MG HS holds ground in crowd

COMPETENT: FOCUS IS ON BEING AN UNCOMPLICATED, WELL-EQUIPPED, PRACTICAL SUV

- Charl Bosch

The return of MG to South Africa last year came with a degree of surprise after its less-than-stellar previous market entry under the auspices of Combined Motor Holdings (CMH).

Bought, along with Rover, from the defunct Phoenix Consortium in 2005 by Nanjing Automobile, which then became part of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC Motor) two years later, the line-up of the 3-hatch and 6-sedan failed to attract the same attention as the ZR and the terminally aged TF did under MG Rover South Africa.

Reinvented by SAIC since then to become a top 10 selling brand in the United Kingdom and Australia, Morris Garages' third entry into the local market tapered off significantly until the Simola Hillclimb in April.

Aside from the dramatic all-electric Cyberster that harks the closest back to its sports car roots, the brand also teased the new generation 3 in hybrid form ahead of its imminent arrival.

For the time being, its main bread-and-butter comes from two SUVs, the entry-level ZS and the subject of this test, the range-topping HS.

The HS entered a congested market segment flooded by products from its countrymen, as well as legacy brands such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Kia, Hyundai and Mazda.

The latest Chinese product to enter the premium space, the arrival of the flagship HS Luxury for the week-long stay raised more questions than answers pertaining not only to the change in products from the People's Republic becoming upmarket and no longer perceived as bargains, but its unique selling point compared to its opposition.