While MG has come a long way since its rebirth as a budget Chinese brand in 2007, some vehicles in its line up still fit into the "built down to a price" ethos of the budget segment. However, the new HS Hybrid+ is the opposite: it show the best MG is capable of, blending a refined powertrain and attractive styling with the brand’s signature value proposition to create a direct and aggressive challenger in the fiercely competitive mid-size hybrid SUV market, with its sights set squarely on established leaders like the Toyota RAV4.
Click here to read our MG HS Essence full review
The HS Hybrid+ is powered by a parallel hybrid system that combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with a single electric motor to produce a combined system output of 165kW and 340Nm, all pushed through the front wheels via a dedicated hybrid transmission.
This translates into a smooth and refined driving experience, similar to that of a full EV. Adding to this EV-like impression is the interaction between the electric motor and engine, which is utterly seamless and provides plenty of performance for daily commuting, city driving, and confident open road overtaking, with the electric motor even providing much of the propulsion at lower speeds.
Of course, one of the main points of any hybrid is efficiency, and thanks to that heavy use of the electric motor at urban speeds, the HS Hybrid+ largely delivers here too. Like the ICE-only version of the HS, it requires 95 octane premium unleaded petrol, but its consumption figures are competitive for the class.
MG claims a combined average of 5.2L/100km for the HS Hybrid+, and after a week with it we were seeing pretty close to that, with 4.8 on a largely urban cycle with a bit of motorway commuting, which lifted to 5.6 after a longer open road trip.
Like its ICE-only sibling, the driving dynamics of the HS Hybrid+ are... fine. Just fine, but largely unremarkable.
While the suspension has an excellent ability to absorb larger bumps, providing an impressive open road cruising ride, it can become fidgety when dealing with smaller road imperfections, coarse surfaces and potholes.
The MG HS Hybrid+ showcases the rapid improvement of the MG brand with its refined powertrain and outstanding value.
The interior is arguably the most important aspect of a family-friendly medium SUV, and the HS Hybrid+ offers a good quality, spacious, and well-appointed cabin that is ideally suited for families, with the second row providing plenty of leg, head and foot room, with enough space for tall adults to sit comfortably behind tall front occupants.
The usual complaints about MG's infotainment tech (a laggy touchscreen and messy menus) and driver assists (slightly intrusive with over-enthusiastic warning chimes that all sound the same) apply to the Hybrid+ model, although MG has taken a great stride in sanity by including a simple solution to this common industry-wide annoyance in the form of an "MG Pilot Custom" feature that allows the driver to create a shortcut to easily disable the more intrusive aids with just a couple of button presses.
Value for money is still the undeniable core strength of the MG HS Hybrid+ and its aggressive pricing, generous feature list, and strong10-year warranty combine to create a financial case that is difficult for its main rivals to match.
The MG HS Hybrid+ showcases the rapid improvement of the MG brand with its refined powertrain and outstanding value, yet it also reveals areas where further polish is needed, particularly in its technology and driver-assistance systems.
