Should you buy one?

If you want a brand-new SUV on a tight budget, then this is certainly an option. The MG HS is acceptable family transport if value for money is your main concern. There are some quality and driving trait issues to complain about, but MG’s seven-year warranty helps to further compensate the unfussy buyer for this.

The plug-in hybrid model adds another string to the HS’s bow, and is again significantly cheaper than competitor alternatives. But its real-world efficiency isn’t brilliant, so don’t expect huge fuel economy savings. The ability to travel on electric power alone for short distances still has some appeal, though.

But while there’s little else on sale in the UK today that can match the HS for its combination of price and space, if you can afford to spend more on a rival car you will probably be getting a better one; our list of the best family SUVs places the Skoda Karoq at the top (though you can’t get a plug-in hybrid one of those).

What we like

The interior is attractive and well-made, and there’s tons of space inside for you and your family. Boot space is about average for the class and the PHEV model seems to offer good economy. Also, just in case we haven’t mentioned it enough already, the MG HS is very cheap.

What we don’t like

The problems that come hand-in-hand with its cheapness. The infotainment system is slow, the chassis isn’t as composed as rivals, neither gearbox option is particularly good, and the engines sound coarse and agricultural when pushed hard.