MG HS Hybrid PHEV review (UK): price, electric range, running costs, verdict

The MG HS Hybrid you can plug in is the HS Plug-in Hybrid, a five-seat family SUV that costs £32,495 as the SE and £34,995 as the Trophy, with 75 miles of official electric range. It has won What Car?’s Plug-in Hybrid of the Year award twice, but it charges slowly and MG’s reliability record is poor.

The HS is a family SUV in the MG range, and the current, second-generation car arrived in 2024. It comes with three engines: a 1.5-litre petrol, the HS Hybrid+ self-charging hybrid and the HS Plug-in Hybrid this review covers. EV Compared has not driven the HS. This review rests on MG and dealer data, government tax and grant rules, and the findings of named UK road tests.

Verdict: who should buy the MG HS plug-in hybrid, and who should not?

The MG HS plug-in hybrid suits a family that can charge at home every night, does most of its weekday driving within 60 or so miles, and wants a roomy, well-equipped SUV for a fair price. Plugged in daily, it can run on electricity at around 2p a mile and use petrol only for longer trips.

It does not suit drivers who cannot charge at home, because it then becomes a petrol SUV that testers found returns 42.8 to 46.3mpg. It suits long-distance drivers poorly too, since it cannot use rapid chargers. Buyers who put reliability or resale value first should also look harder: MG finished last in What Car?’s latest reliability survey, and What Car? expects the HS to lose value faster than a Kia Sportage.

Is the MG HS Hybrid a plug-in hybrid?

The MG HS Hybrid+ and the MG HS Plug-in Hybrid are different cars, and only the second one plugs in. The Hybrid+ is a self-charging hybrid: its small 1.83 kWh battery is charged by the petrol engine and by braking. MG gave the Hybrid+ a revised traction motor and generator in September 2026 to cut noise and vibration, Auto Express reported.

The Plug-in Hybrid has a much bigger battery, 23.2 kWh usable and 24.7 kWh gross, which you charge from a home wallbox or public charger. That is what gives it 75 miles of WLTP electric range. If the hybrid labels are confusing, our explainer on mild, full and plug-in hybrids sets out how each one works.

How much is the MG HS plug-in hybrid, and which trim is best?

The MG HS plug-in hybrid costs £32,495 as the SE and £34,995 as the Trophy, on the road, on MG dealer Eric Stead’s listing in November 2026. Both trims use the same 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, battery and electric motor.

Trim	List price (Nov 2026)	Battery (usable)	Electric range (WLTP)	Key equipment
SE 1.5T	£32,495	23.2 kWh	75 miles	19-inch alloys, 12.3-inch touchscreen and 12.3-inch driver display, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, rear camera and sensors, adaptive cruise control, vehicle-to-load, keyless entry
Trophy 1.5T	£34,995	23.2 kWh	75 miles	Adds heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, power tailgate, 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging, 8-speaker audio, electric driver’s seat with memory

The equipment above is the dealer’s specification. MG upgraded the HS range at the end of September 2026: Auto Express reported that SE versions gain heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless charging and a 360-degree camera as standard, and the Trophy gains cooled front seats, an opening panoramic sunroof and a leather and suede-style trim. The updated plug-in hybrid was due in showrooms by mid-October, so check which specification a dealer’s car has.

The testers disagree on the best trim. What Car? recommends sticking with the SE and says the Trophy is worth considering if you have more to spend. Carbuyer suggests the Trophy, as it costs only £2,500 more.

On our own measure of value, the SE costs £433 of list price per mile of electric range and the Trophy £467. That is the list price divided by the 75-mile WLTP electric range; our methodology explains how we work out every figure on the page.

What is the MG HS like inside?

Inside, the HS is a big step up from the first-generation car, and What Car? praised its classy interior with plenty of equipment for the money. Electrifying’s reviewers singled out the interior as the thing that seals the deal for many buyers.

The weak point is the technology. Carbuyer found the infotainment slow, Electrifying disliked the on-screen climate controls and found switching between phone mirroring and MG’s own system fiddly, and Auto Express judged the infotainment behind its rivals’. What Car? found the Kia Sportage’s software snappier. Both trims get two 12.3-inch screens, one for the driver’s display and one for the touchscreen.

There is room for three adults in the back, according to Auto Express, and its testers found the ISOFIX points easy to reach.

How does the MG HS plug-in hybrid drive?

The HS plug-in hybrid produces 220 kW (299 PS) and 350 Nm from its 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine and electric motor, and MG quotes 0 to 62mph in 6.8 seconds. That makes it brisk for a family SUV.

Testers liked it most around town. Auto Express found it feels much like an electric car at low speeds, with smooth power and a comfortable ride, and its megatest praised the easygoing ride. What Car? rated the hybrid versions good to drive.

The handling and refinement draw criticism. What Car? found the steering vague, and Carbuyer found the HS unsatisfying to drive, with vague steering. Auto Express noted body roll in fast corners, road and wind noise at motorway speeds, an unrefined petrol engine and irritating safety warnings, and its megatest found the lane assist can make the steering feel sticky.

How far does the MG HS plug-in hybrid go on electricity?

The HS plug-in hybrid has an official WLTP electric range of 75 miles from its 23.2 kWh usable battery. Real-world results come close to that figure.

Auto Express’s testers covered 68.1 miles on electricity in its May 2026 megatest, the longest pure-electric range of the 16 plug-in hybrids tested. What Car?’s testers did better, covering 74 miles before the petrol engine started. Our page on the HS plug-in hybrid’s real-world range and charging times goes into more detail.

Once the battery is flat, the HS runs as a conventional hybrid. Its official charge-sustaining economy is 48.7mpg, Carbuyer’s data shows. Testers got less: Auto Express recorded 46.3mpg, What Car? averaged 42.8mpg running mainly on petrol, and Electrifying expects 35 to 40mpg with the battery depleted. The 705mpg official weighted figure only applies if you charge often; Electrifying called it highly unrealistic otherwise.

How long does the MG HS plug-in hybrid take to charge?

The HS plug-in hybrid charges at up to 7 kW on AC, which takes about four hours from empty to full, and it has no DC rapid charging. Carbuyer quotes 240 minutes at 7 kW and 450 minutes from a 2.2 kW domestic socket.

That is a drawback on a long trip, because you cannot top up quickly at a motorway rapid charger. For daily use it matters less: a 7 kW wallbox refills the battery well inside Intelligent Octopus Go’s six-hour off-peak window, from 23:30 to 05:30. Best Chargers covers which home charger to fit.

MG HS plug-in hybrid charging	Figure
AC (home wallbox) maximum	7 kW
AC, 0 to 100% at 7 kW	about 4 hours (MG dealer)
AC, 0 to 100% at 2.2 kW	about 7.5 hours (Carbuyer)
DC rapid charging	none
Vehicle-to-load	yes, both trims
Full charge at home, 6.5p/kWh	£1.51
Full charge on the price cap, 26.32p/kWh	£6.11

Charging costs are EV Compared calculations: the 23.2 kWh usable battery multiplied by the price per kWh, ignoring charging losses. The home rate is Intelligent Octopus Go’s 6.5p/kWh off-peak price and the price cap rate is Ofgem’s 26.32p/kWh for October to December 2026.

What does the MG HS plug-in hybrid cost to run?

On electricity, the HS plug-in hybrid costs 2.0p per mile charged at home on a 6.5p/kWh off-peak tariff, and 8.1p per mile on the standard price cap rate, on our figures. Those are the full-charge costs above divided by the 75-mile WLTP electric range. Driving 8,000 electric miles a year would cost about £161 at 6.5p/kWh, or about £651 at the price cap rate. Our guide to what it costs to charge at home compares tariffs.

Vehicle tax. With 12 g/km of CO2, the HS plug-in hybrid pays the £115 first-year rate for cars emitting 1 to 50 g/km, then the £200 standard rate from the second year. Both trims cost under £40,000, so neither pays the £440 expensive car supplement.

Company car tax. With 75 miles of electric range and CO2 in the 1 to 50 g/km band, the HS falls in the 7% benefit-in-kind band for 2026/27, HMRC’s tables show. Electrifying notes it rises to 8% in 2027/28, and the government has confirmed plug-in hybrids in this band move to 18% in 2028/29 and 19% in 2029/30. An electric car pays 4% in 2026/27.

Servicing and warranty. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000 miles, Carbuyer’s data shows. The warranty runs for 7 years or 80,000 miles, and the battery has the same 7-year or 80,000-mile cover.

How practical is the MG HS plug-in hybrid?

The HS plug-in hybrid has a 530-litre boot with the rear seats up and 1,484 litres with them folded. What Car? noted that some rivals have more luggage space, and in its suitcase test the Kia Sportage hybrid swallowed eight cases to the HS’s six.

MG HS plug-in hybrid dimensions	Figure
Length	4,670 mm
Width (excluding mirrors)	1,890 mm
Height	1,663 mm
Seats	5
Braked towing limit	1,500 kg
Unbraked towing limit	750 kg
Fuel tank	55 litres

The 1,500 kg braked towing limit covers a small to medium caravan or trailer, and it is more than the Kia EV3’s 500 kg or the Volvo EX30’s 1,400 kg.

What the testers say

What Car? named the HS plug-in hybrid its Plug-in Hybrid of the Year in 2025 and 2026. In Lawrence Cheung’s review, updated 22 January 2026, What Car? called the plug-in a five-star car on merit, praising its classy interior, its driving manners and its huge electric range. Against it, the review lists MG’s poor reliability record and less luggage space than some rivals.

Auto Express ranked the HS first of 16 cars in its plug-in hybrid megatest of 14 May 2026, by Phil McNamara, calling it the best plug-in hybrid you can buy right now. Its testers praised the 68.1-mile real-world electric range, the easygoing ride and the clear controls, and criticised the slow AC charging and sticky lane assist. Auto Express also named the HS its Affordable Hybrid Car of the Year 2026.

Electrifying called it a pretty convincing proposition for drivers not yet ready for a fully electric car in Vicky Parrott’s review of 21 July 2026. She found the value, specification and warranty outweighed its faults in fit and finish, boot design and the climate and media interface.

Carbuyer gave the HS 3.8 out of 5 in Charlie Harvey and Ellis Hyde’s review of 15 November 2024. They called it a huge improvement over its predecessor with one of the best electric-only ranges for the price, but found it unsatisfying to drive and flagged MG’s poor Driver Power ratings.

All four agree on the value and the electric range. These are their findings, not EV Compared’s; we have not driven the car.

Is the MG HS safe and reliable? Euro NCAP, recalls and common problems

The MG HS has a five-star Euro NCAP rating, with 90% for adult occupant protection, 85% for child occupants, 83% for vulnerable road users and 74% for safety assist. Both trims get MG Pilot, which includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist and blind spot detection.

Reliability is the main worry. MG came last of 30 makers in What Car?’s latest reliability survey, and the previous HS Hybrid finished 43rd of 76 family SUVs; the current HS was too new to be ranked. Carbuyer also points to MG’s poor Driver Power ratings. The commonest complaints in reviews are the slow infotainment, the vague steering and the over-eager safety warnings rather than mechanical faults.

To check whether a specific car has been recalled, enter its registration on the government recall checker, which shows any unfixed DVSA safety recalls.

How does the MG HS plug-in hybrid compare with its rivals?

The nearest plug-in hybrid rival on price in our data is the Omoda 7 SHS-P Knight at £32,005, which has a bigger 590-litre boot and 40 kW DC charging, but only 56 miles of electric range. For the same money, you can also buy fully electric SUVs such as the Leapmotor B10, which costs £32,495 with 270 miles of range.

Model and trim	List price (Nov 2026)	Range (WLTP)	AC charging	DC charging	Boot
Geely EX5 SE (electric)	£31,990	267 miles	11 kW	120 kW	461 litres
Omoda 7 SHS-P Knight (plug-in hybrid)	£32,005	56 miles	6.6 kW	40 kW	590 litres
Leapmotor B10 67.1 kWh (electric)	£32,495	270 miles	not listed	168 kW	430 litres
MG HS Plug-in Hybrid SE 1.5T (plug-in hybrid)	£32,495	75 miles	7 kW	not listed	530 litres
Kia EV3 Air SR 58.3kWh (electric)	£33,055	270 miles	11 kW	not listed	460 litres
Volvo EX30 Core P5 51kWh (electric)	£33,060	209 miles	11 kW	134 kW	318 litres
Omoda E5 Knight (electric)	£33,065	267 miles	not listed	not listed	370 litres
MG HS Plug-in Hybrid Trophy 1.5T (plug-in hybrid)	£34,995	75 miles	7 kW	not listed	not listed

Range is electric range for the plug-in hybrids and full range for the electric cars. The HS has no DC charging. Among other Chinese-built plug-in hybrid SUVs, the Jaecoo 7 has 56 miles of electric range.

Against the Kia Sportage, What Car? found the Kia more fun to drive, quieter at speed and better at holding its value. The HS’s answer is a far longer electric range and more equipment for the money.

Should you go fully electric instead?

If you can charge at home and rarely tow, a fully electric SUV at the same price costs less to run and goes much further between charges. The Geely EX5 costs £31,990 with 267 miles of range and runs at 1.5p per mile on a 6.5p/kWh home tariff, on our figures. The Leapmotor B10 runs at 1.6p per mile, the Kia EV3 at 1.4p and the Omoda E5 at 1.5p. The HS plug-in hybrid costs 2.0p per mile on electricity at the same tariff, and more once the petrol engine takes over.

Electric cars also pay less company car tax: 4% in 2026/27 against the HS’s 7%, and the gap widens in April 2028 when the HS’s band moves to 18%. Electric cars on the government’s list can get the Electric Car Grant; the Kia EV3 is in band 2, worth £1,500 off. No plug-in hybrid qualifies. Our guide to choosing between a hybrid and a fully electric car covers the trade-offs.

The HS makes more sense than an electric car if you tow up to 1,500 kg, regularly drive long distances, or cannot rely on public charging where you travel.

Should you buy an MG HS plug-in hybrid?

Buy an MG HS plug-in hybrid if you can charge at home, want a roomy five-seat SUV that covers most daily driving on electricity at about 2p a mile, and value a long equipment list and a 7-year warranty over brand prestige. On those terms, the 75-mile electric range, the £32,495 starting price and the 7% company car tax rate make a strong case, and What Car? and Auto Express both rank it top of the class.

Do not buy one if you cannot plug in at home, regularly drive long motorway journeys, or need a fast top-up on the road, because it has no rapid charging and testers found 42.8 to 46.3mpg once the battery runs out. Look elsewhere too if reliability and resale value matter most, given MG’s last place in What Car?’s survey. A company car driver should weigh the move to 18% benefit in kind in April 2028, which makes a fully electric SUV the safer long-term choice.

Our verdict rests on published data and the named reviews above: the MG HS plug-in hybrid is a strong-value plug-in hybrid with the longest real-world electric range in Auto Express’s 16-car test, held back by slow charging and MG’s reliability record.