In-depth reviews

MG HS Plug-In boot space, seating & practicality

The HS hybrid is supremely spacious for both front and rear-seat passengers, and comes with a decent boot capacity, too

Overall rating

3.5 out of 5

Boot space, seating & practicality rating

4.5 out of 5

LengthWidthHeightBoot volume (seats up/down)
4,574mm1,876mm1,664mm448/1,375 litres

As a family SUV buyer, you may be able to look past the somewhat anonymous styling and a fairly lacklustre driving experience of the HS Plug-In, but one thing you probably won't tolerate is below-par practicality. MG has done its homework in this regard, however, and the HS is right up there with the best in class when it comes to how much people and paraphernalia it can carry – even if this electrified version loses a smidgen of boot space compared to the petrol model.

MG HS Plug-In interior space, storage & comfort

Whereas fit and finish are some way off the class leaders', space and practicality certainly aren't; the HS is huge inside. Even with a relatively tall driver installed in the front seat, there's loads of rear legroom, and the large glass area helps banish any feelings of claustrophobia. The 'Panoramic Sky Roof' of the higher-spec Exclusive model only adds to this effect.

It's almost exclusively good news on the practicality front, then, but there are one or two bugbears. For one, there's no height adjustment for the passenger seat, which may leave its occupant feeling like they're perched too high up to be truly comfortable.

Boot space

Although some boot space is lost compared to the purely petrol-engined HS due to the hybrid system's batteries, that's pretty much par for the course with plug-in hybrid cars. The boot space that remains has a neat and practical shape, with no intrusion from wheelarches or awkward steps in the floor. It's worth noting, though, that while the rear seats fold down to free up a total capacity of 1,375 litres (compared to 1,454 litres in the petrol) they don't lie completely flat, leaving a slight slope in the floor of the load area.

Towing

The HS Plug-In is rated to pull a 750kg unbraked or 1,500kg braked trailer or caravan. In common with other plug-in hybrids, its purely combustion-engined equivalent does a little better in this regard, with a higher braked-trailer figure of 1,750kg.

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