In-depth reviews

MG HS Plug-In interior, dashboard & comfort

The HS isn't necessarily the most well finished or high-tech car inside, but quality is reasonable throughout

Overall rating

3.5 out of 5

Interior, dashboard & comfort rating

3.0 out of 5

In common with the rest of MG's range, interior quality in the HS Plug-In is acceptable rather than impressive. This isn't pretending to be a luxury car though, so those with kids or pets will probably be perfectly happy with the car's solid rather than sumptuous approach.

MG HS Plug-In dashboard

Material quality in the HS has taken a step up compared to the smaller and cheaper 3 hatchback and ZS SUV models that have anchored its range until now. There’s softer trim than before across the dashboard and door cards, while any harder surfaces that remain are generally out of sight. As with the exterior, though, the design is a bit plain and uninspired compared to the swoopier and more dynamic setups found in some rivals.

Equipment, options & accessories

The HS Plug-In's trim-level structure is about as simple as they come: there's the entry level Excite and the higher-spec Exclusive – and that's it. All come with a generous amount of standard equipment, including 18-inch alloy wheels, leather-style trim, power-adjustable heated front seats, automatic headlamps and wipers, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, a 10.1-inch colour touchscreen, a 360-degree parking camera and silver roof rails.

Stepping up to Exclusive gets you a powered tailgate, a panoramic sky roof, full leather upholstery, ambient interior lighting, metal sports pedals, a power-adjustable passenger seat and LED headlights.

Infotainment, apps & sat nav

Regardless of trim level chosen, your HS Plug-In will have a 10.1-inch colour touchscreen in the dashboard, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity also thrown in as standard. The built-in sat nav is alright, but a bit fiddly to use, so you may well default to using your phone's navigation app instead.

The touchscreen has a 'homepage' with three large shortcut tiles to take you to the audio, navigation and climate control sub-menus. The graphics used are bright, colourful and easy to follow – the problem is the system can be a bit hesitant to respond to your inputs, especially just after being switched on.

There's also a digital driver's display fitted to the HS, and while the information presented is easy to take in at a glance, the graphic design is a bit dated and cheesy looking, especially compared to the systems in more upmarket rival plug-in hybrid SUVs.

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