You have all been waiting patiently and here it is… the MG HS and this is the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model. A five-seater family SUV, let's jump straight in and put it through our BabyDrive testing…
Firstly I could fit three Infasecure child seats across the back seat of the 2021 MG HS PHEV. The Infasecure Optima and the Infasecure Serene rear-facing both fitted with the Infasecure Versatile Folding Booster beside them. They all fit really nicely across and installing them was easy. If you want to learn more about the child seats used in this review then you can here. I think you would get three Infasecure Attain or Achieve More child seats across, as they are narrow child seats, but I did not have them to test with at the time.
There are three top tether anchorages, one in each of the rear seatbacks, that are easily accessible through the boot and there are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats.
Legroom is quite generous and we found a 180cm driver could fit in front of a rear-facing child seat. A 184cm+ driver could fit in front of a forward-facing child seat and a 184cm passenger could travel in front of a rear-facing child seat.
There are air-con vents in the back of the MG HS PHEV which are great for keeping your rear passengers cool while driving along. There are also two USB ports for charging phones and kids' devices.
There are also two USB ports and a 12V socket in the front too.
Storage is good throughout the MG HS; in the front and the back the door bins are were well-sized to hold a large refillable water bottle and the handles are little storage wells too.
The central console box has a handy cooling function which is great for families so you can put kids snacks or drinks in there and keep them cool.
The cup holders in the front and back are practical and hold a reusable and disposable coffee cup. In the back, there is a handy lidded phone tray too.
In the front, there is also storage for a phone beside the cups too.
The glove box is a practical size and there are map pockets and a glasses case in the ceiling too. You can read more detailed descriptions of the storage in the ‘Storage' section below.
I have tested the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model and the charging cables are kept under the boot floor.
Boot space in the 2021 MG HS PHEV is good and it will hold twelve shopping bags from empty, which is one less than the Kia Sportage, two less than the Hyundai Tucson and three less than the Toyota RAV4 that fits fifteen.
The boot shape is practical, meaning the twin and double pram or strollers I tested both fitted in the boot with a really good amount of space around them for shopping or other gear, which is great for a car of this size.
The boot floor is nice and flat and carpeted, making it perfect for an emergency nappy change or to transport your family dog!
The media system in the 2021 MG HS PHEV took me a little while to navigate as this was the first MG I've tested and I found there is a considerable delay between selecting something and the system reacting, which I did find a little frustrating during my week with the car.
It does have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto though, which I find really helpful while driving.
There are some nice features within the MG HS media system, especially the ability to customise some of the driver assist settings.
My favourite is being able to adjust the volume settings for a lot of beeps and warnings too, which is great when you are driving little kids around so they are not disturbed by the various chimes.
You can control the air-conditioning through the media screen too.
The reversing camera image is of great quality and fills the whole screen.
As well as having a 360-degree 3D camera too! So you can see all around the exterior of your MG HS.
The MG HS PHEV has an indicator camera too, which comes on showing the side of the car you're indicating and giving you great visibility when turning or changing lanes. However I found you can't use the media screen for anything else while this is on, so if you are sat at traffic lights for example you can't adjust the aircon or anything like that until you turn it off.
Now this is the plug-in hybrid model (PHEV) which we found really economical during our week with our family. It has around 52Km electric range to the battery which we found enough for a couple of days of commute and running kids to school and playdates, and then we'd recharge it overnight at home or even better during the day using energy from our solar panels where possible. I liked the knowledge of having the fuel for longer trips and holidays and using electricity for everyday family life.
The MG HS PHEV has a nice quiet start, which is great with kids it starts the journey on a peaceful note (sometimes!). Also, it's great to sit using the battery instead of fuel to run the aircon when you get stranded with kids asleep in the back.
It has a flap on either side of the car, one for fuel and the other for charging, and it's a nice and simple car to charge. There is also a display in the driver's screen that shows you the distribution of energy between the battery and the engine, which I love to see!
You can see how much battery you have left in the bottom right of the driver's screen too, and how much fuel is left in the bottom left of the screen. It's well thought out and easy to understand.
The MG HS PHEV is a nice car to drive, it's great around town and visibility is good, making parking and manoeuvring in school and supermarket car parks easy especially with the great cameras.
For our family of four, the MG HS PHEV is a very practical option as a plug-in hybrid, five-seater SUV and BabyDrive. It's a really good allrounder; nice to drive and fits three child seats across with a good amount of legroom and keeping a generous amount of space for the boot to hold a twin pram. The cameras and media system are good too, it is just the delay in the media system that I found frustrating during my week with the car.
The 2021 MG HS scored a five-star ANCAP safety rating for the petrol variants only although the PHEV models are not yet rated. All MG HS models have six airbags as standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2021 MG HS PHEV?
The boot of the 2021 MG HS PHEV is a good size for a five-seater SUV, it will hold 12 shopping bags underneath the retractable roller blind, which is one less than the Kia Sportage, two less than the Hyundai Tucson which holds 14 shopping bags and the Toyota RAV4 that holds 15.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Kid’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The twin stroller fits easily in the boot of the 2021 MG HS PHEV with three shopping bags in front of it, which is really impressive boot space for a five-seater medium-size SUV.
The tandem modular pram fits with two shopping bags beside it.
The single pram fits in the boot of the MG HS PHEV with five shopping bags beside it.
The compact stroller fits in the boot of the MG HS PHEV with eight shopping bags beside it.
The boot floor of the 2021 MG HS PHEV is nice and flat and carpeted, which is perfect for carrying your small or medium-size family dog and perfect for an emergency nappy change!
How good is storage in the 2021 MG HS PHEV?
Storage throughout the 2021 MG HS is very good. In the front, there are two cup holders in the central console that will hold a re-usable or disposable coffee cup ad beside them is a slot to hold your phone.
In front of the gear lever are two USB and a 12V socket.
The front door bins are a practical size, they will hold a large refillable water bottle and iPad and there are storage wells in the handles too.
The central console storage box is a highlight of the MG HS PHEV with a cooling option in the bottom of it which I found great for my secret chocolate stash and keeping kids' snacks cool!
The glove box is a generous size and will hold my wallet and iPad.
There is a sunglasses case in the ceiling (they are becoming a rare feature these days) and lit vanity mirrors in the visors too.
In the back, the storage is good too. There are map pockets in the back of both front seats that will hold but not conceal an iPad.
In a fold-down armrest in the central seatback are two cup holders and a lidded tray. A reusable and disposable coffee cup fit well in the cup holders and the tray is good for a phone.
The door bins in the back are smaller than in the front; they still hold a 600ml water bottle and there are storage wells in the handles too.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2021 MG HS PHEV?
The 2021 MG HS PHEV has a fantastic modern and easy to use media system with a nice big screen, but it took me a little while to find my way around (as it is my first time testing an MG) and I found there to be a considerable delay between pressing on something and the system reacting, which I did find a little frustrating during my week.
The MG HS PHEV also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which I find really helpful for accessing my phone while driving.
There are some great features for parents within the MG HS media system; I especially like the ability to customise some of the driver assist settings, like turning on and off lane-keep assist because I found MG's version of this system really bounced me around on the motorway.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
Another of my favourites is being able to adjust the volume settings for a lot of beeps and warnings too, which is great when you are driving little kids around so they are not disturbed by the different chimes when they fall asleep.
The air-conditioning is controlled through the media screen, which I found this a little frustrating to use because of the delay when I wanted to cool the car down quickly in the sun.
The reversing camera in the MG HS PHEV has a fantastic quality and fills the whole screen.
It also has a 360-degree 3D camera too which is also excellent quality and you can press on the screen to select the angle you see from, great for checking if there are any kids or pets around the exterior when manoeuvring.
The MG HS PHEV has an indicator camera too, which gives you great visibility down the side of the car when turning or changing lanes. However, I found you can't use the media screen for anything else while this is on, so for example if you are sat at traffic lights and want to adjust the aircon you can't without turning your indicator off.
I tested the plug-in hybrid model (PHEV) which was really economical as a family car during our week of testing. It did around 52Km to the battery which was enough for a couple of days of commuting and running kids to school and playdates and then we'd recharge it overnight at home or when possible, during the day with the extra feel-good factor of using energy from our solar panels. I liked the knowledge of having the fuel for longer trips and holidays and the PHEV for everyday family life.
You can see the battery range in the bottom right of the driver's screen and the fuel distance to empty in the bottom left. Also, a combined electric and petrol range is shown in the centre at the bottom. I thought this was all so well-designed and easy to understand.
You are also able to display a full visual of the energy distribution between engine and battery, which I love glancing at while driving along.
You can lock the windows from the driver's door control panel…
…as well as the doors.
The indicators are nice and quiet in the MG HS PHEV and would not disturb a sleeping passenger.
Since becoming a mum I spend A LOT of time parked up somewhere with a nice view while my daughter is asleep in the back! If it's hot I need to leave the engine running and the aircon on but I do like to get out and drink my cuppa tea in the fresh air while enjoying the fact my limbs are free from said dangling child!! SO this is a very important test as I have found that sometimes I have been held hostage by a cars BEEEEPING alarms when I have taken off my seatbelt or opened the door while the engine is still running!! (I only stand outside the car, I am not a bad mother!!)
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2021 MG HS PHEV?
There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, they are not within plastic guides but are labelled and nice and easy to connect to.
There are three top tether anchorages across the back of the rear seatbacks. The outer two are within plastic guides and the central one is not but all are clearly labelled and nice and easy to connect to through the boot.
If you want to learn more about the child seats used in this review then you can here. I think you would get three Infasecure Attain or Achieve More child seats across, as they are narrow child seats, but I did not have them to test with at the time.
Legroom is quite generous in the MG HS PHEV and we found a 180cm driver could fit in front of a rear-facing child seat. A 184cm+ driver could fit in front of a forward-facing child seat and a 184cm passenger could travel in front of a rear-facing child seat.
Posting bub into their child seat from inside and outside the car is really nice and easy in the 2021 MG HS PHEV.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
There is room to feed bub in the back of the MG HS if you only have one child seat installed.
The seats are upholstered with contrast stitching, panels of suede and perforated and plain pleather. The perforations would be hard to wipe clean as crumbs and spills would get stuck in them.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2021 MG HS PHEV? And How good is the 2021 MG HS PHEV to drive?
All the seats are comfortable in the MG HS PHEV that I tested. The front headrests are not adjustable in all directions but I could still wear a ponytail!
I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!
For a mum travelling in the back with Bub, the seats are comfortable and there is ample headroom in the back.
The rear seats are comfortable to travel in and you can feel the hard central backrest because of the fold-down armrest with cup holders.
For the first year of my daughters lives when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with Bub so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.
The cruise controls are on a stalk behind the left side of the steering wheel a bit like some European cars, they are nice and easy to use once you get used to them
There are air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box, which are great for keeping little rear passengers cool while driving.
There are USB sockets in the back of the central console box too, these are great for kids charging their devices while driving.
There are handles above both rear doors which are well-positioned to hold a baby toy for rear-facing passengers.
The rear interior light is too far back for me to reach it while driving because of the big sunroof.
I have found Bub does not like travelling in the dark in the car so if it gets dark whilst travelling then I reach back and turn the interior light on for her. So it’s really important for me that I can reach the rear ceiling light.
Also if I am traveling home and it is getting near to bed time and I DEFINITELY DON’T want her to fall asleep in the car as even a five-minute nap in the car means bed time is all over!!!! I lean back and pop the light on so it’s not dark and try to keep her awake!! Along with screaming/singing at the top of my voice!!!
It is also useful when there are lights situated above the doors where the handles are usually positioned. These are good for when putting baby into their child seats when visibility is poor, so you do not have to reach across them to a light situated in the ceiling centrally etc.
Visibility in the back of the 2021 MG HS PHEV for rear-facing passengers is good, the windows are nice and large. Visibility for the driver is affected by having three child seats in the back so the side view or rearview cameras are really good while driving.
The MG HS PHEV is good to park in school and supermarket car parks.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the MG HS PHEV was simple to park as it is quite small and the rear view camera is so good!
The MG HS PHEV is a no-brainer car for a family of four, and it's a great affordable and practical option for families wanting to try the plug-in hybrid experience.
You also get a lot of creature comforts for your money, especially the 3D cameras that are better than you get in a lot of much more expensive vehicles.
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the MG HS PHEV?
The 2021 MG HS PHEV has been given a five-star ANCAP safety rating however not for PHEV variants, as they are yet to be tested.
When it comes to safety features the 2021 MG HS PHEV has six airbags; there are dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags are standard.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
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