2025 MG HS Essence review

MG has renewed its entrant in Australia’s top-selling new-vehicle category, mid-size family SUVs.

The previous MG HS launched five years ago, but there is already an all-new model, with styling, cabin design, technology, engine, and underpinnings all promised to share little to nothing with the outgoing version.

Prices have risen, but the base model still slides below the $35,000 drive-away mark – refreshing in an era when the cheapest Toyota RAV4 Hybrid costs more than $45,000 drive-away.

Is it worth a look?

The MG HS range starts from $34,990 drive-away for the entry-level Vibe grade at the time of writing – $1000 more than it did at the new model’s launch in September 2024, and about $5000 dearer than the runout offers for the outgoing HS.

On test in this review is the top-of-the-range Essence grade priced from $40,990 drive-away.

It is a significant $7000 dearer than the model it replaces, but it’s still on par with mid- or top-spec versions of rival SUVs – the GWM Haval H6 Ultra ($39,990 drive-away) and Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Elite ($41,990), before limited offers that lower prices further.

The cheapest Mazda CX-5 is on special at the time of writing for $37,990 drive-away, while Hyundai is offering the base petrol Tucson for $40,990 drive-away – though both apply for a limited period, and may have expired by the time you read this. Normally you'd pay $36,590 for the CX-5 and $39,100 for the Tucson, both before on-road costs – closer to $40,000 and $43,000 respectively, though final pricing may vary by location.

This test vehicle is optioned in $700 Lunar Grey paint – one of six colours, alongside Pearl White (the only no-cost shade), Diamond Red, Black Pearl, Cashmere Silver and Arctic Blue – and a no-cost tan-coloured interior, which MG markets as brown.

Exclusive to the Essence grade is a panoramic sunroof, front parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, power tailgate, heated front seats, a power-adjustable front passenger seat, eight-speaker stereo, wireless phone charging, driver’s seat memory, folding side mirrors with memory, and rear privacy glass.

They join features from cheaper models such as 19-inch alloys, dusk-sensing LED headlights, synthetic leather-look seats, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and satellite navigation, a 12.3-inch instrument display, 360-degree camera, keyless entry and start, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and a full suite of advanced safety aids.

The new MG HS SUV’s larger body and footprint – 4655mm long, 1890mm wide, 1655mm tall and 2765mm in wheelbase – unlocks more space for passengers and cargo inside.

It feels markedly newer and more luxurious inside than the outgoing HS, with two 12.3-inch screens across the dashboard in every model, and this Essence grade covering most key touchpoints – armrests, door tops, the dashboard, and even kneepads on the sides of the centre console – in soft, leather-like material.

The synthetic leather-look seat upholstery feels plush and looks good, especially in the tan colour of this test car – a rare option for an SUV at this price – and the driving position is set high for good outward visibility.

There is six-way (slide, recline, height) power adjustment in the soft and comfortable driver’s seat – plus memory and lumbar functions, but no control of under-thigh support – plus a power sliding and reclining front passenger seat, and seat heating for both positions.

Tilt and reach adjustment in the steering column allows tall drivers to find a comfortable position, and we are fans of the perforated leather-like material the steering wheel is upholstered in – though the buttons on the wheel take time to learn.

Storage in the door pockets and glovebox is accommodating, and there are two cupholders for holding drinks, but the centre console storage compartment is quite small for an SUV of this size – and on the topic of materials, the gloss black on the centre console will mark easily.

Essence buyers are given access to two USB ports – though both are the older USB-A standard, not USB-C – plus a 12-volt socket, keyless entry and start, and a wireless phone charging pad.

The panoramic sunroof has an electric sunblind to keep heat out on hotter days. All four side windows offer auto ‘one-touch’ opening functionality, but only the driver’s window can be closed without holding the switches down the whole way.

Rear passengers more than 183cm (or six foot) tall can fit behind similarly sized drivers with plenty of knee room to spare, as well as ample toe room and reasonable head room, though the panoramic sunroof will limit head space for the tallest teenagers and adults in the back seats.

The floor is close to flat and the cabin is wide for seating three passengers across, though the middle seat is quite flat. Vision out the side windows is good for kids, and the sunroof helps bring more light in.

Amenities in the rear include two USB-A ports, map pockets on the front seatbacks, air vents, a fold-down armrest with two cupholders, big door pockets, and two ISOFIX anchors plus three top-tethers for securing child seats.

The MG’s claimed 507-litre boot is mid-pack for the mid-size SUV category, though it is a nicely shaped space with nets on each side, a space-saver spare under the floor, a power-operated tailgate that opens high, a light, and with the rear seats folded in a 60:40 split, a flat load area to the front seats.

However, the distance from the ground to the boot lip is on the high side.

Standard in the MG HS Essence is a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in-built satellite navigation, Bluetooth, and AM, FM and DAB digital radio.

The screen is big for the class, and the graphics are clean, but the software is on the slower side, not always responding to a user’s input on the first touch.

While there is a row of five shortcut buttons under the display – home screen, front and rear demisters, hazards, and turning the air-conditioning fan on or off – controlling many of the vehicle’s systems involve multiple taps into the screen.

For example, adjusting the fan speed while in Apple CarPlay requires a press of the home button, a tap of the fan speed controls on the home screen, and then a tap back into CarPlay.

Add two more taps for any complex air-conditioning functions beyond fan speed, temperature, recirculating air, auto climate or the demisters, as they require you to tap into the Climate menu rather than sticking to the home screen.

In other new MG models, the star buttons on the steering wheel can be bound to the climate controls, with one of the joysticks on the wheel then used to adjust fan speed and air temperature.

But although HS drivers can bind the star buttons to other vehicle functions – such as the audio source – climate controls puzzlingly aren’t an option in this car. It should be an easy fix with a future software update, but we can’t help but feel it’s a problem that didn’t need to exist, which physical climate dials and buttons could solve.

There’s also no volume dial for the passenger to adjust the audio – though the driver can do it from the steering wheel – and the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, especially given there is a wireless phone charger, is unusual in 2024.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument display ahead of the driver presents well, but the graphics are quite basic across the three views available, and it’s possible to block the corners of the screen with the steering wheel rim. The eight-speaker stereo delivers decent sound quality, while MG offers support for an iSmart phone app, with remote vehicle tracking, control of its locks and lights, and more features with complementary access for 12 months.

The MG HS earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2024 based on the latest and most stringent test protocols.

It received category scores of 90 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 83 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 74 per cent for safety assist technology.

The HS Essence is fitted with every item of crash-avoidance safety technology MG can throw at its family SUV.

The lane-keep assist is better calibrated than earlier MG vehicles, and the HS Essence is one of the few MG vehicles with front parking sensors, handy for tight spots.

However, the lane-centring assist tech still tends to wander between the white lines, rather than holding the centre of the lane as it is supposed to.

As with many new vehicles, the most annoying safety features are the speed sign recognition and driver attention monitor.

The former is designed to beep at you when the vehicle exceeds the speed limit it has detected, but it often misreads signs – such as picking up the lower speed of a motorway offramp you’re not on, or reading some 40km/h and 60km/h signs as 55km/h or 120km/h, speed limits that don’t exist in Sydney where we tested this car.

The overspeed chime can be turned off, but it reactivates when the car is restarted.

The same applies to the driver monitoring camera, which beeps at the driver – and flashes a message on the dashboard – when they have looked away from the road for more than a few moments.

Preventing inattention is what this technology is designed to do, but the system in the HS is particularly overeager and intrusive – and frustrating to drive with it enabled – especially compared to similar features in cars from other brands, which are more intuitively calibrated.

The MG HS is covered by Australia’s longest new-car warranty – 10 years or 250,000km, whichever comes first.

It beats Mitsubishi, which markets its warranty as 10 years/200,000km, but it is just a five-year/100,000km guarantee with a five-year/100,000km extension as long as the vehicle is serviced inside the Mitsubishi dealer network within the first decade.

Conduct just one Mitsubishi service at an independent workshop within 10 years and the extension is voided – a clause the MG warranty lacks.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and amount to $1144 over three years/45,000km, or $2354 over five years/75,000km.

It is higher than average for a mid-size SUV. Over five years/75,000km a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid quotes $1300, and a Mitsubishi Outlander MY24 quotes $1700, while over five years/50,000km a Hyundai Tucson Hybrid costs $1990, and a Nissan X-Trail 2WD costs $2296.

A year of comprehensive insurance coverage with a leading provider costs $1908, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

MG claims the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol HS uses 6.9 litres per 100 kilometres of fuel in mixed conditions, split between 8.9L/100km in urban running, and 5.8L/100km in highway and extra-urban driving.

Over a mix of city and highway driving, the trip computer indicated fuel consumption of 8.9L/100km – a fair amount higher than the claim, but likely more frugal than the previous HS (7.3L/100km claimed) would have been in the same conditions.

Hybrid and plug-in hybrid MG HS variants are due in 2025 for buyers who prioritise fuel consumption.

The HS also requires a minimum of 95-octane premium unleaded petrol, which will not help running costs. Expect a driving range of 615km based on our fuel use average, or 800km if you can match MG’s claim.

The MG HS has arguably taken its largest steps forward in the way it behaves on the road.

The biggest change is the transmission, which remains a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic similar to a Volkswagen or GWM vehicle – but it is now a ‘wet clutch’ design, intended to make it smoother and less jerky.

There is still some hesitation off the mark, and it can be caught out at times – with some rollback when parking on a hill, or when setting off from a standstill on a slight slope without auto-hold enabled – but it is a vast improvement over its predecessor, and is no longer an Achilles heel of the drive experience.

The 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine (125kW/275Nm) is not a powerhouse, but it offers enough punch for day-to-day driving, and aside from filling every seat and pointing the car at a big hill, performance is adequate.

It is more powerful than the previous model’s engine (119kW/250Nm), offsetting the heavier body of the new HS.

New MG cars tend to have firmer suspension than rival vehicles, and the HS is not the most supple car in its class, but it is not too stiff to live with – and the taut character translates to a more settled, composed feel over undulations at higher speeds on country roads.

The steering is suitably light for city driving in its standard mode – but can be set heavier for drivers who prefer it that way – and the brake pedal isn’t too grabby in traffic jams, nor too lazy when the car needs to be pulled up quickly.

Unlike many other emerging brands, MG has not cut corners on tyres, fitting the HS Essence with the same Bridgestone Alenza rubber you’ll find on a Toyota RAV4 or Nissan X-Trail. It translates to good emergency braking performance, pulling up from 100km/h in 38.2 metres on satellite timing equipment – average to above average for a family SUV of this type.

On winding roads, there is some body roll to contend with, and the larger footprint of the new HS can be felt in sharp corners, but the car feels settled enough when driving quickly, helped by the quality tyres and the firmer edge to the suspension.

Tyre and wind noise are well insulated at higher speeds, even on coarse-chip roads.

The MG HS can tow up to 1500kg braked or 750kg unbraked, which won’t suit a caravan holiday around Australia but will suffice for a small box or camper trailer.

A payload of 475kg – the maximum weight of passengers, cargo and accessories the car is legally allowed to carry – is quoted, which is enough for five 90kg adults and some luggage.

The new MG HS is a big step forward from the previous model, with a spacious cabin, plenty of technology, strong value for money, more refined driving manners than before, and a long warranty for peace of mind.

There is still room for improvement – there are too many functions in the infotainment screen, and the driver attention monitor is the most frustrating of the overzealous safety features – which would close the gap to its rivals.

But if you are shopping for a new mid-size family SUV on a tight budget – and you can’t stretch far beyond the $40,990 of this top-of-the-range grade – the MG HS should be high on your consideration list.

MG has plenty of stock of the HS around the country. Find your nearest MG dealer via this link, as it would be best placed to advise stock levels for each variant and colour near you.

You can also find MGs for sale at Drive Marketplace.

We recommend taking the HS for a test drive on familiar roads before buying, as well as considering alternatives such as the GWM Haval H6 and, if your budget stretches this far, the likes of the Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson and Honda CR-V, as they are all close rivals.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.