Test MG HS, the largest and cheapest compact SUV on the market (with video)

MG has erupted with great force in Spain. The MG ZS is the model of the brand that is most successful and one of the few that has been able to put pressure on the Dacia Sandero. This week we analyze the MG HS, which is the next step, that is, its older brother. In addition, it was renewed just a few weeks ago. And yes, he is also Chinese, of course.

I think you might be very interested if you search a spacious SUV car, with a solvent engine and above all, with an affordable price. This size is the cheapest. As always, we are going to review all the details of the vehicle highlighting positive and negative points; We will talk about breadth, technology, we will review the technique, consumption, equipment and prices.

But first of all it is important to place this car on the market. It is a model that, due to its size, we could place it among the largest in the world. C-segment SUV. It measures 4,6 meters long, keep this in mind if your garage is not too large. It is much larger than a Dacia Duster or a Seat Ateca. In fact, It is even longer than the Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan.

Conservative design Too much?

As I said, it is a makeover that has just arrived on the market. It does not have a very emotional design, but it is not strident or shocking either, and that can be a positive point for a vehicle that wants to integrate.

The front changes completely with new bumpers and grille, as well as the headlights, which are full LED in any of the equipment.

On the side there are no big changes. I take this opportunity to tell you that this test unit has the Luxury finish, the superior one, and therefore has 18-inch wheels. The Comfort variant uses 17 wheels.

At the back it comes with a roof spoiler, LED lights, a wide tailgate and a real double exhaust outlet, a detail that at least for me is always very appreciated.

The interior is nice, but with a multimedia system that could be improved

The brand says that the interior of its cars is premium, but I don't think they are right. They are not luxurious, nor are they even close what any European person might consider luxury, but unlike what we might think, They're not bad either.

We have many padded materials, pleasant-to-touch controls and well-defined details. Plus, visually it's fine too. In fact, it even has ambient lights. I have only found one notable failure at the adjustment level, and it is in the door panel, with a handle that twists and squeaks a little, but otherwise pretty good.

As far as technology refers, we have a large 12,3-inch digital instrument panel that is very pleasant to look at, simple and with the main information easily visible. I like the truth.

I am less convinced by the main multimedia system. It is a 10-inch screen that improves on the previous one but is neither the fastest nor the one with the best graphics, although at least it does have a good menu structure. The navigator's graphics are a bit dated and although we have a reversing camera, the image could be greatly improved. It has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto via cable.

Unfortunately also It has integrated air conditioning, which is two-zone. The air conditioning menu is accessed quickly by pressing a physical button and we manage it through the screen, but you already know that like traditional roulette wheels, there is nothing.

For the rest, we have two USB sockets, a central hole that we can hide with a blind, adjustable armrest with interior chest and some heated seats that have a very sporty aestheticThey seem very cool to me, but they are also really comfortable.

The rear seats are up to expectations.

The rear seats of the MG HS are spacious, as expected in a car of its size. With my 1,76 height I have plenty of room for the head, and even more so for the knees. I am sure that four 1,85 meter tall adults can travel well in this car.

It is true that the bench cannot slide longitudinally, but it can we can vary the angle of inclination of the backrest. A fifth occupant will be able to travel, although logically a lot of comfort will be lost.

As for the comfort elements, we have grab handles on the roof, magazine pockets on the backrest, central air vents, USB connection and a very complete armrest with a recess and well-padded, fold-out cupholders. Honestly, these later squares are very well resolved.

Very fair trunk for the exterior size

As for the trunk, which has an automatic door, has a volume of 463 liters. It is a data that can be improved if we take into account the total size of the vehicle, this aspect being one of the points that could be improved vehicle.

It is true that it has a very large double bottom, but personally I would prefer to have the main space better used and not so much space in that lower part. What is positive is the quality of upholstery both on the ground and on the sides.

Engines: Gasoline or PHEV

If we talk about the engines, we have two options in this new MG HS. On the one hand we have the engine 1.5 Turbo GDI gasoline, which is four cylinder, and develops 162 HP. It is offered with both manual and automatic transmission, and always with front-wheel drive. We are testing this variant, with the automatic transmission.

It is a 1.500 16-valve turbo block that develops 162 CV at 5.500 turns and 250Nm from 1.500 rpm. According to its technical specifications, it can go from 0 to 100 in 9,9 seconds and reach 190 km/h. In theory it has a approved consumption of 7,7 liters, but as we will see later, it is a bit far from reality.

The other alternative is the MG EHS, which is the plug-in hybrid version. It has the same thermal engine but adds a 122 HP electric motor, which receives energy from a 16 kWh battery. Altogether it develops 258 HP and has an approved electric range of 52 km.

At the wheel of the MG HS 1.5 Turbo GDI automatic gasoline

The first thing I must mention is that the Driving position is very SUV style. That is to say, we sit quite high up and we control the angles very well, which makes it very comfortable for use in the city. I would prefer to be able to go a little lower and with my legs a little more stretched, but this is more of a personal preference.

The MG HS is a car designed for family use and therefore has a very configuration focused on quiet use. This is especially noticeable in the suspensions, which are soft. In my opinion, I would prefer them to be a little firmer so that the body would have less inclinations in curves, because the truth is that it rocks a lot and that doesn't seem the most comfortable to me.

To this we must add that the steering has a lot of reduction, that is, it is a direction that is not very direct. I repeat, this car neither has nor should have any sporty approach, but since the suspension is soft and the steering is slow, can give a certain feeling of clumsiness, despite the fact that it is then a car that behaves in a neutral and safe way when we push the limits or simulate emergency maneuvers.

As far as the engine is concerned, it has a more than enough answer for the vast majority of situations. It seems to me that it has the ideal power for a car of this size and approach. In addition, it is sufficiently smooth and, except during very intense accelerations, it does not make much noise.

What I don't like so much is the gearbox electronic management, which tends to be a little abrupt when we maneuver on slopes. Honestly, I have also missed a manual control through the gear knob or with a pair of paddles on the steering wheel so that we can choose the gear when preparing to overtake or when driving on roads with significant unevenness.

How much does the MG HS use gasoline?

As for consumptions, we said before that it approves a combined 7,7 l/100 km. The truth is that it is not a very realistic figure. On the highway at legal maximums we will be between 7,5 and 8 liters, while walking along the streets it is close to 10 liters. The average we have obtained throughout the test has been 9 l/100 km.

I agree that it is a high figure, but if we take into account the size of the vehicle and that we have a “powerful” gasoline engine with automatic transmission, It doesn't seem crazy to me either., sincerely. That is, there is not a huge difference with many of its rivals with similar characteristics and mechanics.

Conclusions

I recognize that I liked the MG HS more than I expected. It seems to me to be a quite reasonable vehicle, having good standard equipment and generous space for an affordable price that we will now review.

There are many aspects to it that should improve, but most of them are forgivable due to its price and positioning. In my opinion, the only thing that I consider that could really be improved is the management of the gearbox, it could be more successful, some adjustment details could be better resolved and I would like the trunk to be a little more usable.

MG HS equipment

Comfort

• Adaptive cruise control
• blind spot sensor
• lane keeping
• rear traffic alert
• automatic high beams
• Traffic jam assistant (for automatic transmission)
• 17-inch wheels
• Full LED lighting
• Light and rain sensors
• Navigator
• darkened glasses
• Roof bars
• Heated seats
• Digital instrument cluster
• 10 screen inches
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera

Luxury

• 18-inch wheels
• Panoramic ceiling
• Sports seats
• Ambient lighting
• Automatic climate control (for automatic transmission)
• Automatic tailgate (for automatic transmission)

MG HS Prices

As you can see in the table below, the promotional price of only 22.440 euros is obtained with discounts and financing applied, which is quite important to read and understand before accepting. On the other hand, the Luxury finish costs 2.800 euros that the Comfort and The double clutch transmission represents an extra 2.000 euros regarding the manual.

Editor's opinion

MG HS Gallery