Ever since its rebirth a few years ago, MG has been on a mission to produce quality vehicles at affordable prices for the masses. Continuously expanding their lineup, their latest model is the 2020 MG HS, a budget-friendly crossover.
After winning the 2020 Middle East Car of the Year, the 2020 HS has some serious credentials as that award does not come easy.
But, being the newest player in its segment, the MG HS faces stiff competition from its Japanese, French and American rivals, and it’s not going to be an easy one to take some of them head-on.
And with so many in the market, what has MG done to make the HS stand out? The MG HS is full of surprises.
The good
- High-level standard features
- Fuel economy
- Cabin trim
The bad
- Turbo lag
- Seat height position for taller drivers
- No front parking sensors
As always, a huge shout out to MG UAE for providing us with the car.
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MG has entered the fray with one thing on their mind; to be #1, but does the HS have what it takes? Join us, and let’s find out.
Driving the 2020 MG HS
Drawing power from a 2-litre turbocharged engine, the MG 2020 HS makes do with 231 horsepower. An impressive number that’s sent to all four wheels.
On the road, it’s smooth, and the ride is comfortable. The suspension is soft and set up so you don’t feel every bump along the way.
On the fly, you can select between five drive modes; Eco, Normal, Sport and custom. When shuffling through, you can see what attributes are being changed but be quick if there is anything you want to change, as the system only gives you five seconds to take a peek.
On the steering wheel, you’ll find the way to the fifth drive mode via a red button that can’t be missed. This is the only way to activate and deactivate the mode.
When engaged, the dashboard changes and tints red as does the interior lighting. In this mode, the engine becomes more responsive and stays in gear longer.
Outside the 2020 MG HS
As with all MG’s, the 2020 HS gets the brands signature star rider grille surrounded by chrome. Sleek headlights sit either side and illuminate the road ahead.
Lines are clean and uninterrupted, and for a Chinese car, the MG is a good looking vehicle. It rides proudly on 18-inch alloys and overall, the HS is stylish and does its job to stick out in its segment.
Inside the 2020 MG HS
Of everything we’ve jumped behind the wheel this year, the MG HS has one of the cleanest interiors available. If you hate clutter, then this the car for you.
The design is simple yet effective. There are no buttons you need four hours and a youtube tutorial to figure out what they do. All seven toggle switches clearly indicate what they do, and if you need to dive deeper into the infotainment system, you can use your finger.
Soft materials are all over the cabin as well as harder plastics. The latter are few and far between.
Our test vehicle was fitted with sports seats. An interesting option, but a fun one none the less. Covered in leather, the seats are inviting and hug you tight. The only downside is that they sit a bit high even with the seat lowered all the way down.
The rear seats comfortable and offer a decent amount of legroom and headroom.
Large glass sunroofs appear to be the norm nowadays in almost all cars, and we had one in the MG which enabled us to fill the cabin with natural sunlight.
Safety and tech
As we mentioned before, the 2020 HS is equipped with a 10.1-touchscreen infotainment system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both available as is Bluetooth in case you forgot your cable.
The system itself is vibrant and as with the cabin, it’s minimalistic in a good way. The icons are large, and you can swap between English and Arabic on the fly. There’s a slight delay when selecting the next song or flicking through apps, but that can easily be overlooked.
Pressing the toggle switch with the car above it shows you the safety features the 2020 HS has to offer. All of it appears to aid what’s going on behind you.
Reversing lines and loud beeps make themselves known when selecting reverse but the one thing that caught our eye was the distance. We can’t recall ever seeing this before, as the MG HS tell you how close you are to an object in CM. Pretty cool if you ask us.
Hidden in plain sight is the Blind-spot monitoring system. At first, you don’t notice it as a small yellow rectangle flashes to tell you it’s not safe to merge lanes, but once you know it’s there, it comes in handy.
Final verdict
Yes the 2020 HS MG faces stiff competition, and with the options, engine and comfort it provides, it’s hard to pass up. There is room for improvement, but most of those can be overlooked when you see what the starting price is!
It looks good, its well kitted out, the price is right, and it has enough to stand out in the segment plus it already won MECOTY this year. MG is on to something here, and we’d say the 2020 MG HS is worth it.
2020 MG HS price in UAE: Starting at AED 68,000.
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