MG is showing no signs of slowing down and the new HS SUV certainly is proof of that. With the previous generation HS offering plenty in terms of equipment for the price, it did still feel a tad rough around the edges. Enter the latest and vastly refreshed HS SUV. I was able to spend a week in its company and even managed to bring it on a wee family jaunt to Greymouth.
Let’s begin with the change that is the most obvious, the looks. The outgoing HS was by no means an ugly duckling but it didn’t really grab your attention. The new HS addresses this shortcoming by sporting a entirely refreshed look. First thing you notice is that gaping front grill and slick looking LED headlights. I especially like the full width light bar encompassing the re-designed taillight cluster. Its a clean cut and contemporary look and it works well. The new HS is also much bigger than the previous gen with an extended wheelbase of 2765mm. It is also wider and longer too with a width of 1890mm and length of 4655mm respectively.
The new HS consist of a trio of spec levels with the Vibe kicking things off at a way-low $36,990, the mid tier $39,990 Excite and my test car, the flagship Essence at $42,990. All models right now get the same 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, however the range will further expand with upcoming hybrid expected here in the New Year at some stage. Power sits at 125kW and torque at 275Nm. Combined fuel consumption is around the 6.9L/100km mark and CO2 emissions at 156g/km.
Inside we have a completely reworked cabin. I love the new 12.3-inch infotainment screen couple to the instrument cluster of the same size. The two blend into one nicely and both are very intuitive and easy to use. The quality has certainly improved over the outgoing HS with less hard plastics and more premium feeling materials throughout the cabin. Space is also quite generous too with passengers fore and aft finding room to move about a bit.
It’s also worth mentioning here the boot is certainly capacious with a combined carrying capacity of 1480L with the second seat row stowed away. That said, even with the rear seats in place, The MG’s generous 507L will easily swallow one’s overnight luggage, plus picnic hampers and a couple of backpacks plus a tote bag. As you can probably tell by the image, I can safely testify to this. My family’s belongings were able to be neatly stored away with a smidgen of space to spare.
Gadgets? Yes there is plenty, especially when you consider the price. Along with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, that aforementioned touch screen infotainment system, reversing camera and 4x USB ports, the Essence gets sat nav, 19-inch alloys, 360-degree camera, panoramic sunroof, wireless charging, 3-level heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, power tailgate, leather trim and parking sensors up front and at the rear.
The MG Pilot safety suite is quite comprehensive in terms of on board active safety features too. These include forward collision warning, blind spot detection, lane change assist, rear cross traffic alert and driver attention monitoring. The latter of these features I found a bit too intense for my liking. Basically if you glance your eyes away from the road ahead for even the briefest of moments, ie to look at your sat-nav screen or check you’re driving data, it will beep at you which can become a bit annoying.
However, the HS claws back points when you focus on the refinement of what sits under the bonnet. It’s amazing just how quiet the 1.5L turbo four pot actually is. Below 3000rpm, its actually chapel-like quiet and the refined way it puts the power down under some progressive but not overly exuberant throttle is quite impressive.
For getting going around town, it’s both sprightly and relatively eager and as we found on the flat heading through Canterbury towns like Springfield, Sheffield and Darfield (we have a lot of fields in Canterbury!) and sauntering down SH72, we were able to average 6.6L/100km. It does quite like the motorway haul have to say it performs really well and never feels stressed.
However, with the fully loaded boot and two four sized adults, the HS’s four cylinder was having to work hard when navigating the steep inclines of Arthur’s Pass heading for the West Coast. That said, the seven-speed DCT was able to kick down or up through the gears well and the steering was sharp and communicative, despite still feeling somewhat underwhelming in the corners. That said, the HS makes up for this by giving a very plush ride and there were no rattles or squeaks to speak of. Plus you hardly hear the outside world thanks to MG’s attention to detail when it comes to sound-deadening.
In terms of driving dynamism, the HS isn’t quite up to par, but the new MG HS is still vastly improved over the model it replaces. It feels far more polished and presents itself as a genuine threat to Japanese dominance in this segment in terms of equipment, style, an eager power train and that beloved expression of “value for money.”
RATING: 7/10
