2024-25 Wheels Car of the Year Contender: MG HS VIBE

But the Chinese aren’t just focused on lithium-ion and electromagnets. They want a bite of the internal combustion pie as well.

Enter the new MG HS. It took just a quick glance by the judges to recognise that this second-generation mid-size SUV has come a long way from its predecessor.

A decidedly European, smartly inoffensive exterior conceals a deeply impressive new interior. Even in base Vibe guise – our car for COTY – you get dual 12.3-inch screens, a very Volkswagen flat-bottom steering wheel and a lovely mix of black upholstery, ubiquitous piano blacks and just the right amount of brightwork.

It’s also bigger. Space in the back is also hugely impressive, with one of the most lounge-like rear seats of any car in the field. The boot is also a generous 507 litres, although the tailgate seems engineered to be hoisted by a motor. It’s a bit too heavy for manual operation in base Vibe guise, if you ask us.

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While many owners probably won’t find themselves attempting to dip as deeply into the MG HS’s dynamics as COTY testing would, there’s no denying this is an awful lot of mid-size SUV for the money. Just $37,999 drive-away – for the black base Vibe we had at COTY in Victoria – gets you MG’s full active safety offering, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat and a whole lot of space. Not to mention a 10-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. For the value criteria, the HS had it licked.

MG HS Vibe Specifications