MG’s HS Hybrid+ in Essence trim touts a cabin that baits the premium SUV players and a warranty that scares them, but screen-heavy tech and heavy-handed safety systems get in the way of a good drive. Skip ahead:IntroductionRunning costsPrice and specificationEnergy useInterior space and comfortOn-road assessmentConnectivity and infotainmentSummarySafety Next steps 2026 MG HS Hybrid+ Essence You may be forgiven for thinking MG stands for more goodies in the Hybrid+ Essence. There are more soft-touch surfaces, more screen real estate, more warranty, and safety (and audible safety reminders) to sink the proverbial ship.

On paper, its long list of features and goodies look to undercut segment stalwarts like the GWM Haval H6 and the Toyota RAV4. Step inside, and it’s clear the cheap and cheerful (and sometimes rattly) ghosts of MG’s past have been exorcised with a spray of soft-touch surfaces, plush synthetic leather and pile carpets that feel far more expensive than its $44,990 drive-away sticker suggests. Backed by the big 10-year/250,000km warranty, it nails the family SUV brief with an interior that offers surprising sophistication, a flat rear floor and room for three big kids in the back, and a responsive hybrid powertrain that sips fuel at a respectable sub-six litres per 100 kilometres.

However, in the high-stakes world of mid-size SUVs, looking the part is not even half the battle. It is absolutely brimming with tech, but like many modern contenders, the move toward a minimalist, screen-heavy dashboard is a double-edged sword, and the HS occasionally trips over its own ambition with overbearing safety systems and distracting menu sorting. It is a tech-forward hybrid that that offers plenty of ‘more’… but sometimes less is better.

Unless you’re talking about physical buttons on dashboards. How much is an MG HS? The Hybrid+ in top-spec Essence trim is currently on sale for $44,990 drive-away, which goes hard up against the GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid at $43,990, and the Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid Ultimate also at $43,990, both prices drive-away.

Moving outside of the Chinese price war, the costs rise markedly for similar kit. For example, the excellent Hyundai Tucson Hybrid in Elite spec with the N Line package is $50,850 plus on-roads, or the Toyota RAV4 Cruiser FWD Hybrid at $56,990 plus on-roads. The Hybrid+ (closed-loop hybrid) powertrain sits above a standard 1.6-litre turbo variant and beneath the plug-in “Super Hybrid”.

The range comes in three trim options including the Vibe, Excite and Essence nameplates. The top-shelf Essence swaps the Excite’s basic reversing camera for a 360-degree surround view, and adds the safety nets of rear cross-traffic alert and rear cross-traffic brake to haul you up if you’re about to reverse into a stray shopping trolley (or worse). On the outside, you get fog lights and 19-inch wheels that fill the arches better than the Excite’s 18s.

Inside, fabric is traded for synthetic leather, the seats are heated (though not ventilated), and both fronts have power adjustment versus the manual levers for the passenger on the mid-spec Excite. The driver’s seat also gets electric lumbar adjustment and a memory function and it’s linked to the side-mirrors’ positioning, which are also electrically folding. The top spec also gets dual-zone climate control and an air filtration system, and the interior is further opened up and lightened by a long panoramic roof with an electric sunroof for the front row and a sun blind to shade the lot.

Though on a warm Aussie day, even with the sunblind up and lighter interior, the big airy glasshouse can still heat up and make the air-con work a little bit harder. Our test car had the $700 Arctic Blue Metallic paint option, which gave it the nickname in the office of The Smurf. Key details2026 MG HS Hybrid+ EssencePrice$44,990 drive-awayColour of test carArctic Blue MetallicOptionsPremium paint – $700Price as tested$45,690 drive-awayRivalsChery Tiggo 7 Pro | GWM Haval H6 | Toyota RAV4 How big is an MG HS?

The MG HS pulls off the clever visual trick by not looking quite as imposing as its measurements suggest. While its 4670mm length is fairly standard for the class, its 1890mm width requires a little caution when threading into tighter car spots. That extra girth pays dividends once you climb inside, particularly in the second row, which can seat three adults quite comfortably.

You sit quite high in the HS, and while the driver’s seat offers power adjustment, memory, and lumbar functions, it can take a bit of wiggling to find the sweet spot as under-thigh support adjustment isn’t independently controlled. In this Essence grade, almost every surface your hands or feet touch, from the dashboard and centre console to the floor, is wrapped in something soft and textured. The synthetic leather-look seats carry that theme forward, looking sharp and feeling impressively plush. The front passenger is treated to similar luxury with seat heating for both sides