Steve Rogers drives the new MG HS
How does a car that looks this good have you tearing your hair out within a few minutes of taking to the road?
An intriguing opening to a road test if ever there was one, so what is the problem?
Basically you are bombarded with bongs, some useful, like the overspeed warning, but I don’t need a bong and message to ‘focus on my driving’ when I am, or take a break when I have only just started.
Have we come too far with technology? Maybe. The HS has a camera in the front A pillar to keep an eye on the driver. It is a safety feature but is way too sensitive and damned annoying. Check the mirrors or look to the centre console to change the heating or radio station at your peril. The warning bongs can be turned off by scrolling to the MG Pilot menu but this has to be done for every journey. If I owned the HS I would cover the camera with tape.
Back to the nitty gritty and the new HS. It deserves a wow because the transformation over the old model is massive. It is new from the ground up, a slightly bigger body with a longer wheelbase giving more cabin space, new engine, with a plug-in hybrid option, and a stylish, plush interior.
Yet this family sized SUV is still one of the bargains of the century with a starting price of £24,995, undercutting rivals like Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kugga and a lot more.
The original HS did well for MG but if that blended anonymously into a very big pack then the new model stands out with striking design following the trend for waver thin LED headlights and full width rear light bar.
Inside has been completely revamped and looks nothing like a bargain car. Fittings are decent quality and the whole thing has a feeling of opulence. MG has played copycat with the dashboard creating the now popular widescreen TV layout by merging two 12.3in screens. It looks spectacular.
Lengthening the wheelbase has created more space and that is no more evident than in the back where there is legroom galore along a flat floor, and the boot has gained some extra litres of storage. It is nowhere near class leading and could be improved if the rear seat was on runners like some rivals.
Once seated passengers can expect a comfortable ride, the HS is fairly softly sprung and does a good job of smothering the jolts from potholes and the like.
The cutting edge dashboard layout I was lauding earlier does have the odd foible. The infotainment is not as quick as some so you do find yourself dabbing for a response from the menus of which there are quite a number. The central screen layout is good with four functions displayed including navigation, radio and heating. There are quick keys for fast demisting, heating the rear window and returning to the main screen but what about these for a couple of oddments?
It took days to find the volume control for the radio which is in a swipe down menu, and the same applies for opening and closing the powered tailgate from inside the car. A common or garden switch would be more sensible as the ignition has to be on for it to work.
For a big car the 1.5 litre turbocharged engine is quite punchy but with only average economy. Over the week the HS managed 40.4mpg, higher than the official figure, although it did tip 50mpg on a couple of longer journeys.
The star of the range is undoubtedly the Trophy plug-in hybrid with its class leading range of 75 miles which for people who don’t do big miles is the equivalent of an electric car. But if you want to save nine grand then the petrol manual SE is tremendous value, very well equipped both for spec and safety but my choice would be the seven speed automatic Trophy which packs all you need and more.
* Last week I promised a decision on my car of the year. It was a close call between the MG3 and Renault Clio and the crown goes to the MG. The improvement over the previous model is massive and for style, economy and cost the package is unbeatable. A good year for MG then…
Fast facts
HS Trophy 7sp automatic
£28,995 (starts £24,995)
1.5 T-GDI; 166bhp
0-62mph 9.6secs; 121 mph
38.7mpg combined
173g/km. 1st VED £1,095
Boot: 507-1484 litres
Insurance group 27
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