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

June 7, 2025June 7, 2025 Toby Hagon 7978 Views HS, mg, super hybrid

It’s not quite a four-wheeled superhero but the latest additions to the MG HS range brings plenty of EV thinking along with the back-up of petrol for longer journeys.

The so-called HS Super Hybrid pairs a big battery with a tuned-for-Australia hybrid system that aims to blend the best of EV-only running with open road touring.

The new addition to MG’s mid-sized SUV model is more expensive than petrol-only models, but with claimed EV range of 120km it promises running costs savings as a tempter.

MG says the Super Hybrid system “isn’t just an upgrade, it’s a solution crafted for Australian conditions”.

That’s a big claim in a market segment not only brimming with regular hybrid options – Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Nissan X-Trail among them – but a new breed of plug-in hybrids that allow owners to sample some EV running without walking away from the bowser.

The HS Super Hybrid’s biggest rivals are the BYD Sealion 6 and GWM Haval H6GT PHEV.

It’s still months away from dealerships – MG says it can still fine tune the software depending on our feedback – but when it arrives it looks set to build on the depth developing in the medium SUV segment.

2025 MG HS Super Hybrid price and equipment

The MG HS Super Hybrid is being offered in two trim levels: Excite and Essence.

The Excite is priced from $52,990, which is $14,000 more than the petrol-only model.

Standard gear is expected to broadly match the non-hybrid models; that includes a 360-degree camera, faux leather trim and dual 12.3-inch displays.

The Essence is $55,990 and add a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone ventilation, wireless phone charging, powered tailgate, a better sound system and heated and powered front seats.

Each pairs a 105kW/230Nm petrol engine with two electric motors.

It’s a similar set-up to what Toyota uses in its hybrid, albeit with a battery that can be externally recharged.

The MG HS Super Hybrid is priced from $52,990 drive-away.

The larger 135kW electric motor helps power the wheels, contributing to a claimed 0-100km/h dash of 6.8 seconds. The smaller motor makes 61kW and is used purely as a generator to recharge the battery.

That LFP battery holds 24.7kWh of electricity for a claimed EV range of 120km.

2025 MG HS Super Hybrid: what we think

It’s all about the engine in the MG HS Super Hybrid. Or, more correctly, it’s all about the drivetrain, because the electric side of the equation plays a starring role here.

My first move was to select EV-only mode because I figure that’s what plenty of owners will do; run it on electricity around town and charge it up at home.

The 135kW/340Nm motor dishes up thoroughly respectable performance. There’s ample pulling power for zipping around town, especially below 80km/h. And it’ll get up to country road speeds without much drama.

MG says the transmission simulates a nine-speed auto, but it never felt like that. Instead it behaved more like a CVT, adjusting the engine revs to what your right foot is asking for.

Get too eager on the throttle at higher speeds, though, and you’ll fire the engine into action as it embraces hybrid mode.

Not that it’s obvious. The engine mostly ticks over at fairly low revs, sometimes 1500rpm or 2000rpm/3000rpm. Rarely does it venture beyond that.

It’s impressively hushed and very much the side show to the electric half of the drivetrain – exactly what you want.

But (yes, there are a couple) … I’d prefer if the EV mode kept the engine dormant altogether so that it can be driven purely on the battery for those around-town days.

With enough feedback that’s something that could come as part of an over-the-air software update because MG is eager to listen. The cars we drove officially hit the market around September and MG says it wants media feedback to see if anything needs to improve.

Either way, you can expect close to 100 real-world kilometres from electricity alone.

While that’s relatively thirsty by battery electric vehicle standards, it’s not bad for a PHEV (remembering it’s carrying around an engine that’s dead weight when it’s not running).

And, of course, you’ve got petrol beyond that.

When the engine and electric motor work together there’s a combined 220kW and 350Nm.

Now it never quite felt that hearty, but there’s certainly more than most family SUVs will pump out.

For some extended hybrid running we were using 2.9 litres per 100km. That was inclusive of some EV running early on, but later on when the trip computer was displaying around 4L/100km it’s still impressively frugal.

That hybrid mode has also been calibrated to conserve electrical energy for longer for better economy on longer trips. By PHEV standards it’s certainly set up well for that.

Yet I wonder how many MG HS buyers will be regularly tearing off into the sunset?

I suspect most will be zipping around town, hence my call for that dedicated EV mode to do exactly that and no more.

Elsewhere there’s plenty of HS in an occasionally bland but inoffensive way.

Through bends the HS is uninspiring. The steering feels numb and occasionally oddly weighted.

And the punchy hybrid system can easily overwhelm the grip threshold of the front wheels. Dart out of an intersection or hairpin and the inside wheel can trigger the traction control. Most of our driving was in the wet, which didn’t help.

There’s also a little bit of lean, so the suspension could do a bit more work. It can feel a tad sloppy.

Inside, the Super Hybrid is like any other HS. The cabin is mostly well presented and functional.

There are HS frustrations with the infotainment, though.

The centre screen looks the business but the lack of a volume dial means you’re toggling a joystick on the steering wheel or looking for the on-screen slider to adjust audio levels. It’s harder than it needs to be.

And burying so many of the ventilation controls within menus makes an otherwise quick tweak more presses than it should take.

It’s a shame, because the fundamentals of the cabin are solid and the quality and finishes fine.

2025 MG HS Super Hybrid: The verdict

It’s a fair old price premium to get into the MG HS Super Hybrid compared with the regular HS.

Compared with hybrid rivals, though, it’s competitively priced.

And the hybrid drivetrain is great, making for an electrified option for those who will regularly do big road trips.

That’s key, because that’s where the HS Super Hybrid does its best work.

That said, I’d love to see the EV mode locking petrol out of the equation altogether. That way you could more confidently use the battery and run it more as an electric car.

There’s certainly enough EV range for most people’s everyday driving.

Score: 3.5/5

2025 MG HS Super Hybrid price and specifications
Price: From $52,990 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: TBA
Drivetrain: 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

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