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Every week, it seems like there is a new Chinese auto brand in the Australian market but one of the Gs MG?
In Australia MG has been well-established in our market for some time as one of the first Chinese manufacturers to have a proper go and boasts among the most comprehensive model lineups out there.
MG is the only one to have City hatchbacks, crossover and SUVs that now include dual-cab utes and high-end luxury vehicles – it all has been replaced by city hatch backs. It also has an extensive range of petrol, hybrid, plug-in ‘Super Hybrid’ and battery-electric powertrain options.
The 2026 MG HS Hybrid+ Essence on test here is one of the Chinese brand’s newer and most refined entrants. Now in its second generation, the HS has both hybrid and plug-in hybrid options to take on the biggest market segment in Australia.
The HS Hybrid+ is as good on value as its predecessor, with flagship levels of kit and tech for similar prices as entry-level versions of key competitors from Japanese, Korean and European brands.
The MG is very Euro-focused, and has a strong focus on the British and European markets as it compares with Chinese compatriots from brands such as GWM and Chery.
But with just a 1 and only one . Is the MG HS (a relative small player) as opposed to Australia’s favourite family SUVs, 8 per cent share of the mid-size SUV segment so far in 2026? I am it diamond in the rough for “if you know, you understand” crowd.
How much does the MG HS cost?
The MG HS Hybrid+ range officially starts at $40,990 plus on-road costs — just slightly more than the equivalent of a hs 1 (officially). Here we have the flagship Essence, $44,990 – 5 Turbo Excite (from $36,990 drive-away) on test here.
| Model | Price before on-road costs | Drive-away offer* |
| — | — | — |
| 2026 MG HS Hybrid+ Excite | $40,990 | $38,990 |
| 2026 MG HS Hybrid+ Essence | $44,990 | $43,990 |
*Offer ends June 30, 2026
MG Motor Australia is advertising a litany of drive-away (D/A) variants across the range at the time of writing, with buyers of HS Hybrid+ variant in savings for ‘a few thousand dollars’.
For reference, the most affordable Toyota RAV4 Hybrid kicks off from $45,990 plus on-road costs, which will likely work out to over $50,000 drive-away depending on your state or territory of residence.
The cheapest Kia Sportage Hybrid is currently on offer from $44,490 D/A, while the related Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is available from $44,990 D/A. Fellow Chinese brand GWM will sell you an H6 HEV from $36,990 D/A.
You’ve also got some plug-in hybrid (PHEV) rivals from new Chinese brands, like the Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid (from $34,990 D/A) and Jaecoo J7 SHS (from $40,990 D/A).
To see how the MG HS lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
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What is the MG HS like on the inside?
The latest HS is a far cry from the first iteration when it comes to interior presentation.
A cabin MG’s cabin is well combined with clean lines, premium-looking trims and crisp displays that are all together to form a cabin which feels more upmarket than the price tag might suggest.
Across the dashboard, twin 12-inch displays for the driver’s instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen are prominently displayed. They are not iPad-like in execution, but instead presented more like cockpit displays while free-standing s do.
Interface and design is very simple, a nice departure from other Chinese brands and their complex software and menu structures (although in certain areas it seems to feel almost too easy).
My biggest gripe is the lack of imagination for the driver’s cluster, which seems to be a lot of dead space even though it has several views and layouts – like when we can choose proper digital dials with mapped view in between?
meanwhile The touchscreen has a relatively easy and user-friendly tiled main menu with logical shortcuts and gestures, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (and DAB+ digital radio) are also welcome.
My iPhone 17 Pro Max had a couple of small tech glitches when I was using CarPlay, with unresponsive voice command inputs and slow loading times. It bugged out on occasion but it’s just nagging me little bit frustrating.
Apart from these features, it is also the control centre for a number of vehicle functions such as climate control – another strike on the report card.
Bringing back the physical controls to its interiors (see MG 4 for example), is at the drawing board as it returns, because the finicky nature of touchscreen-based controls just doesn’t make user-friendly. Similarly, it’s annoying that you have to click out of whatever you are on screen (eg Apple CarPlay to adjust anything) rather than using a dial or buttons.
Being a family-oriented SUV, storage and amenities are also important, and the HS has a decent repertoire in this regard.
handy The e-shifter is toothed cupholders and a grippy rubberised phone slot with an electric charger. And when you put your phone in the USB ports for your smartphone, and wires are running along the centre console because there is no way to put my phone ahead of the cupholders.
A second cubby lives under the front-centre armrest, and bottle holders are found in the doors – although they don’t have a patch on the cavernous door bins in Volkswagen Tiguan (e.g.
The general perception of quality is pretty good, especially given the price.’ I noted earlier this week that ‘assuming it has been in my opinion about quality and its value as well as being generally considered to be very good for all those who are not necessarily at risk or above average level (i.e. A lovely thing to hold is the sporty steering wheel design with perforated leather, and another upmarket touch are the padded sections along the sides of the centre console with contrast stitching.
This is why it’s puzzling that MG went for moulded stitch-look stuff on the door tops – which looks like it came out of a Toyota HiLux, and contrast stitching and perforated leatherette upholstery continue throughout the cabin, on seats and on doors grab handle trims.
The gloss-black finish of all the buttons on the steering wheel and centre console trim is also a fingerprint magnet for marks and other marks. We already tested our tester with hairline scratches all over the transmission selector surrounds.
With the large space for adult passengers and good access via the wide-opening rear doors, less criticisms can be raised at the back of the MG HS.
There will be two adults more than ‘happy’ in the outboard seats, while a third can fit in middle at an extreme pinch because of the flat seat base and floor. A fold-down armrest with cupholders for added convenience is also available to you, and bottle holders in the doors of a .
There are also dual USB-C ports and rear air vents, though it’s a shame there is no third zone of climate control (even in this top-spec model) even though the feature does not apply to any other part of its own line.
There are ISOFIX anchor points on the outboard seats and top-tether points across the backs of all three kiddies for the kiddies.
MG quotes 507 litres of cargo capacity with the second row in use, expanding to 1494L (healthy) healthy back seatbacks folded – and they are almost flat.
There is a space-saver spare wheel under the boot floor, which may not be preferred for some of them, but props to MG are used as well as throwing ‘can of goo in there’ with an increasing number of new models (especially EVs) and more recent versions.
| Dimensions | MG HS Hybrid+ |
| — | — |
| Length | 4670mm |
| Width | 1890mm |
| Height | 1655mm |
| Wheelbase | 2765mm |
| Running clearance | 167mm |
| Cargo capacity | 507-1484L |
To see how the MG HS lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
MG-HS hybrid+ versions of the MH are 1 and 2 respectively. This is a 5-litre turbo-charged petrol engine, which was fed to an electric motor and small battery pack – healthy system outputs of 165kW/340Nm are sent only to the front wheels.
| Specifications | MG HS Hybrid+ |
| — | — |
| Engine | 1.5L 4cyl turbo-petrol HEV |
| Engine outputs | 105kW + 230Nm |
| Electric motor outputs | 146kW + 340Nm |
| System outputs | 165kW + 340Nm |
| Battery | 1.83kWh |
| Transmission | Hybrid transmission |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Tare mass | 1656kg |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 5.2L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 5.5L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 55L |
| Fuel requirement | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 119g/km |
| Braked towing capacity | 1500kg |
The ‘Hybrid Transmission’ is not a description of the vehicle but it has been described as an equivalent of three-speed gearbox used in the smaller MG 3 and GM ZS HybriD+ models.
Despite the fact that there is little and far between details in official documents, however, the HS transmission intelligently shifts between power sources to prioritize either EV or ICE power for maximum efficiency, or merges them together to optimise performance.
To see how the MG HS lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
How does the MG HS drive?
praised the Hybrid version of the HS and its petrol-powered versions for their refinement on the road, we’ve been giving praise to the hybrid (HybriD+ variant) which is also worth similar recognition.
HS Hybrid+ is a smooth, easy and effortless SUV for everyday use with healthy outputs and largely well-calibrated drivetrain; it also does ‘good job’ of reducing fuel consumption without much effort.
This is an electric motor with 340Nm from rest, so there’s lots of low-down torque to get off the line at a good clip – it’s not like the HS Hybrid+ (very heavy relative to its competitors at 1). stomp on it too hard you would light up the front tyres,’ 6 tonnes – although if you.
The Hybrid+ is best driven with a measured and relatively relaxed right foot, when rolling you can get it moving quickly if you need to drive the car in front-wheels (I know this is an efficiency-focused family car).
The Hybrid Transmission supposedly has three speeds, but the drives of this type of HS drive more like it is an CVT rather than a planet gearset the e-motors and engine revs flaring with pedal inputs instead to matching the ratio shifting of conventional automatic automatic.
When you’re pottering around or accelerating slightly harder the HS Hybrid+ isn’t raucous, nor as some hybrids with anaemic petrol engines are, and rarely shunts or hesitates when you call both power sources while in EV mode.
That makes us a bit of an interesting angle to the subject of efficiency, probably one of the main reasons you’d be looking at the Hybrid+ first place.
We got mid to high 5 and we were able to . There are 0L/100km figures who travel daily in peak-hour traffic, including heavy street and city driving (a mix of the same mixture of conditions) with some running around over the weekend.
It’s a bad thing, because of the good performance on offer and the mix of driving that it was driven to. It may not be as effective as rival hybrids like Toyota and Kia, but given that it’s cheaper to start with, you already have a headstart – even if it requires premium 95 RON unleaded fuel.
But even if it has a slightly firm edge (which plays into that Euro flavour) it also rides quite well, and is certainly the case of s. With its 10-times-larger battery, the HS Hybrid+ is not as heavy on its feet as the original version of the car (PHEV), and it also helps softening the blow from the type of sharp hits you’ll encounter in and around the city.
Pictured – HS 1.5T Essence
The steering and handling is also well balanced, but doesn’t really err on the sporty side.
Light in weighting and not super-communicative, the steering is relatively quick and accurate but hardly feelsome or sporty in character.
A. front-end isn’t really mean but responds pretty well to input and gives you the cruisy kind of feeling you might get in a larger SUV.
The noise from road and wind is a decent insulation without being out of the box, with acceptable ambient noise levels being let into air on the move (see HS rides on larger 19-inch alloys 235/55 rubber).
Considering the price point, I’m going to be buying the MG instead of Chinese competitors like the GWM Haval H6 and Chery Tiggo 7 in general driving refinement and overall cohesion of its driving controls. It feels almost European.
Pictured – HS 1.5T Essence
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Similarly, the MG Pilot suite of active safety and assistance systems is another good example of calibration and integration as for driver assist tech, especially for a Chinese brand.
Apart from an incessant (but not super-loud) speed sign warning, there’s a little more than distracting beep or bong noise and no heavy handed steering intervention.
The Intelligent Cruise Assist feature combines adaptive cruise and lane-centring for semi-autonomous highway capability, was pretty reliable save for the odd mis-read of not-so-perfect Lane markings on the M3 Eastern Freeway in Melbourne which is under construction.
It’s a good thing to do with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic assist, as you’d imagine, there’s also front cross traffic alert when you are pulling out of blind T-intersections. The Essence’s standard surround-view parking camera is also pretty good, with a handy 3D projection of the vehicle within the surround camera feeds.
To see how the MG HS lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
What do you get?
The HS Hybrid+ is available in two trim levels in Australia – Excite and Essence.
2026 MG HS Hybrid+ Excite equipment highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- 215/60 R18 tyres
- Space-saver spare
- Electric parking brake
- Rear privacy glass
- Heated, power-adjustable exterior mirrors
- Automatic LED headlights
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Proximity entry with push-button start
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- Satellite navigation
- DAB+ digital radio
- 6-speaker sound system
- 2 x front USB outlets
- 2 x rear USB outlets
- PU steering wheel
- Leather-wrapped shifter
- Fabric upholstery
- 6-way power driver’s seat
- Air-conditioning with rear air vents
- Power windows with one-touch up/down
- iSmart connected services – 12mth subscription
HS Hybrid+ Essence adds:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- 225/55 R19 tyres
- Panoramic sunroof
- Hands-free power tailgate
- Front fog lights
- Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors with memory
- Wireless phone charger
- 8-speaker sound system
- 4-way power driver’s seat lumbar
- Driver’s seat memory
- 4-way power passenger seat
- Heated front seats
- Dual-zone climate control
- PVC upholstery
- Sunglasses holder
To see how the MG HS lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
Is the MG HS safe?
A five-star ANCAP safety rating is used for the range of the MMG (HS) line, including Hybrid+ (HEV) variants and Super Hybred (PHEV) versions – according to tests carried out in 2024 by sister organisation Euro NCAP.
| Category | MG HS |
| — | — |
| Adult occupant protection | 90 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 87 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 83 per cent |
| Safety assist | 74 per cent |
Standard safety equipment includes:
- 7 airbags incl. front-centre
- Adaptive cruise control
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Lane-keep assist
- Emergency lane-keep assist
- Intelligent Cruise Assist
- Intelligent speed limit assist
- Front cross-traffic alert
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Safe exit warning
- Rear parking sensors
- Reversing camera
- Tyre pressure monitoring
Essence adds:
- Front parking sensors
- Surround-view cameras
To see how the MG HS lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
How much does the MG HS cost to run?
The MG HS Hybrid+ is supported by 10-year, 250,000km warranty when you service within mg’s dealership network and are covered under the terms of this agreement. Alternatively, it’s a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
| Servicing and Warranty | MG HS Hybrid+ |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres – Standard 10 years or 250,000km – Service activated |
| Roadside assistance | Up to 10 years – Service activated |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000 kilometres |
| Capped-price servicing | Up to 10 years |
If the HS’ ‘Precise Price Service’ schedule is too long, see below table for advertised prices at a Melbourne MG dealer when writing for the vehicle tested – oddly it has no calculator on its website.
But it’s worth noting that when I write the HS Hybrid+, they are offering me five years of free servicing (which is about $2166 savings on the below prices).
| Service | Price |
| — | — |
| 12 months, 15,000km | $307 |
| 24 months, 30,000km | $426 |
| 36 months, 45,000km | $307 |
| 48 months, 60,000km | $819 |
| 60 months, 75,000km | $307 |
| 72 months, 90,000km | $426 |
| 84 months, 105,000km | $307 |
| 96 months, 120,000km | $1121 |
| 108 months, 135,000km | $307 |
| 120 months, 150,000km | $660 |
To see how the MG HS lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
childcareman.xyz’s Take on the MG HS
It is an excellent alternative to Australia’s most popular mid-size SUV, with the MG HS Hybrid+ being well priced and generally experienced as one of the best alternatives to its more expensive mid size SUVs in terms of price and general all-round competence. (especially other hybrid models)
A hybrid Sportage or Tucson is mid-$40,000 in their cheapest forms of the same, and with an affordable RAV4 Hybrid closer to $50,000 on the road; The HS maintains a high price and spec advantage without much compromise.
It also has driving manners and handling dynamics similar to its segment stalwarts, good fuel-efficiency relative to both its rivals (and its non-hybrid siblings), and is handsomely practical. There should also be peace of mind for long term ownership, a long (conditional) warranty and other aftersales provisions as well as ‘the followingseparation’.
While the Essence adds a lot of desirable equipment items, the $5000 saving currently advertised for the base model riding on smaller wheels (likely delivering an even more comfortable ride) and cloth seat trim seems quite tempting for the same price as a base run-out Mazda CX-5, as is the five-year free servicing offer.
The HS isn’t being loved more by the buying public, and should be as popular as the GWM Haval H6 – which is now selling over three to one.
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