MG HS

FIRSTDRIVE Mid-size SUVoffersplenty of kit for a budget price

- Alex Ingram

THIS is the new HS: the latest SUV from MG. Competitive prices and a seven-year warranty have boosted the firm’s popularity, with the electric version of the ZS small SUV showing huge promise; MG took about 2,000 orders in the first month.

But moving into larger vehicles can be more challenging; buyers want something that looks and feels posher – and with such a huge amount of choice in the mid-size SUV class, the HS has a lot to prove. So does this MG have what it takes to rival the Nissan Qashqai or Skoda Karoq?

MG is keeping the HS range simple. There are three trims and one engine to choose from: 1.5-liter turbo petrol with either a manual or a dual-clutch auto box.

The styling is pretty simple, too. The front bears the family MG look, applied to a broader, squarer shape. It’s not particularly distinctive, but not much in this segment is.

Against the tape measure, the HS falls between the Qashqai and Karoq for length and sits within a couple of millimeters of the Skoda for both width and height. MG reckons that cabin space is class-leading, and we’d be inclined to agree. The legroom is generous, the headroom is more than adequate and three people should be pretty happy in the back. At 450 liters, the boot is larger than a Qashqai’s but smaller than the Skoda’s.