Alongside the hobbies I usually talk about (incessantly) here at TarmacLife, I have yet another one: gaming. And when playing a game that captivates me, I am something the community calls “a completionist”. I won’t put the game down until I’ve explored every single dungeon of an RPG, or bought every last car of a racing game. Weird way to start a car review, I know, but this is just to justify how keen I was to try out the new MG HS, the only car the brand currently sells in NZ that I had not thoroughly tried out yet. On the way to 100%!
The HS is MG’s largest offering, and one that has a more full fledged SUV shape in comparison to the ZS. First introduced in 2018, the one we have now is an all-new generation. It might look like a big departure from the previous design, but save your judgment until you see the facelifted version we never got here in NZ. It bridges the gap between this new shape and the one we had for years, which I always thought was too similar to the younger brother. It now gets to stand alone with a simple but effective design, with modern elements through the lighting assemblies front and back. The black paint job, while extremely well executed, hides some of the lines and shapes of the car, blending in and being cohesive without being shouty. It flies under the radar, which is something the intended buying public might be interested, and I’m sure will age gracefully.
It has grown two inches from the previous gen, and it shows, both inside and out. The same subdued approach is what you see as you climb inside – and it is a nice place to be in. In previous stints in MG cars, I consistently had issues with their seats always catching me on my lower back, and the new HS is the first exception to the rule. The seats share some of the upholstery material and the very soft cushioning with other models, but bring plenty of adjusting (with electric and memory in this top trim), all with a newfound comfort that is extremely welcome. At the centre console, you get usable, no-nonsense storage options and a gear selector that feels better put together than the assembly used in their electrified versions.
It feels cozy up front, spacious in the second row – with a good armrest and air vents back there, and the boot is spacious despite the high loading floor. Other than the orange stitching, everything is different shades of black, so some interior illumination would elevate the experience. However, I get that it was built to a price point, so it gets a pass. Switchgear is familiar and super easy to use, with not a lot to get lost in and cohesive controls.
Again, in the topic of revisiting previous reviews, when I had the ZS, I was left with the impression the tech could use a little more work, and I feel like MG has now delivered. The new HS brings a twin floating screen implementation that greatly modernizes the layout without being gimmicky. The information layout is similar to other cars of the brandh, with a static home page and an app drawer, followed by redundant buttons at the right side of the screen and physical ones below it. For each iteration, MG tries a different combination of which controls are available at a single click, and while it is better, I think they still haven’t nailed it. This means that turning on seat heating is a three menu jump endeavour, and changing the temperature requires you to leave phone projection. Their previous temperature rocker was useful and is missed here.
At least you can use two favourite buttons for some most used options. I mapped one of them to the 360 camera. It is snappy, responsive and a great addition. There is wired Android Auto/CarPlay (through USB-A) and a helpful suite of driving assistances that includes an all-seeing attention monitoring system mounted to the A-pillar. It drove my wife insane when she briefly drove the car, which probably just means she should pay more attention to the road than to her passenger-prince. Granted, it can be annoying at times, but it is well calibrated and spot on your pupils. The two screens have good definition, a great range of brightness and plenty of customisation.
Pro tip: the screens look much more premium and cohesive in dark mode. I don’t love the off-white look with the generic fonts, so I’m happy you can force the darker layout all the time – I am a Dark Mode activist. Join me and enjoy lower brightness levels while also getting better looks. But enough nerdiness and game talk, this is a car review after all.
Power comes from a 4 cylinder turbocharged engine, and sent to the front wheels through a dual clutch transmission. A combination that we used to see much more frequently a few years ago, but that somehow suits the HS quite well. The 1.5 litre makes an adequate 125kW of power, and will not light your hair on fire. When I had 4 adults in it (with little luggage), the car clearly reacted differently, so I don’t see it as a big hauler, although I’m sure it is up to the daily commute. Clearly, the engine is hardly the star of the show here, so I’m glad that MG paired it to a more engaging gearbox than, say, a CVT.
In normal, relaxed driving, the predictable performance of the engine and the super smooth performance of the gearbox get to shine. In my driving notes while evaluating the car, I wrote “so smooth!”, and it really is. Upshifts happen early and with no disruption, keeping the engine at a low and quiet regime, which is better for everyone. Under the limits, the HS is a great commuter: the seats support you well, everyone inside can get to enjoy good comfort due to the limited roll and pitch of the body, and it manages to be somewhat efficient clocking 7.3km/100km during my long time with it.
As you lean on it a bit more, however, the limits start becoming more apparent, with understeer under load and unwanted rotation when you lift. Out of all MGs I tested, it is the one to show its limits the first, but it is also the last one where you would expect sporty driving. So much so that there are not even driving modes per se, rather just a set of toggles for steering effort. In other words, just stick to being civil and you will be more than okay.
So, there you go, MG complete! Even though I might be close for a few others, I don’t think I can say this about many car brands out there. There is something to be said for getting to check out everything a certain brand offers in your market. And the HS is a solid new offering: modern looks, their best tech implementation so far, and a great, value-packed daily commuter. Thanks, MG, for the opportunity, and now to doing the rounds while we wait for the Cyberster! Thanks for reading.
