Can the new MG HS Facelift improve on the best value for money SUV?
Exterior – Front
So, let’s start with the front and straight away we can see we get a whole new design language that we have never seen before but will become more common. We get a new set of LED headlights that now come standard and with them headlights we now get new LED Daytime running light graphics. We also get a new grill which is bigger than before and is much lower than before too. This has a new wavy mesh pattern design and a slightly updated MG logo too. Lower down we get a reasonable central air vent and some side vents giving this car an aggressive look which I like.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side and the changes are minimal. The only changes are some new colour options and wheel options to make the car look more modern.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back and there are a few changes to talk about we get a new set of sportier looking taillights that are now fully LED and look much more modern and can even be as good as a premium manufacturer like a Mercedes. We also get a redesigned bumper with some gloss black details and a new fake splitter. We also get pronounced exhaust surrounds which is better than fake exhausts. Let’s have a look at the engine options that you can have with the new MG HS Facelift.
Car and engine specs and price
So, for the MG HS you can either get it in petrol or petrol plug in hybrid. Let’s have a look at the petrol option as this will be the most popular. It is a 1.5 litre turbo unit with 158 bhp and it has a 0-62 time of 9.6 seconds which is decent. Power is sent to the front wheels, and you can get between 35 and 40 mpg which is decent for the size of car. This can be had with either a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed automatic. For the plug-in hybrid model, it uses the same engine, but it now has an electric motor. This increases the power to 256 bhp which is very good for this type of car. This recues the 0-62 time to 6.9 seconds which is quick. It has a range of about 30 miles and a 0 to 100% 7Kw charging time of 4.5 seconds which again is decent. This is front wheel drive also. Now for the good part. The price of the MG HS Facelift starts at £23,495 and for the plug-in hybrid model it starts at £31,095. Other rivals start with a £5,000 higher price tag for a more basic model and for the plug-in hybrid model you could be looking at £10,000 more for its rivals. Let’s have a look at the interior.
Interior – Design
So, getting inside the new MG HS Facelift and you won’t notice any changes to start with and to be honest that is a good thing. The MG HS was never a bad car inside. It always felt very premium and high end with some materials feeling better than a Mercedes. This is no different. We get very soft fake leather on the dashboard, aeroplane jet style air vents that feel premium and premium materials on the centre console with plenty of storage. The steering wheel is also modern looking although it does have Volkswagen buttons, but we do get a super sport button. The seats are also very comfortable and have this premium fake leather which again feels high end. When you turn the car on, we start to see some changes. To start with on all the models, we do not get a digital instrument cluster and for the facelift model we get a new infotainment system. Now in the infotainment review, I said it wasn’t the best and is just a reskin from the old model. This is a shame and I do believe than if it had the newer infotainment system from the ZS EV it would make this car much more premium, and it would feel like a higher end car as that infotainment system is better than its rivals by far. This is the only part that I can see that lets the interior down but if you are an android auto or apple car play user then you will be happy to know you have that option. I would like to have seen a wireless charger and some more climate control buttons or climate control buttons on the screen that stay in the same place, like what Volkswagen are doing with their newest operating system. Let’s have a look in the back.
Practicality
So, getting into the back of the MG HS Facelift and legroom and headroom is the same as before. legroom is decent and so its headroom. I am 6 foot 2 and I can just about stretch out so someone a bit taller will be fine and children will be fine too. You also get some more premium materials in the back as well as air vents, USB ports and an arm rest with the same fake metal finish as what the front has. Even Mercedes and BMW don’t doo that. Let’s have a look in the boot
Boot Size
So, opening the boot electronically and you are welcomed with 463 litres with the seats up if it is petrol but if it is a plug-in hybrid then it is slightly reduced to 448 litres which is still more than enough. Folding the seats down you are welcomed with 1,454 litres with the petrol option and 1,375 litres with the plug-in hybrid option. This is more than enough for most people.
Summary
So, what do I think of the new MG HS Facelift then. Well, the HS was always a decent car and for the value for money and the great 7-year warranty it still is a decent car. The facelift has helped it move along to keep up with the rivals and yes you will get more options like a wireless phone charger, a heated windscreen, more engine options, and a better infotainment system with its rivals but they will be almost £10,000 more than what these costs. To be honest this is better value for money over them any day.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 4.5/5
Practicality 4.5/5
Total 14/15
Model | MG HS Trophy |
Engine | 1.5 Litre, 158bhp, Front wheel drive, 0-62 = 9.6 |
Trnasmission | Automatic 7 Speed |
Price | £25,995 |
On Sale | Now |
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