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Road test review: MG HS PHEV

Wednesday, 10 November 2021

MG's first plug-in hybrid is here, so how does the HS PHEV measure up?
The MG HS PHEV looks pretty unassuming, which might be a plus for those wanting something greener without shouting about it.
The MG HS PHEV looks pretty unassuming, which might be a plus for those wanting something greener without shouting about it.
A 1.5-litre petrol engine is supplemented by an electric motor, and produces about as much power as a VW Golf GTE.
A 1.5-litre petrol engine is supplemented by an electric motor, and produces about as much power as a VW Golf GTE.

The MG HS PHEV is, as you can probably gather, the plug-in hybrid version of the HS medium SUV. It’s more expensive than the smaller ZS EV, but you get the best of both worlds in the powertrain. How does it stack up in the real world?

Why should I buy a plug-in hybrid over a normal hybrid or a fully electric car?

Inside the HS PHEV is largely the same as what you’ll find in the regular HS, save for an EV button and redesigned gear selector.
Inside the HS PHEV is largely the same as what you’ll find in the regular HS, save for an EV button and redesigned gear selector.

Well, you get all the benefits of driving on electric power, something Prius-like hybrids can’t do, and the peace of mind that comes with a full tank of petrol. It really is the best of both worlds. Why PHEVs barely shift is one of life’s great mysteries, I guess.

**READ MORE:

* MG's first plug-in hybrid has landed in New Zealand

* Road test review: Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV

MG has quietly debuted a new ten-speed automatic in the HS PHEV.
MG has quietly debuted a new ten-speed automatic in the HS PHEV.

* Road test review: Kia Sorento Premium PHEV

**

In this case, MG has given the HS a single electric motor on the front axle, paired with a 1.5-litre turbocharged combustion engine. The combined total output is 189kW and 370Nm, which is impressive for a medium SUV, while the 16.6kWh battery holds enough volts for around 55km of real-world driving range.

That’s easily enough for most daily commutes, with spare for supermarket or “I-can’t-be-bothered-cooking-let’s-get-takeaways” runs.

One area for improvement is the laggy infotainment system.
One area for improvement is the laggy infotainment system.

You can force the HS PHEV to run in electric-only mode via a button mounted next to the gear lever, a mode in which the car will stay even if you flatten the accelerator pedal, unlike some other hybrids which call in the engine regardless of which mode it’s in.

The car defaults to Auto mode, which lets the computer figure out when to use the engine and when to use the motor. It’s pretty good, although it does ask for combustion assistance a bit more than I would like. That means the battery holds its charge for longer, but fuel usage goes up. After a week, my average was around 6.0L/100km, almost exclusively as a result of the Auto mode. Taking charge of things manually and leaving it in EV mode for most urban running will yield far better consumption.

Do I need to worry about it being Chinese?

The big question will boil down to deciding to go fully electric and smaller with the ZS EV or partially electric and larger with the HS PHEV. Both come in Clipper Blue, though.
The big question will boil down to deciding to go fully electric and smaller with the ZS EV or partially electric and larger with the HS PHEV. Both come in Clipper Blue, though.

Definitely not, those days are long gone. Like Japanese and Korean autos before them, Chinese cars are properly quality these days.

Just be aware that this is a relatively cheap plug-in hybrid, at $53k before rebates, so it won’t have the same level of quality as something like a BMW X3 xDrive30e (which costs twice as much). And while it only costs half the price, the MG is certainly way more than half as good.

For your money, you get synthetic leather trim for the interior, 10.1-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and built-in sat-nav, a six-way powered driver’s seat, ambient lighting, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, keyless entry and a cooled centre armrest box. There’s also a three-spoke steering wheel, digital dash cluster and plenty of soft-touch surfaces.

The bulk of the interior is lifted from the combustion HS, funnily enough. The only PHEV-specific changes are the new-style gear selector (works like a BMWs, with an Unlock thumb button and a rocking motion for selecting gears) and EV drive mode button.

What’s it like to drive?

It’s great. The powertrain is punchy off the line and keeps its momentum until well after you cross the 100kmh mark. With 189kW, the HS actually packs more power than the 2.5-litre turbo Mazda CX-5 Takami, and you can definitely feel it off the line, even with the HS being FWD compared to the Mazda’s AWD set up.

The transmission is a new one, being a previously unseen ten-speed automatic that debuts in the PHEV. For the most part it’s quite good, smooth between the gears, although there is a funny sensation when changing gears under a decent amount of power.

You can feel the clutch disengage the transmission but the electric motor keeps providing power, which means the car lurches slightly forward, as the motor makes more torque than the engine. It feels a little like a CVT. Odd.

The steering is heavier than expected, which means it takes a bit more effort to turn at low speeds but makes the HS feel more stable at higher speeds. The suspension is set up for comfort, so there is a bit of body roll, but nothing out of the ordinary. If you’ve driven a combustion HS, you won’t be in for any surprises here.

So it’s a slam dunk?

Well, almost. It’s certainly very good, and absolutely worthy of consideration, but the synthetic leather isn’t the greatest. Nicer than plain cloth, though. The driver’s seat is also too high, particularly if you’re over six-foot/184cm. Combined with a fairly low-set rearview mirror, you lose a lot of vision to your left. It’s not hard to look around it, but it shouldn’t really be an issue.

The infotainment is functionally fine, but can be quite laggy. This also seems to extend to CarPlay, although my phone is fairly old, so results may vary. The sat-nav is pretty bad though - best just use Google Maps.

There’s a bit less boot space than the combustion HS, owing to the extra batteries.

And finally, if you’re considering the HS PHEV for its green driving creds, it gets beaten out by its stablemate, the noticeably cheaper (and admittedly smaller) ZS EV.

Any other cars I should consider?

The aforementioned smaller ZS EV, if you’re thinking about emissions, while competitive plug-in hybrids include the Mitsubishi pairing of the Eclipse Cross PHEV ($49,990 to $57,990) or Outlander PHEV ($52,990 to $59,990), as well as the Ford Escape PHEV ($60,990 to $66,990).

Although, with its brawny 189kW/370Nm output, the HS easily shades all of the competition in terms of power and performance, regardless of money.