales since it was launched in 2019. The all-new version has just landed & we took to the streets of Bedfordshire to see what the plug-in was like.

Exterior
This is where the new HS really shines. Gone is the pre-gym 2019 version replaced by a much fitter & slender looking five door SUV that oozes charm from every corner. MG’s designers have quite clearly taken the best bits from the competition creating a far more attractive product that will heighten its appeal.
Slender LED corner headlights adorn the front with the large MG logo sitting on the bonnet front. Beneath this is the dark grey mesh grille & corner fog lights. The side profile is very F-Pace with narrow windows & sleek lines. The rear has a width wide light across the tailgate & slim corner lights, plus a spoiler above the rear window.
Interior
Here too the latest HS is a big step up from what came before. The quality of both the fixtures & fittings as well as the seat finishes & carpets is also vastly improved. Our dash top drumming test produced a satisfying thud & the dual screens  in front of the driver add a touch of class to proceedings.
Perhaps lower down on the door pockets & centre binnacle edges the quality drops off, but overall it’s an impressive offering. Spend an extra £500 & you can have an upgraded tan interior.
Engine choice, electric range & performance

Petrol, hybrid & plug-in hybrid will be available. The petrol 1.5T is being offered with either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed DCT gearbox. The plug-in a comes with an auto 2-speed box. The hybrid will land in 2025.

We were testing the best company car option which is the PHEV. It’s powered by a 67kW generator, 154kW motor & a 24.7kWh battery that’s good for a pure electric range of 75 miles. Acceleration from 0-62mph takes just 6.9 seconds.

Model choice

Two familiar MG specs are available SE or Trophy & both come better equipped than the outgoing HS.

Upgrades include a 12.3” Virtual Driver Display, 12.3″ infotainment screen, wireless charging, 19″ alloys, electric memory function seats, wireless charging & SatNav with live services on all versions. The PHEV also offers a smart power tailgate & a Vehicle to Load capability.

Prices

SE manual petrol costs from £24,995, the SE auto £26,495, Trophy manual £27,495 & Trophy auto £27,995. The plug-in’s are more expensive with the SE costing £31,495 & Trophy £33,995.

Safety

Both versions are stacked with safety thanks to MG Pilot the brands suite of on-board safety features. Included are autonomous emergency braking, front collision warning, lane departure warning & prevention, emergency lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control & intelligent cruise assist. You also get a 360 degree surround camera & a driver monitoring system, more of which later.

Practicality

The new HS is 35mm longer (PHEV 60mm) 14mm wider & is actually 21mm lower than the outgoing HS, which now has a boot size of 507 litres. Overall, the wheelbase has grown by 45mm.

Cabin practicality
In the cabin customers get twin centre cup holders, a good sized glove box, under armrest storage, large front & rear door pockets, twin front USB inputs & a 12v socket. The large boot features a boot floor with space underneath for charging cables. There’s plenty of room inside for four adults & five on shorter journey’s.

Warranty

7 Year / 80,000 mile warranty
Company Car drivers
Here’s where things get interesting. With the plug-in’s 25kW battery & 75 mile electric rang,  it’s available at just 5% Benefit in Kind. This means that a 20% tax payer will need to find only £26.20 a month for the treasury whilst a 40% tax payer will pay just £52.40. In real terms the HS PHEV is now as cheap for taxation as many full EV’s & for those company car drivers who switched to electric for tax reasons only, the HS is a plug-in offering that could work better for them.

Infotainment

The 12.3” screen is large enough & the operating system quick enough to keep you happy, with a simple four-block home page offering. You simply scroll left or right to choose each input such as SatNav, Radio & Climate with both Apple CarPlay & Android Auto also displayed for quick access. Our only gripe is that the icons for CarPlay & Android Auto are located on the left hand side of the screen so are a little bit of a reach for the driver.
There’s an easy to understand vertical tower of symbols on the right of the screen for short cuts & if you scroll fully left a dictionary of icons allow you access to the sub menus for all of the cars primary functions. In here you’ll be able to switch from hybrid to electric driving & turn off  some of the every annoying safety features such as driver monitoring. MG are not alone in making this available but to our mind drivers are more than capable of concentrating on the job at hand without being told every few seconds that they aren’t looking straight ahead.
Driving
The biggest compliment we can pay the plug-in HS is that it’s a pretty damn good to drive. It’s quick & nimble offering  plenty of steering wheel feedback when you encounter tight turns or bends. The battery weight underneath remains well hidden, even over poor road surfaces & up-front driver comfort & visibility is excellent.
The gear lever & electric parking brake are located between the front seats & changing gear is very easy compared to many SUV’s that now feature quirky steering wheel gear changes or toggles located elsewhere.
On the motorway the cabin remains calm & quiet with little wind or road noise getting through. We connected our iPhone for podcasts & to Waze relatively easily & then set cruise control via the steering wheel buttons – a tad fiddly to be fair – then sat back & relaxed.
Front seat passengers get good head & legroom although the electric seat adjustment buttons do feel a tad flimsy. In the rear the flat ish floor means you will get three passengers on board in relative comfort. Our test car featured a side steps to aid access which really isn’t necessary for the HS which for an SUV sits quite low on the road.
Pros
Great looking, well equipped, spacious & comfortable plug-in hybrid. Low BIK & electric range of 75 miles makes it highly appealing for company car drivers. Price wise the plug-in HS is cheaper to buy than most others C sector SUV offerings.
Cons
The infotainments not always the most logical to access. The steering wheel mounted switches for the cruise control & media are a little fiddly to use. All-around quality is better than before,  but it’s still not as good as other more expensive offerings.
Verdict
Looking back at our HS Mk 1 PHEV review from 2022, it’s clear to see that the latest HS is light years ahead of that car in every single category. It’s larger, better equipped, features more safety, is better built & looks far better than the original. The old HS plug-in came with 11% BIK & a 30 mile electric range, so the the latest version with it’s 75 mile pure electric range is now going to be vying for your attention in the C SUV sector, especially as it’s priced where other manufacturers B SUV’s sit. On the down side there are some touchscreen & steering wheel switch quibbles & the electric seat adjustment switches feel flimsy. Other than that, it’s another winner for MG & in the SME fleet sector, it’s nailed on to attract a broader range of customers to the MG brand.
A BIK saving delight 4/5

About Andrew Walker

Andrew 'Max' Walker is a member of the Northern Group of Motoring Writers & has been reviewing cars & vans since 1991. He has supplied stories for Fleet North, MSA Newslink, Health Fleet Management, Local Authority Fleet Manager & various Chamber of Commerce & lifestyle publications. He launched Company Car & Van in April 2010 specifically for SME fleets, who are the backbone of the UK economy. His favourite car of all time is the original Citroen DS & like most motoring writers, he loves to drive a van.