MG HS Test Drive

October saw the British press launch of MG Motor UK’s new C-segment HS SUV. MGE took one for a test drive to get a feel for MG Motor’s latest vehicle in the UK range.

- Jim Jupp

MG’s HS is aimed at the C-segment SUV category. MG sees it as going up against the likes of Mazda’s CX5, Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage. It’s a car suitably sized for a family of five, in the compact family crossover sector, offering proportions longer and wider than its opposition. The HS replaces the discontinued MG GS.

The HS looks more purposeful than the smaller MG ZS, with its slightly more curvy styling. We think it’s a good-looking car, particularly with the ‘Galaxy’ grille and latest version of the MG insignia seemingly floating inside.

The HS may have larger proportions than Mazda’s CX5, other than height, but it it doesn’t feel oversized. The view from the front seats is slightly dominated by the bonnet, which drops off in each corner.

There are five colour options including Black Pearl and Arctic White which were already available from MG. The new colours introduced for the HS are White Pearl, Brixton Blue and Farringdon Red.

There are three levels of trim with the basic ‘Explore’ model being well equipped to start with. Explore has 17” alloys; ‘Excite’ has 18” alloys, SatNav, DAB stereo plus Adaptive Cruise Control on the automatic DCT version. For another £2.5K, you can get all the bells and whistles with the top of the range ‘Exclusive’ level.