MG HS - Engines, performance & drive

Our first experience of the MG HS has been the pure-petrol automatic version, and to say we weren’t overly satisfied with the driving experience would be something of an understatement. 

Undoubtedly the biggest issue for us is the constant, nonsensical bonging and chiming caused by the various safety systems. This got so distracting that we found ourselves regularly looking down to see what the problem is, which activates a further warning to tell us we should be paying attention to the road. Switching the systems off is equally infuriating, as it requires going through menu after menu on the touchscreen. And even when you find the right page, the icons are so small it’s hard to press them on the move. In some cases, you then have to confirm you definitely want to switch off the feature. 

Then there’s the brakes, which don’t do much until about halfway through the pedal travel, and we then had to apply a lot more force before the car started to slow down. Meanwhile, the steering in its ‘normal’ setting is quite heavy, so we much preferred the lighter ‘comfort’ mode. Whichever mode you use, the steering is still slow, and vague to the point that you’re guessing how much lock is required when going around a corner.

However, we also got a brief taste of the plug-in hybrid version and, almost immediately, proved to be the far superior choice. Adding regenerative braking seemed to solve the brake pedal problem, as it felt far more natural, and the transition to the physical discs was imperceptible. 

What is the MG HS like to drive?

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In town

The ride is firm but not uncomfortable at low speeds, and the high driving position offers a good view ahead.

On A- and B-roads

For the most part, the MG HS feels stable, but reach an uneven section of road and hit a succession of bumps, things become quite bouncy. Combined with the vague steering feel and awkward brake pedal modulation, the HS isn’t as fun to drive as rivals like the Mazda CX-5 or SEAT Ateca.

On the motorway

We found the HS best suited to the motorway, where, aside from a fair bit of road noise, it’s a reasonably quiet place once the engine has settled down.

0-62mph acceleration and top speed

The petrol HS uses a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 167bhp and 275Nm of torque, which is enough to get from 0-62mph in under 10 seconds. However, in the automatic version we tried, the car took about a second to respond whenever we hit the throttle when trying to accelerate hard. When accelerating, it sounds strained, emitting a loud and rather gravelly note as we slowly gained speed. 

In comparison, the plug-in hybrid HS with a total output of 366bhp suffered from no such issues. Power delivery from its electric motor is instant, making for effortless acceleration and a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds. It often felt like we were driving an EV because the electric motor provided enough acceleration to keep up with traffic without needing to wake the engine, even when we stomped on the accelerator.