MG HS petrol 1.5T GDI: it’s cheap, but it has many limitations to digest | Review

MG HS is one of those cars that responds to a precise need, which is increasingly important today: that of a spacious vehicle (C-segment SUV/crossover) that costs less than €30,000 (automatic and top of the range) or less than €25,000 (manual) and has very rich equipment in terms of comfort, technology and safety.

In a market where car prices have grown a lot, it is not obvious to find such cars and HS is an SUV that has a starting price of around €25,000 with a complete standard equipment that elsewhere we would pay separately drawing from the optional catalog because prices have risen, either for the hybrid powertrain, or for the now mandatory and omnipresent ADAS, or for the general trend of an inflationary market.

The question we need to answer, though, is: is there value in cars like that and what compromises must be accepted. Unfortunately, I already anticipate, there are some…

Usually this paragraph is found at the end of the review, but with MG HS it is necessary to have it immediately at hand to put everything in the right context. MG recently announced a list price increase for Italy (from January 1), increase from which MG HS petrol was saved. So let’s see the prices of the two set-ups:

• MG HS (petrol) 1.5T MT Comfort: €24,990
• MG HS (petrol) 1.5T MT Luxury: €27,790
• MG HS (petrol) 1.5T AT Comfort: €26,990
• MG HS (petrol) 1.5T AT Luxuty: €29,790

As we can see it can be had with manual (MT) or automatic (AT) gearbox in two trim levels; the prices shown above are turnkey (including roading).

Comfort is an almost full optional set-up: includes alarm and immobilizer, hill start assist, rain and light sensor, cruise control with manual gearbox and adaptive cruise control on AT, automatic high beam, forward collision avoidance with automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist with active steering, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Lane Departure Warning. Also standard: LED daytime running lights (the main ones are halogen, LED on the Luxury), front and rear fog lights, light sensor, front and rear parking sensors, rear view camera, tinted windows, heated, electrically adjustable and foldable mirrors, interior rear view mirror anti-glare, climate control (single zone, dual zone is included on the Luxury), all automatic electric windows with anti-pinch, leather steering wheel, 10.1″ infotainment, 12.3″ digital instrumentation, 4 USB, Bluetooth, Carplay and Android Auto (wired), full keyless, power driver seat with lumbar support, front seat heating and 17″ alloy wheels.

The papyrus above proves that it has just about everything: The Luxury adds 18″ rims, Full LED headlights, 360° video camera, LED lighting, panoramic roof, dual-zone climate, eco-leather sports seats and adjustable front passenger seat.

MG HS is available only with a 162 bhp 1.5 T GDI petrol engine. I’ll start off by saying that it’s a turbo petrol but it doesn’t excel in performance, it often feels like driving a naturally aspirated one since it’s not very ready at low speeds and the maximum torque of 250 Nm has a delivery that has nothing to do with that of a small diesel with the same displacement (the old 110 HP Nissan/Renault for example had a more generous back).

Gasoline would defend itself well in its range, except that it takes time to complicate things an automatic transmission not excellent: the six-speed double clutch is not a lightning bolt, it does not remotely reach the performance of the German or Korean cars of the same segment, it is calibrated to (try to) contain consumption more than for performance, even in Sport, but it fails in do one or the other.

The result is that moment of initial hesitation when starting off and in some gear changes downwards during city driving, when a gearbox that isn’t exactly reactive makes bad use of a torque that in reality would also be available as early as 1,700 rpm, just like a small equivalent diesel.

With the exception of these cases, which are not uncommon, the petrol millefive also works discreetly with the gearbox in relaxed driving. At a trot the car does not let you perceive the changes if you are light on the gas, but sinking on the pedal we return to perceive the problem of slow changes which make us absolutely prefer the version with the six-speed manual. Unsatisfactory recovery: with the automatic, it is better to press the gas pedal a few moments before overtaking so as to induce the car to change gear and carry out the maneuver only when we are in the maximum thrust phase.

Consumption is not very low: the car weighs just over 1,500 kg in running order and yet we find ourselves with a test average of 10.5 liters per 100 km. Other references are 7.5 l/100 km in very relaxed urban and extra-urban driving (certainly not central Milan, rather the hinterland with flowing roads) and peaks of 11.5 l/100 km when trying to compensate for the slowness of the ‘automatic with a more aggressive driving on the gas pedal to “force” the changes. And the paddles on the steering wheel are not just a shortcoming: you can only choose between D (drive) and S (sport), as well as set the reverse or put into neutral.

Still on the subject of driving dynamics, they must be mentioned a gas pedal that is not too sensitive, a brake pedal that is not very sensitive and with a soft attack which, thanks to an accentuated pitch, in slow maneuvers or when braking is not at all pleasant for the passengers and forces you to be very precise and light with your foot to try to compensate for it. Pitch aside, body roll is acceptable and normal for an SUV in this segment. Keep an eye on the ground clearance, the light is only 14.5 cm, far from the at least 16/17 cm of SUVs, while the steering is not very precise and is quite demultiplied, especially when compared to modern SUVs/crossovers that have succeeded to sharpen this aspect a lot by getting closer to riding from a low wheel.

ADAS work fine and the car got 5 EuroNCAP stars: they may not be the latest generation, but the adaptive cruise control does its job and the lane keeping system also works in “level 1” autonomous driving mode, which means that traveling without the cruise on (thus using the gas), the car, almost predictive, clearly helps in managing the steering as we approach the curves on the motorway/ring road/extra-urban.

No criticality even in the anti-collision, it always warns punctually and has not shown false positives or sudden braking.

However, the other technological features lose points: low quality rear view camera and the 360° system, usable during the day, almost unmanageable at night or with adverse weather conditions given the very low resolution and a very muddy image. The infotainment is basic, discrete fluidity but the onboard GPS struggles already in the integrated navigation (it often places us on parallel streets and does not seem to have excellent directionality in the compass), and also with Android Auto (wired, there is no Wireless) the same happens. On a couple of occasions, then, the screen froze, then turned off.

Without prejudice to the possibility that it was a defect of the sample under test, if it were to happen it means not having control over the climate control (except for front and rear defrost accessible with physical buttons), not being able to manage the radio, navigation and settings. The car continued to drive, but an “auto reset” was required by turning it off and leaving it parked for some time to regain full touchscreen functionality. Good performance for stock 12.3″ digital instrument cluster

Excellent habitability: the seats are comfortable, the sports ones are also pleasant to look at with small Alcantara-like inserts. There is plenty of space in the back for passengers and there are also USB and climate vents (dual-zone on the Luxury).

Normal acoustic comfort, the glass roof can be opened and makes the passenger compartment pleasant trunk It has a flat loading sill and the tailgate is electrically actuated. Under the loading surface, then, there is a giant well that can easily accommodate a normal-sized spare wheel (not the small wheel to be clear), but it is not included.

TECHNIQUE

• ENGINE: 1.5T GDI petrol
• POWER: 119 kW (162 HP @ 5,500 rpm)
• TORQUE: 250 Nm between 1,700 and 4,300 rpm
• GEARBOX: 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic
• DRIVE: Front (2WD)
• BRAKES: 4 discs, ABS with EBD and brake assist

DIMENSIONS

• LENGTH: 4.5740 mm
• WIDTH: 1,876mm
• HEIGHT: 1,685mm
• WHEELBASE: 2,720 mm
• HEIGHT FROM THE GROUND: 14.5 cm
• BOOT: 463-1,454 litres
• WHEELS: 17″ Comfort /18″ Luxury
• WEIGHT: 1,469-1,535 kg in running order

PERFORMANCE

• MAXIMUM SPEED: 190km/h
• ACCELERATION 0-100 km/h: 9.9 seconds
• CONSUMPTION: 7.4/7.7 l/100 km (combined WLTP declared)
• CO2 EMISSIONS: 168/174 grams per km (WLTP combined)

PRICE: from 24,990 euros

Identifying a direct opponent is difficult because MG HS is a 4.57-metre long SUV/Crossover with a full optional price list of €25,000 and a “street price” of €23,390 thanks to the promotion (currently extended) with €1,600 in benefits.

Dacia Jogger could be the designated opponent: it has 7 more seats and is very similar in size (4.54 metres), however winning in the trunk: 463/1,454 liters for the HS, 595/1,819 liters for the Jogger. I configured it in the top-of-the-range Extreme version (with 110 HP petrol) by adding the Drive Plus pack (blind spot monitoring, front and rear sensors and electric handbrake), the one with the navigator and heated front seats we get to €22,200 list.

The MG HS being tested is the Luxury with automatic gearbox from €29,790 (list price, road setup included)

The great advantage of MG HS is that it has all the ADAS for active safety and with the automatic it also has adaptive cruise. There are no alternatives at these prices and of this length, but it should also be considered that the MG HS does not make good use of the spaces because we can go down a category and find an equivalent trunk in the Duster. Or go on Skoda Qaroq, Nissan Qashqai and Mazda CX-30 by spending a little more or aim for Arona, Captur, Kadjar and the like.

Some of these start at €27/28,000 in the entrance set-up and with the same amount the MG HS you bring home really full options, provided you accept to have a bad 360° video camera (night quality and unusable rain)… in order to have it. Or to compromise on the defects highlighted in order to have sports seats, the panoramic roof, the adaptive cruise and the automatic… all things that elsewhere would make the price rise a lot, approaching €35,000 (always in the list, net of promotions).

MG HS offers thefree roadside assistance for the first year. Carrying out the official couponsroadside assistance is extended from year to year free of charge up to the 7-year warranty and is valid even in the case of second-hand salesmoving to the new owner

In short, a car interesting for the standard equipment, with also pleasant interiors and with a good assembly, interesting for theexcellent habitability of the rear combined with a good trunk and with points of light including the 7 year guarantee (or 150,000km), but there are critiques that must be overlooked, to the point of wondering whether it would be better to invest a few thousand euros more (or give up something in terms of equipment) to go for models with more modern driving dynamics, more appropriate engines and with more up-to-date technologies. What would you do? And if you tried it, was I unlucky with the sample under test (which should be more “controlled”) or do you find yourself?