• Impressive electric range from PHEV
• But regular petrol engine isn’t very efficient
• Long warranty but unknowns about reliability

What are the running costs?

There will be a considerable difference in running costs depending on which HS you choose. 

The efficiency of the regular petrol engine is not a strong point, with fuel economy lagging well behind the best in this class. MG claims just 38.2mpg for the manual model, and even less for the version fitted with an automatic gearbox. CO2 emissions are also high at 168g/km or 173g/km. 

But the plug-in hybrid should offer considerably reduced running costs, especially if you can make use of cheaper overnight electricity rates or subsidised workplace charging. MG claims an impressive 75-mile electric range courtesy of its large 25.7kWh battery. It’s almost double that of the previous HS PHEV, and considerably more than just about all its rivals, with the exception of the Volkswagen Tiguan e-Hybrid, though the starting price of this is £10,000 more than the MG’s. 

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Claimed fuel economy figures with plug-in hybrids always need taking with a pinch of salt, because they grossly overestimate the time that most drivers spend running them on electricity – MG claims 670mpg, for example. Unless you complete just about every mile as an EV, you’ll never see a figure that close. However, its CO2 emissions of just 12g/km place it in a 5% company car tax bracket, the lowest available to a plug-in hybrid.

Servicing and warranty

MG’s warranty is competitive next to many manufacturers, with the firm’s cars covered for seven years and 80,000 miles. It’s great if you don’t drive that far, but if you do a lot of miles, there are more competitive warranties available. Hyundai’s warranty, for example, only lasts five years but has no mileage limit, while Kia’s offering also lasts for seven years, but a more generous 100,000 miles. 

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MG now has one of the largest dealer networks across the UK, which is key to its growing appeal. The HS needs servicing annually or every 15,000 miles, whichever comes first. 

Reliability

As the new HS has just landed in showrooms, there are certain unknowns around the car’s reliability and dependability. We will report back if and when recalls are issued or any problems materialise.