Summary: MG is rapidly learning what Australian buyers do and don’t want, and the HS +EV does most things very well, and is certainly worthy of consideration.

2026 MG HS +EV plug-in hybrid

Pricing:  $46,990 (driveaway)

Options: premium paint $700, classic tan interior $700

Warranty: Ten-years/250,000 km (if serviced by MG, otherwise seven-years/200,000km), ten-years/150,000 battery warranty, seven-year capped price servicing

Safety: Five-star ANCAP (2024)

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, plus two electric motors

Battery: 24.7kWh

Service intervals: 12 months or 10,000km

Power: 220kW (combined)

Torque: 350Nm (combined)

Transmission: single-speed hybrid transmission, front-wheel drive

Body: 4574mm (long); 1876mm (wide); 1685mm (high)

Build country: China

Kerb weight: 1775kg

Towing capacity: 1500kg

Luggage capacity: 507L, 1484L (rear seats folded)

Wheels: 19-inch alloy

Tyres: 235/50 R18 Bridgestone Alenza

Spare wheel: repair kit

Turning circle: 11.9m

Claimed fuel consumption: 0.7L/100km (95 RON, unleaded)

Claimed energy consumption: 18.0kWh/100km

Claimed electric range: 120km

Fuel tank: 55L

Fuel consumption on test: 3.4L/100km (1000km)

Energy consumption on test: 6.9kWh/100km

seniordriveraus consumption on test: not tested

[review]

It’s over three years since we first drove what was then called the MG HS +EV, or plug-in hybrid, as they have come to be known.

And haven’t things changed in this time? Not only has the car grown in size, so has the battery and projected electric-only driving range.

Now in its second generation, the HS has emerged from its cocoon, spread its wings and become a fully fledged “Super Hybrid” – it’s a much more enticing proposition.

What’s it cost?

There are two grades from which to choose: Excite and Essence.

Prices start from $42,990 for the Excite and $46,900 for the Essence – both prices driveaway.

Our test vehicle, Essence, was finished in Arctic Blue Metallic, with Classic Tan interior trim – each adds $700.

Standard kit includes cloth trim and auto air conditioning with rear outlets, along with 18-inch alloys, keyless entry and start, LED lights front and back, power-adjust driver seat, head-up display, auto high beam, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, auto lights and wipers, rear parking sensors and six-speaker audio.

The Essence adds larger 19-inch alloys, artificial leather, dual zone climate air, electric tailgate, panoramic sunroof, front parking sensors, eight-speaker audio, 360-degree camera and wireless phone charging.

There’s also heated front seats, power adjustment for the front passenger seat, driver seat memory, power lumbar adjustment, auto folding heated door mirrors, front parking sensors, rear privacy glass, and door mirror memory.

Infotainment consists of a combined 12.3-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch instrument panel, together with Bluetooth, voice control, built-in navigation, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and eight-speaker audio.

There’s also wireless phone charging, with two USB-C ports front and back, plus a 12-volt outlet in the front, with iSmart connected services that comes with 12-month complimentary access.

The MG HS has been award a full five stars for safety with seven airbags including a centre airbag to provide added protection for front seat occupants in side impact crashes.

The MG Pilot Safety Suite includes autonomous emergency braking (car-to-car, vulnerable road user, junction and crossing, backover and head-on) as well as a lane support system with lane keep assist (LKA), lane departure warning (LDW) and emergency lane keeping (ELK), and an advanced speed assistance system (SAS) with a speed sign recognition.

There’s also blind spot detection, door opening warning, rear cross traffic alert, drive monitor system, unsteady driver warning, and traffic jam assist.

HS is covered by a 10-year, 250,000km warranty, provided the car is serviced by MG, otherwise it reverts the standard 7 year/200,000km.

The high-voltage battery is covered for the same period, but for only 150,000km.

Each service must be performed within the specified time or kilometre window.

What’s it go like?

In Arctic Blue the HS really stands out.

Otherwise the styling is almost generic for this section of the market, apart that is from the side steps. They are not quite high enough or wide enough to be practical, but they do enhance the look of the car. Even the kids commented how difficult they were to use.

Wider and longer than its predecessor, the second generation HS offers generous head and legroom front and back, with a good-sized luggage area.

With the rear seats in use it offers 507 litres of space, with the seats folded the boot expands to an impressive 1484 litres.

Not so generous is centre storage for loose items, with much of the space given over to two cupholders and wireless charging pad.

The doors are adorned in a fancy, quilted design, but closer inspection reveals they are in fact plastic – as is much of the interior trim.

The door bins are able to accommodate larger sports bottles.

The hybrid system in the HS Super Hybrid is underpinned by a 24.7 kWh battery pack, 23.2 kWh of which is useable. The previous model offered 16.6 kWh.

A 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is paired with two electric motors; one to drive the wheels, the other to recharge the battery when necessary.

Drive is to the front wheels through a dedicated, one-speed hybrid transmission.

The dash to 100km/h takes 6.8 seconds.

Combined output is 220kW of power and 350Nm of torque, with the switch from petrol to electric power almost imperceptible most of the time.

You can switch manually between modes, but not easily, and we were inclined to let the system do its thing – most drivers will.

Interestingly, although there is Sport mode, there is no Eco mode to achieve minimum fuel consumption and no option to change gears manually.

An indicator light and graphical interface reveal what mode the transmission is operating in, while the switch to fully-electric mode seems to depend on several factors – not just speed or throttle input (although both play a part).

At one point we looked down to find the car in EV mode travelling at a speed of 90km/h on a downhill section of the motorway.

During our week with the car we clocked up more than 1000km and can report the HS is a surprisingly easy and comfortable vehicle to drive, and if the battery is charged frequently, it uses very little fuel.

For a vehicle that has not been tuned for our poor Australian roads, ride quality is quite good.

Grip from Bridgestone Alenza tyres is above average and pressed hard the wagon doesn’t misbehave.

The brakes bite hard in an emergency stopping scenario.

With a 55-litre tank, the HS takes premium 95 unleaded, with claimed fuel use of 0.7L/100km and energy consumption of 18.0 kWh/100km.

We charged the car three times using the supplied granny charger, averaging 3.4L/100km and 6.9 kWh/100km – with 230km of petrol remaining on return.

The battery in the HS can be charged at a rate of up 6.6kW using an AC charger which we’re told takes about four hours.

It cannot be charged from a commercial DC fast charger.

Each time we charged the car with the supplied granny charger however, the system told us it would take more than 13 hours.

Of note we were surprised to find the supplied charger worked with an extension lead (this is a first for us).

We were also pleasantly surprised to find the dreaded Chinese driver warnings are not as Draconian in this particular car.

But over the speed limit warnings are constant and annoying, and the system seems to have a problem differentiating between posted speed limits.

Corners, roundabouts and carparks involve a bit of guess work because the front roof pillars and large exterior mirrors block vision.

The rear view camera was also distorted and difficult to use.

Of note, the electric tailgate worked inconsistently, with not enough grunt to lift the tailgate if the car was parked on a slope.

We suspect it’s the same electric motor as used in MG’s Cyberster electric sports car, whose chic scissor doors refused to open when parked on a slope – whether you’re in or out of the car.

Eight months later, we are still waiting for MG to get back to us on this issue.

What we like

• Comfy
• Long range
• Low fuel consumption
• Door bins take sports bottles
• Relatively inexpensive

What we don’t like

• Big front pillar blindspot
• Power tailgate baulks sometimes
• Wireless charger makes phone overheat
• Manual dim rear vision mirror
• Reverse camera distorted

What over-50s need to know

We like it. It’s not perfect, but then no car ever is.

Where the HS does excel is being a Super Hybrid, with ultra-low fuel consumption and a range of more than 1000km, provided you recharge the battery at every opportunity.

With an electric only range of 120km, the urban commute is very doable too.

It’s easy to see why the popularity of plug-in hybrids is increasing exponentially – especially at these kind of prices.

Older drivers in the market for something comfortable and well appointed, with low fuel consumption and a price to match should definitely take a closer look at this one.

seniordriver comments

The MG HS shows that the Chinese are listening to what buyer want in a car, and responding.

The HS is larger than before, and importantly, has a larger battery pack offering a better range.

Adding to the appeal is a generous ten-year warranty (if the car is serviced by MG, but even if it’s not, the car is still covered by a seven-year warranty).

The electric-only range is probably perfect for most commuters. But as usual, the claimed fuel consumption figure is far from most people will attain.

Worth remembering is the MG neds to be serviced every 10,000 to maintain the warranty, and MG requires that it be carried out weithin 3000km or 28 days of the scheduled date/anniversary.

Chris Riley has been a journalist for 40 years and is the managing editor of cars4starters. He has spent half his career as a writer, editor and production editor in newspapers, the rest of the time driving and writing about cars, both in print and online. His love affair with cars began as a teenager with the purchase of an old VW Beetle, followed by another Beetle and a string of other cars on which he has wasted far too much time and money. A self-confessed geek, he’s not afraid to ask the hard questions, even at the risk of sounding silly.