2025 MG HS Super Hybrid Essence Long Term Review #4: A bunch of things we love – and don’t – about MG’s plug-in hybrid medium SUV

October 19, 2025October 18, 2025 Bruce Newton 2568 Views MG HS Super Hybrid

The 2025 MG HS Super Hybrid has been hanging out at the southern HQ of EV Central (the Newton household) for a couple of months and that means we’re getting to know it reasonably well.

So we’re now in a position to list some of the things we’ve really grown to love – or at least like – about it. And some stuff we’re less impressed by.

Just to reprise before we get into the guts of it, this is the second generation MG HS five-seat medium SUV to go on sale in Australia. But it’s the first to include a plug-in hybrid, or as MG is wont to call it, a Super Hybrid.

We previewed the tech, breaking the news MG developed the system with Australian conditions in mind.

This localisation relates to its software tune rather than its mechanical hardware, which includes a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, two e-motors (one for drive and one for regeneration), a two-speed transmission and a 24.7kWh LFP battery pack.

The combined powertrain output is 220kW/350Nm, which is pretty meaty.

MG claims a 120km EV-only range (WLTP) and a combined range – both battery and fuel tank exhausted – beyond 1000km. The system can only recharge at a maximum 6.6kW AC (no DC), so it’s set up for home charging.

Toby Hagon attended the first drive of the Super Hybrid and filed this assessment for us:

2025 MG HS Super Hybrid Review: 120km of EV range to take on BYD, GWM, Chery and more

The HS Super Hybrid we have been loaned is the top-spec Essence, priced at $54,990 drive-away.

It’s $4000 more than the other HS PHEV, the Excite, and the differences are all in the equipment levels.

So the Essence gets extras including a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, fake leather seat trim, driver’s seat power lumbar and memory, front passenger-seat power, heating for both front seats, eight-speaker audio, a 360-degree camera and wireless charging.

Well, actually, our pre-production MG HS didn’t come with wireless phone charging or a 360 camera. They are both in the Super Hybrid Essence models being delivered now, along with an updated infotainment screen and USB-C ports to replace the USB-A.

As per all MGs sold privately in Australia, the HS Super Hybrid Essence is covered by a 10-year/250,000km warranty. The same coverage applies to the battery.

Without further ado, let’s get into the things we’ve found with this car we really like … or don’t:

Like: It’s fantastically economical

We took delivery of our second MG HS Super Hybrid (yes second, we’ll get to the reason why in a sec) on September 1. Since then it has covered 2753km and visited a service station to refuel precisely never. As this was written the instrument cluster says there is still 397km worth of petrol still in the tank.

We haven’t had to refuel because there’s been no seriously long runs while this car has been with us. That means, with a bonafide 100km EV range – forget the 120km or even 140km claims and estimates – the HS SH comfortably does the daily runaround without igniting the petrol engine.

It only fires up when we choose to on the highway or freeway or the battery is depleted and needs a charge.

Based on spending $100 per week to refuel our old 2.0-litre petrol Kia Sportage SUV that means we’ve saved $800 already. Obviously some of that is lost in electricity costs recharging, but as it’s primarily overnight via a 240V plug in the garage, we’re many hundreds of dollars ahead (especially if you choose an EV electricity plan).

Regular recharging of the battery is absolutely critical to the HS SH delivering value. To fully replenish the battery it usually needed to be plugged in overnight every two or three days, which is no great imposition for us.

Don’t recharge and you’ll be constantly running the petrol engine and totting up fuel bills. Our experience says it will still be economical, but nowhere near what we’ve experienced.

Of course some people will argue that an EV is all we need for the tasks we’re setting the HS SH. Yep, but we live in a rural area and long runs do happen regularly and there isn’t much in the way of fast charging around here. So the ICE comes in handy.

Speaking of which, about the only thing that’s missing from the HS SH set-up is the ability to DC charge (some PHEVs do, some PHEVs don’t). If you can’t access home charging then this would be a problem.

Dislike: Reliability questions

We’re onto a second MG HS Super Hybrid because the first one temporarily died the very first day we had it. All this was covered off in our first long term report, including how I attempted unsuccessfully to replicate the issue.

The problem never recurred. Even during an epic 800km day-long drive into the countryside (long term test report #2 and long term test report #3), nothing untoward happened with that car.

But MG still wanted to swap it out so they could investigate any potential issues. So good on them for that. They’ve promised to let me know what happened if they find anything, but so far crickets.

The replacement car has performed without drama.

It’s worth noting this is not the first time MG has had issues with hybrid tech. Last year it was the smaller plugless ZS Hybrid+ that had some software issues and needed a retune.

Like: This thing is potent

Along with its economy the HS SH powertrain is also a strong performer.

In EV mode it’s got that instant tip-in smooth and quiet response that’s great for around town. It shows how little power and torque is really needed to keep us rolling. It feels perfectly adequate on the open road too.

My fellow tester (my wife Jane) has commented several times how the ability to accelerate away from a potential traffic issue without any lag or hesitation has been a boon.

Flip the switch to HEV (hybrid) mode and the there’s more mid- and top-end range response. So it works best on the open road, providing hill climbing and overtaking punch.

Dislike: The wing mirrors block the view

Sometimes you wonder how a new car can go through the entire multi-year development process and still get something basic so fundamentally wrong. In the case of the MG HS SH it’s the wing mirrors.

No matter how they are positioned they block the view out. It’s a particular problem looking to the right-side for diagonally oncoming traffic.

I’m 180cm tall and Jane is 155cm and it’s equally problematic for both of us. It’s almost impressive how thoroughly bad this design is.

The other weakness is the rear view. It’s a small window back there.

Like: It behaves really well

One thing that has taken both myself and Jane by some surprise is just how pleasant this car is to drive.

Obviously, dynamics are a big conversation point with Chinese brands. Some, such as GWM, are taking huge steps to localise. Others tend to more talk the talk than walk the walk.

MG’s kinda had a foot in both camps. The MG4 EV is a terrific nimble little drive, but the standard HS has never been highly rated.

But this car feels well-resolved in its steering, handling and ride. It’s also quiet with or without the petrol engine running – road noise does intrude, but not egregiously so.

I finished fresh, happy and not ache-free after the 800km endurance drive and felt confident and happy on some of the more challenging sections of the road that day.

Jane prefers driving it to our old Sportage. She says its feels easier to manouevre and duck about in during her many short dashes around the place.

Dislike: The speed monitoring drives me batty

Chinese cars also have a reputation for over-active ‘driver assistants’ that are actually distractions. In the case of the MG HS SH it’s the speed monitoring that is just too annoying to keep running. The moment it detects any minor transgression it’s bonging away like mad.

To switch it off requires drilling into screen with a swipe, a press, another press and then at least one more press. Every time the car is started.

It doesn’t help that dabs and swipes of the screen aren’t always rewarded with a response, so you can drive down the road frustratedly and repeatedly poking at the screen. So annoying.

There is a shortcut but it doesn’t include a speed monitoring button. Ot at least, I couldn’t figure out how to get it listed there if it can be.

Tip for MG: Check out the Chery Tiggo 7 CSH, it’s got the best set-up for short cuts and driver assist tuning I’ve yet come across in a Chinese car. Frustratingly, other Cherys are nowhere near as good.

Like: But other monitors aren’t too badly tuned

Generally, the other two prime driver assist annoyances are driver monitoring and lane keeping. But in the HS SH they are not too badly tuned at all.

Most of the time I don’t even bother to turn them off, which is actually as it should be.

Dislike: It’s the most expensive of these mid-size Chinese Super Hybrids

There are two models in the MG HS Super Hybrid range, the cheaper Excite starting at $50,990 drive-away. In isolation, given the quality of the powertrain and the level of equipment, this thing isn’t bad value at all.

But then you jump in a Chery Tiggo CSH ($39,990 drive-away) or Geely Starray EM-i $37,490 plus ORCs) or one of the other cheaper Chinese medium plug-in mid-size SUVs and the MG looks a bit over-priced. That’s because those things have quality powertrains and lots of equipment too.

Of course, MG is prone to a bit of price hacking when demand lags, so keep an eagle eye out.

Like: It’s really very spacious

We’re past the stage of having to haul our kids about. They’ve flown the nest and headed to the big smoke.

So our regular rear seat passengers are our two Dachshunds Eddie and Lulu. They get their own beds that are strapped in via the seat belts onto the rear seat.

I’ve gone through the process of installing and removing these seats from many cars over the years and the HS SH is one of the easiest in which to do it because the rear door opening is wide and the rear passenger area is spacious.

The dogs also get a good view out through big side windows.

When you’re travelling with humans in the back it’s generous enough to accommodate two taller people comfortably. There’s also a good level of storage and features – vents, USBs etc.

The boot is spacious as well, offering a claimed 507 litres expanding to 1484 litres with the rear seat split-folded.

Dislike: There’s no spare tyre

Having been marooned more than once now by the side of the road in country by terminally flat tyres (albeit not in this car … yet), I have come to hate the trend to remove spares from many vehicles, including the HS SH.

The argument is that adding a high-voltage battery just makes it too hard to fit a spare tyre as well.

But there’s also cost saving and weight saving reasons to omit a spare. And they don’t get mentioned so often by the car companies funnily enough.

Personally, I reckon spares should be made mandatory via Australian Design Rules. Then I reckon space would miraculously be found.

Like: Sensible interior ideas

While there’s an overall shortage of buttons in the MG HS – no volume dial on the centre console is probably the most annoying – there are some decent touches too.

The cubbyhole for the phone is one of the best. No firing across the cabin in corners with this design.

Basic AC and audio controls are also accessible through cards on the home page of the touchscreen. That’s better than having to drill in to do everything.

Dislike: Fiddly controls

More than once there’s been a neighbour knocking on the door at night saying that our parked and locked car’s headlights are still on.

They are controlled via a switch on the left-hand stalk and it can all get a bit confusing. Sometimes you can be confident you’ve turned off the lights, lock the car and walk away only for them to come blazing back on a minute or so later.

Because it runs as an EV at low speed, it’s also an easy car to forget to turn off after you park it.

Dislike: Lack of technical info from MG about this car

No matter how hard I try MG Motors Australia – despite being happy to loan a car for months – will not supply information about how its PHEV system with its software tuned for Australia all works and meshes together.

Annoyingly, MG has paid for an advertorial on a mainstream motoring website explaining the system, so I’ll just read that I guess.

2025 MG HS Super Hybrid Essence specifications

Price: $54,990 drive-away
Basics: PHEV, 5 seats, 5 doors, SUV, FWD
Range: 120km (EV)
Battery capacity: 24.7kWh (23.2kWh usable)
Battery warranty: 10 years/250,000km (7 years/160,000km for commercial use)
Energy consumption: 18kWh/100km (ADR)
Fuel consumption: 0.7L/100km Combined (ADR)
Powertrain: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo with 135kW/340Nm electric motor, combined outputs 220kW/350Nm
AC charging: 6.6kW, Type 2 plug
DC charging: NA
0-100km/h: 6.8 seconds