MG HS Essence
We are writing this review just after MG announced its latest vehicle – a PHEV to be positioned alongside its purely electric vehicle, which Cathy Parker reviewed in the February edition just gone.
To not put too fine a point on it, I don’t subscribe to the common consideration that MG will probably come right in the next generation.
To those who say this, I’m happy to remind them of their first impressions of one-time fledgling brands, all of whom were tarred with the same brush.
It took those brands time to become the success stories they are today – between 15 and 10 years.
MG is releasing vehicles which are hitting the ground running. Twelve months and the SUVS are– to all intents and purposes – first time success stories, with registrations easily eclipsing brands which have been here longer, and which started where MG is today.
Yes, the MG price point is playing a more than significant role, but Kiwi buyers are picky and won’t buy what they perceive to be rubbish because we have too many good vehicles to choose from.
This being the case, either the MG dealer network is full of people capable of selling ice to Inuits and making them think they got a good deal, or those MG SUVS are worth considerably more than a passing consideration.
So, we’re going to take a quick shufty at the hero MG – the big Daddy – AKA the HS with its six-model line-up. We’re looking here at the Essence, which is near enough the top spec.
This was the first MG we sampled and to be brutal about it, at first blush, it didn’t thrill me.
It is a well specified and well-built vehicle. It’s also very spacious – and that did surprise me. But because it looks like every other successful mid to large SUV, there wasn’t anything to make me rush out and invest in some ice.
During my drive time, I did keep coming back to the sheer size of the HS, and not because it’s a monster, merely because it contributed to my time with the vehicle becoming more comfortable as time went on.
Of course, size isn’t everything… well, not quite everything shall we say. The Essence spec does include quite a bit of kit…
You’ll have a panoramic sunroof, leather sports seats (heated at the front) and a 360-degree camera and that’s in addition to what you get as standard from the Excite, the next level down.
This gives you 18-inch alloys, an electric tailgate, satellite navigation, super sport mode for the seven-speed twin clutch transmission, paddle shifters, a 10.1-inch touchscreen for the infotainment suite which includes Apple Carplay and Android Auto, direct tyre pressure monitoring, LED head and taillights with sequential indicators, and those are just some of the highlights.
One of MG’S hallmark features is MG Pilot, which is sort of the safety guardian for the brand, and which contributes in no small way to the five-star ANCAP safety rating for the vehicle.
What is it? As usual, we’ve put the fine detail into a box at the bottom of the story. I have to admit, there were situations where I felt the system was a tad overzealous, but it’s probably best to err on the side of caution than not.
Overall however, the ride quality and drive in general seemed to improve over my week with the MG HS, which in addition to providing plenty of in-cabin occupancy, also carries luggage and gear for five adults in a generous cargo area.
For all those who suggest waiting for the new generation HS, I say, what do you expect MG to improve on?
Given the price, the MG HS is a valuepacked vehicle of surprises and delights, which is more than ready to take on SUVS of longer pedigree and higher prices for similar spec and performance.
WHAT DOES MG PILOT INCLUDE?
• ACTIVE EMERGENCY BRAKING an emergency braking system designed to avoid low-speed collisions.
• LANE KEEP ASSIST sends a warning or steers to correct the vehicle unintentionally deviating from its lane.
• ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL allows vehicles to speed up and slow down in response to the traffic ahead.
• TRAFFIC JAM ASSIST allows your vehicle to follow the vehicle in front and will automatically adjust speed.
• BLIND SPOT DETECTION will warn you if you try to pull out when another vehicle is in your blind spot.
• INTELLIGENT HIGH BEAM ASSIST automatically switches between high and low beam.
• INTELLIGENT SPEED LIMIT ASSIST monitors and displays the current speed limit on the instrument cluster.