MG HS Plug-In Hybrid 2021 Review

Available in a single fully-loaded variant, the new 2021 MG HS Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) has arrived with an appealing price tag of $45,990 plus on-road costs – or just $46,990 drive-away.

Just as the Chinese-owned brand shook up the EV category by setting a new price benchmark for electric cars with the smaller MG ZS SUV (priced at $43,990 drive-away), the MG HS PHEV enters as the cheapest plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in not only the super-popular mid-size SUV category, but across all vehicle segments.

Its main competitor, the pioneering Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is priced from $47,990 plus on-road costs, and will be joined later this year by the Ford Escape PHEV that, before being delayed last year, was set at $52,940 plus ORCs.

Other hybrid rivals such as the Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Forester don’t come with the option of plug-in power.

The 2021 MG HS Plug-In Hybrid comes well equipped, with the MG Pilot safety and driver assistance suite extending to autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, traffic jam assist, rear cross traffic alert and more.

Other standard features include a large sunroof (with electric sunblind), 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and daytime running lights (DRLs), rain-sensing wipers, animated indicators (front and rear) and an electric tailgate.

Sporty front seats get one-stage heating and electric adjustment, while across the interior the upholstery is a leather-appointed/suede mix. Overall, the cabin materials are okay, but there’s plenty of hard touch points around, even on parts wrapped in a softer material.

LED ambient lighting is also fitted, as is a large 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch central touch-screen with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In the cargo area, a tyre repair/inflator kit means there’s no spare tyre (space-saver or otherwise), leaving a luggage capacity of 451 litres – or 1275L with the 60/40-split folding rear seats in action. There’s also no hooks or luggage nets, just a flimsy vinyl cargo blind to hide goods.

Four metallic exterior colour options compromise Clipper Blue (no-cost) and, for an extra $700, Phantom Red, Sterling Silver and Pearl White.

We’ve already reeled off the safety and tech highlights of the 2021 MG HS Plug-in Hybrid, which are attractive to say the least. But on our first launch drive we found the central touch-screen can be painfully slow to operate and is arguably the biggest let-down in this vehicle.

We had similar issue with the electric tailgate, too.

Despite going on sale this week, MG Australia said the HS PHEVs we drove at the local launch were pre-production examples and still required software updates. Hopefully, that means early adopters of the brand’s first plug-in hybrid don’t encounter the same tech glitches we experienced.

Those include the 360-degree camera system popping up on the touch-screen every time the SUV comes to a stop within around five metres of another car, the touch-screen completely freezing when trying to switch between menus and even having the power steering fail upon start-up (it came good after switching off the ignition and firing it back up again).

Behind the wheel, the virtual cockpit cluster is busy to say the least, and it takes a while to locate key information. It becomes easier to navigate the longer you spend with the vehicle, however some drivers might have trouble with the tiny icons and small font.

On a positive note, the driver assistance aids in the MG HS PHEV work really well. Lane assist sits nicely in the background without being too intrusive, while adaptive cruise control makes highway driving a breeze – once you’ve mastered the stalk-mounted cruise control switchgear, that is.

The plug-in hybrid MG HS also comes with one-stage regenerative braking, which not only helps keep the 16.6kWh lithium-ion battery topped up, but means you don’t have to use the brake pedal as much.

When it’s time to plug in for a recharge, the MG HS Plug-In Hybrid comes with a Type 2 charging port located on the opposite side to the fuel filler and takes around five hours for a complete charge when using a 7kW home fixed wall charger, according to MG.

We couldn’t test the PHEV’s charging capabilities during our short time with it.

After a full charge, the car-maker says owners can expect a pure-electric driving range of around 52km (based on the WLTP combined cycle), which will be enough for the average Aussies’ daily commute.

MG backs up the battery with an eight-year/160,000km warranty, and the vehicle itself comes with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty with roadside assist. The five-year vehicle warranty is the same coverage as that provided for the MG ZS EV – and falls two years short of all other MG models with an internal combustion engine.

Service intervals are 10,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first. MG is still to provide details of the costs involved in servicing.

The plug-in hybrid electric powertrain on the 2021 MG HS PHEV is impressive, with plenty of power on offer no matter what speed you’re at.

It’s whisper-quiet in EV mode, and even when the 1.5-litre petrol engine kicks in there’s minimal noise from under the bonnet.

All that momentum comes from a four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine serving up 119kW/250Nm, and a permanent magnet synchronous motor producing 90kW/230Nm. Together, the combined output is 189kW/370Nm.

The combustion engine is mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox, while the electric motor connects with a four-speed drive unit, providing 10 electronically-controlled gear ratios that MG calls a 10-speed EDU transmission.

Drive is sent to the front wheels, and perhaps surprisingly given the power and torque output, there’s little to no wheel spin or torque steer present.

It all works seamlessly for the most part and the transition between petrol and electric power is barely noticeable. There was one point, however; a minor shove was felt from what seemed to be a gear change when flooring the throttle.

From a standstill, the added firepower gives the HS a good boost off the line and even when you’re at speed (100km/h) on a highway, there’s still more pull for overtaking when you ask for more.

Officially, MG says the HS PHEV can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds.

What makes the HS stand out from rivals such as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is that it can hit any speed in EV mode (up to its 190km/h limit), while the Outlander’s petrol engine kicks in according to how hard you pin the throttle, to deliver maximum power.

Steering feel is on the firmer side, which is in stark contrast to the SUV’s softer, more comfortable suspension. The sporty steering doesn’t quite match its dynamic ability though, with a degree of body roll when pushing hard into corners.

Road imperfections and potholes send feedback through the steering wheel, but the plug-in HS doesn’t feel overly unsettled over bumps.

Vision is mostly good all round, however chunky A-pillars that seem too horizontally sloped can obscure oncoming vehicles, which you notice at roundabouts and the like.

The HS PHEV also wasn’t as fuel efficient as MG Australia claims – at least during the short period we spent in it – with its official combined-cycle fuel consumption rating of 1.7L/100km nowhere in sight.

We travelled about 100km, on mostly highways, but also some country and suburban roads too, only managing to achieve 6.5L/100km as its lowest.

MG has done a great job with noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels in the 2021 MG HS Plug-In Hybrid, with the cabin relatively free from road and tyre noise except on coarse-chip surfaces.

Humans of most shapes and sizes will find a comfortable seating position, but there’s noticeably less steering wheel adjustment in terms of tilt and telescopic reach – it has both, but they don’t have a great range of movement.

The electric front seats don’t allow for a super-low driving position either, which isn’t really a bad thing considering it’s a higher-riding SUV anyway.

Rear seat space is great, with lots of legroom and decent headroom despite the standard fitment of a sunroof.

As for the sunroof, opening the electric sunblind reveals a huge glass panel that spans most of the roof, while the front portion of glass that opens as a conventional sunroof is bigger than you’ll find on most SUVs, letting in plenty of fresh air.

Two adult passengers will be comfortable in the rear seat, treated with air vents, two USB ports, medium-sized rear door pocket storage and a fold-down centre armrest with two hide-away cup holders and a lidded, felt-lined storage cubby.

A third adult in the rear might be squishy, while a wide but very short transmission tunnel hump in the floor probably won’t get in the way of anyone’s feet.

As for baby-carrying options, the HS comes with three child seat anchorage points.

Storage is good up front too, with large front door pockets, two cup holders, a decent-sized centre console with a cooling function and a few small spots for other knick-knacks.

MG’s first PHEV isn’t flawless, but the 2021 MG HS Plug-In Hybrid arrives with plenty of promise.

It’s clearly economical – more so than most SUVs in this segment – but our opening taste dished up fuel consumption figures that suggest the 1.7L/100km claim will be impossible to achieve in real-world conditions. We’ve found this in the Outlander PHEV, too.

One too many niggles with the infotainment unit leaves much to be desired. Even if our pre-production vehicle’s software was running perfectly, the jury’s still out on whether the infotainment unit is as user-friendly as others in this category.

That said, the HS Plug-In Hybrid is affordable and comes packed with high levels of standard equipment.

And where it really shines is in the performance department. That punchy 189kW powertrain feels great from the driver’s seat.

So, while it mightn’t break any new ground in terms of design or dynamics, the MG HS PHEV is worth consideration from price-savvy mid-size SUV buyers looking for a more efficient way to travel.

How much does the 2021 MG HS Plug-In Hybrid cost?
Price: $45,990 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 119kW/250Nm (electric motor: 90kW/230Nm)
Combined output: 189kW/370Nm
Transmission: 10-speed EDU automatic
Fuel: 1.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 39g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)

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