I’ve never run a PHEV long termer with enough EV range – subsequently, I’ve got better fuel economy from conventional hybrids and diesel cars. This one has a massive battery though, promising 75 petrol-free miles on a good day. Could the MG HS PHEV change my mind?

Reports by Adam Binnie

Update 1: Welcome

Plug-in hybrids like the MG HS PHEV are getting a bit of a hard time at the moment. I should know, I’ve written plenty of long-term updates about how this combination of battery and petrol power has rarely managed to deliver the economy it promised (or for that matter, more than a diesel equivalent).

I’m not feverishly morally opposed to this type of powertrain – if you have a short commute and occasionally want to travel further afield, then a plug-in hybrid might be absolutely all you need.

But 20-ish miles of battery range has never covered my needs adequately enough to convince me that a conventional hybrid (like my outgoing Renault Austral long termer) or even smaller petrol engine isn’t a better option.

Consider my surprise then when I got into the HS after charging its battery and saw 75 miles of EV range available to me. Even with a bit of an efficiency drop-off due to cold weather and motorway miles, that should still be more than enough for my commute.

I’ve really enjoyed the EVs I’ve run for Parkers previously. They make superbly quiet, chilled-out family transport, with a smooth and wafty power delivery, and more than enough poke to get you up to speed on faster roads.

However, despite the charging network being much better than it’s ever been before, I have still felt that sense of trepidation getting into an electric car for our very regular trips to see family or friends in the south-west.

On paper then the MG HS might be the ideal solution to my – potentially quite niche – needs of a slightly longer than average commute, and much higher than average need to crunch 600 miles in a weekend.

In fairness, it isn’t the only long-range PHEV available, but it’s certainly one of the cheapest. In top-spec Trophy trim like we’ve got here it’s £33,995, it is nearly £3,000 less than the base-spec VW Tiguan PHEV. You can spend more than £40,000 on one of those, if you want.

In the previous generation you could argue that was because the MG HS wasn’t as good as a VW Tiguan, but in this 2025 model I’m really not so sure anymore. It’s got all the tech you’d expect, the interior is plush and solidly screwed together, and externally I think it looks like a much more expensive car than before.

We’ll dive more into how it drives in a later update but my early impressions are really good – it’s smooth and refined, spends a lot of its time in EV mode, and even when the petrol engine kicks in you’d be hard pressed to notice.

Most impressive though is how little of those 75 EV miles it gives away. Even on cold drives fast roads I’ve got an easy 50-55 miles without putting any effort in whatsoever. I suspect with a more eco-focussed right foot you’d find 60+ miles.

Tellingly, I think, in my first month of ownership I haven’t used any petrol at all. The battery range covers my commute, and for local journeys it’s big enough so that I don’t have to worry about plugging it in all the time at home.

I’ve got a challenge with myself to see how few times I have to fill this car in the three months I’m running it. I’m having to calculate the average MPG I’m getting manually at the moment, because the gauge only goes up to 99.9mpg!

Have I finally found a PHEV that suits my weird niche? Early signs are looking good.