MG HS Super Hybrid 2025 Review 

The 2025 MG HS Super Hybrid is offered in the brand’s usual Excite or Essence trim grades, priced at $52,990 and $55,990 drive away, respectively.

That’s a $12,000 premium over the previous range-topping Essence turbo-petrol ($40,990 drive away), while other plug-in hybrid rivals in the mix include the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (from $57,290 plus on-road costs), GWM Haval H6GT Ultra PHEV (from $55,990 plus ORCs), BYD Sealion 6 (from $42,990 plus ORCs) and Jaecoo J7 SHS ($47,990 drive away).

Standard equipment levels will be announced closer to the HS Super Hybrid’s arrival, slated for September 2025, but other details such as the powertrain are locked in. That includes a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine combined with a 135kW e-motor and starter generator (the latter exclusive to Australia), which partner to offer combined outputs of 220kW and 350Nm.

All that gusto is sent directly to the front wheels via a two-speed transmission, said to simulate a nine-speed automatic gearbox.

A 24.7-kilowatt-hour lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery is said to offer up to 120km of electric-only driving range, while filling the 55-litre fuel tank (with premium 95 RON petrol) and topping up the battery completely should provide more than 1000km of range, says MG.

Meanwhile, 6.6kWh AC charging is said to fill the battery (from empty) in around four hours. No DC charging is available.

In terms of equipment, expect features like 19-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, heated front seats, a 360-degree camera, a pair of 12.3-inch digital displays, a host of driver-assist and safety aids, and leather-appointed upholstery in the top-spec model. Again, full specifications will be confirmed closer to the model’s arrival.

The HS Super Hybrid will come backed by MG’s 10-year/250,000km warranty, which also covers the battery.

The 2025 MG HS Super Hybrid was developed Down Under and is the result of media, customer and dealer feedback, says MG.

Think of it as a plug-in hybrid system designed for people who don’t want to plug their vehicle in every night. The Chinese car-maker says its latest Super Hybrid powertrain – which will eventually be offered in other MG models – is designed to keep the battery topped up for longer.

Judging by our first taste, the MG HS Super Hybrid is in fact super frugal and could very well achieve MG’s generous 1000km-plus driving range claim, in the right circumstances.

Our brief drive included a few hours of driving a pre-production version of the new plug-in SUV from Sydney’s inner city to Camden on the city’s southwestern fringe and back, which was enough to get a good gauge on average fuel and energy consumption.

At the beginning of our drive, with an almost full battery (91 per cent) and a full fuel tank, our test car’s distance to empty read 1001km; a figure that increased to 1009km after 81km of chugging west along the motorway (including a slight detour along the M7).

By the end of the day, we saw average fuel consumption drop as low as 2.8L/100km, after a mix of highway and rural driving and a mix of drive modes. While you can manually select ‘EV mode’ and travel at higher speeds without using a drop of fuel (until the battery reaches a low state of charge), when left in its regular HEV mode, the Super Hybrid automatically prioritises running on electricity at speeds under 80km/h and under light acceleration.

It’s worth noting the battery retains around 20 per cent of charge even when the battery hits zero per cent on the instrument cluster, and once you use up its 120km (claimed) electric-only driving range, fuel consumption jumps to around 5.0L/100km according to MG’s claim.

Most impressive is just how quiet the powertrain is, even when seamlessly transitioning between electric and combustion power; the switch is almost imperceptible.

The cabin is very well cosseted from outside noise too, with great levels of sound deadening, and the overall impression from the driver’s seat is positive.

The MG HS feels poised and comfortable, even though it rides a little firmer than most family SUVs to combat the added weight of its electrical component.

And all that power (220kW combined) means it’s punchy; MG says it’s good for a claimed 6.8-second sprint to 100km/h.

Getting all that power to the ground directly through the front wheels is no easy feat, and this means the 2025 MG HS Super Hybrid can struggle for grip.

That was highlighted during our test drive by relentless wet weather, resulting in the HS’s front wheels scrabbling for grip, even with the decent Bridgestone Alenza rubber fitted to the pre-prod vehicles we drove.

Wheel spin and torque steer wasn’t just present upon take-off but also when accelerating from lower speeds on the move, during common maneuvers like merging or overtaking. An all-wheel-drive system would make a big difference.

Otherwise, there’s not much to dislike. Driver aids are well-tuned and relatively inconspicuous and although brake pedal take-up isn’t the best – it feels like there’s a dead spot at the top of the pedal – you get used to it pretty quickly.

There were only a few occasions where the HS felt rather brittle over sharper bumps, but even still, it irons out most road imperfections well.
Another slight downer is the fact the Super Hybrid doesn’t come with DC charging capability like some of its rivals, taking around four hours for a full charge (up to 6.6kWh AC).

The 2025 MG HS Super Hybrid is a great formula.

Where most plug-in hybrids (including MG’s previous PHEVs) are designed to prioritise EV mode, the Super Hybrid is engineered to feel more like a traditional hybrid but with a bigger battery. As a result, MG says the relationship between EV and ICE is more coherent, and we agree.

The new HS Super Hybrid is a fine example of just how far the Chinese brand has come in a short time.

It’s competitively priced, is sure to come with loads of standard equipment, and is backed by MG’s generous 10-year warranty.

And, if you ask the brand’s local boss, Peter Ciao, it’ll resonate with Aussies as a value-packed alternative to the class-leading Toyota RAV4, which will soon arrive with plug-in hybrid power and almost certainly with a much higher price tag.

2025 MG HS Super Hybrid at a glance:
Price: Excite $52,990 (drive away); Essence $55,990 (drive away)
Available: September 2025
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 105kW/230Nm (electric motor: 135kW/340Nm)
Combined output: 220kW/350Nm
Transmission: Two-speed automatic
Battery: 24.7kWh lithium iron phosphate
Range: 1000km (claimed); 120km EV-only range (claimed)
Energy consumption: TBC
Fuel consumption: Claimed 0.42L/100km (with full charge; 5.0L/100km when battery depletes)
CO2: TBC
Safety rating: Not tested

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au