What is it?

Having spent a fun week living with its smaller sibling, the ZS, I fancied getting my hands on the facelift HS. And why not, with a starting price of around £24,000, the HS is one of the cheapest SUVs in the mid-size SUV sector, which in turn is one of the most competitive areas for mainstream manufacturers.

I know what you’re all thinking, and no, cheap doesn’t mean rubbish, it means cracking value for money, which is a rare thing these days.

On the road

This particular HS was fitted with the 160bhp 1.5ltr turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine and mated to a 7-speed auto.  With a smooth gear change this combination offers a more leisurely driving experience rather than sporty, and that’s fine.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s no slouch and will get you to 60mph in just under 10-seconds and will reach the heady heights of 118mph, if that’s important to you.  What’s probably more important these days is a WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure) figure of around 36-37mpg and emissions between 168 and 174 g/km.

The dual-clutch transmission (DCT) auto’s driving modes comprises of Eco, Normal and Sport settings. The latter can be accessed by prodding the bright red ‘Supersports’ button on the steering wheel.  Some folk have suggested it looks out of place, I think it adds a bit of fun to the interior.

When it comes to handling you will certainly enjoy throwing it around the corners, its suspension strikes a good balance between ride comfort and handling and has less body roll and sharper steering than you would imagine. Road and wind noise aren’t intrusive and every journey turned out to be very pleasant, even just nipping to the shops. 

However, one of the few of niggles I had with the HS is when you select reverse it feels like an age for it to engage, it isn’t instant.  Then, annoyingly the volume of whatever you are listening to is reduced to whisper quiet. Come on, there’s no need for that.

Off road

Yes, I know it’s 2WD, but I still thought I’d explore a few ‘safer’ green lanes, after all, it has decent ground clearance.

Having said that, I nearly found myself in bother whilst skirting around a mud hole created by a local farmer. There was a fair bit of scrambling from the front tyres, but I made it through.  In case you’re wondering I had a pair of ActionTrax in the back, just in case.

Like any 2WD vehicle, I reckon if you fit a set of decent mud/snow tyres you’ll be surprised at where the HS would take you.

Interior

I know this isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I love the colour combo!

It’s screwed together well with huge swathes of soft-touch plastic, and faux-leather on the dashboard and doors that adds a touch of class.

Being tall I did find low-mounted rear-view mirror a bit of a nuisance, but I soon got used to it.  Other than that visibility is quite good. Every HS comes with a 10.1” infotainment touchscreen, built-in sat-nav, DAB radio, and the usual smartphone mirroring. The heater works well, but my main gripe with the HS are that the controls are awful.

Press the heater button below the monitor and you’re taken to a separate screen from where you have to prod frantically to change the temperature and fan speed.  Some vehicles allow you to keep your finger on the screen to change settings, but not the HS. I can’t tell you how much I hated this!  Whoever thought having such poorly designed heater controls on a monitor was a good idea needs to sit in a darkened room and have a long hard chat with themselves.  Please MG, use knobs and dials, it’s far easier and much safer.

With that off my chest back to the positives.  Although a tad narrow if you’re on the large side (like me), the seats are very supportive, and no matter where you sit within the HS there’s plenty of head, elbow and leg room.  Oh, and every version comes with a six-way adjustable driver’s seat and adjustable lumbar support as standard.

You will find plenty of storage in the HS from cupholders to cubby holes, and in the boot with the 60/40 split rear seats upright there’s 463 litres of space, with the seats down 1,454 litres - enough for three good size Peli cases and more.

Conclusion

There maybe more frugal SUVs in its class, some with more interior space and a more dynamic to drive, but every HS has automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high-beam assist and rear cross-traffic alert. In fact the long list of standard safety equipment helped earn the HS a full five-star Euro NCAP back in 2019.  Not only that, but all MGs come with a 7 year manufacturer warranty, which is better than almost anything you’ll get elsewhere, and matches Kia's offering.

Overall, apart from a few niggles I really quite enjoyed my week with the HS.

more at » https://www.mg.co.uk/new-cars/new-mg-hs