This time it has not caught us by surprise, in the good sense of the word. When the MG ZS EV passed through our hands, we already realized that MG’s return to the international stage was very serious. And now this super-balanced EHS Plug-in Hybrid has confirmed it for us, while we wait impatiently to get behind the wheel of the new Marvel R, its most complete and advanced electric model.
Now it’s time to talk about EHS, a model that we have thoroughly tested and that we like in many aspects. Also in price, since it is equipped in a more than generous way, it presents an efficient plug-in hybrid system in an apparent SUV format and can be purchased from 27,599 euros, once discounts have been applied, financing with the brand and applying the Moves III Plan. that MG advances to the customer.
Get the ‘0 emissions’ label
We will not go into aesthetic details because for tastes the colors, although I confess that it has attracted attention among the youngest, and the curiosity among the most veterans, who are reminiscent of the MG models that circulated on our roads decades ago.
The EHS measures 4.57 meters and is located in the epicenter of the generalist compact SUV. If it is convincing on the outside, on the inside the superior Luxury finish finishes off the set with care and quality materials, such as leather.
The doors close giving the sensation of a well-made car, and the entire presentation of the interior is digital, offering very complete information, such as the revolutions of the electric motor or a distance assistant that indicates in centimeters the space that is free when driving in reverse, and that is also supported with images from the rear view camera.
In front, the seats are tremendously comfortable, although they are perhaps too high in their lowest position. And behind it offers more than enough space for the legs (without breaking records) and in width. The backrest can be placed in several positions.
For its part, the trunk sheds 448 liters, one of the best in the segment, and under the floor we find the inevitable puncture repair kit and the 12V auxiliary battery.
With 258 hp
If it is convincing when stationary, it also does so while running, supported by its plug-in hybrid system that generates a total power of 258 CV. The management of all that ‘cavalry’ falls on an automatic transmission of 10 relations; six of them act on the 122 hp 1.5 petrol engine, and the other four are involved with the 90 kW (122 hp) electric drive. This tandem sends all the potential and drive exclusively to the front wheels.
The lithium-ion battery that powers the electrical system has a capacity of 16.6 kWh, enough to homologate an exclusively electric range of 52 kilometers.
Is that figure real in normal traffic conditions? It seems so because our unit traveled a total of 53, distributed 20 of them in the city (where it registered an average consumption of 18.8 kWh) and another 33 on the motorway, signing a total average consumption of 23.5 kWh (homologous 24, 0 kWh). And be careful because we can move up to 125 km/h marker in 0 emissions mode; Once this speed is exceeded, the thermal block will start.
In any case, it is already a considerable distance and higher than the daily average that most drivers in our country carry out. And by forcing this EV mode (there is a physical control for it) the cost of daily use will be around two euros per 100 kilometers if we benefit from the most advantageous valley rates, although with the price of electricity skyrocketing, accounts must be recalculated day by day. .
It’s time to charge the battery. The on-board charger is 3.7 kW, the maximum it supports. And that translates to just over 4 hours to complete the charge. If we do it in a 2.3 kW domestic, the time increases to 6 hours and 32 minutes. Therefore, it is not necessary to resort to a higher power wallbox, which increases the price of the installation and the domestic rate contracted at home. If we do not force the EV mode, the EHS plug-in usually works in electric mode at low speed, and then it is the thermal engine that starts and takes almost all the prominence. And here things change because in hybrid mode consumption depends on the energy carried by the battery.
If you have enough reserve we can move around 6.7 liters on the road, and on the highway it will be 8.5 every 100 kilometers. However, if the battery is fully discharged, consumption increases between one and two litres.
A high performance MG
So far the direct references to the pocket. Now it’s time to analyze its performance and dynamics. It is not a vehicle focused on it precisely, but its benefits are considerable because, let’s remember, it has 258 CV of combined power (one of the most powerful that we can find in the segment).
That is why it is capable of performing a manual overtaking (going from 70 to 110 km/h) in 4.4 seconds and 114 meters to complete the maneuver. It is always solvent in this sense and does not have winks towards a sports program, or a sequential function of the change in the lever or in the non-existent paddles on the steering wheel.
As for its dynamics, it is, logically, focused on comfort. It does not swing excessively despite the 1,775 kilos it weighs down, the address is pleasant and communicative, and it brakes forcefully up to 100 km/h. After that speed, the weight is already noticeable. And in this demanding scenario, if the road surface is not completely regular, the shock absorbers can reach a ‘stop’. flyers in winding path. For those challenges there are other options.
In addition, the interior is well soundproofed and magnificently equipped in its equipment, more with the Luxury finish that concerns us. We highlight the so-called MG Pilot, a safety umbrella that includes advanced driving assistants, such as active emergency braking that recognizes pedestrians and cyclists, a lane change alert with a trajectory maintenance function, an adaptive cruise control, another one of dense traffic jams, intelligent high beams, an intelligent speed limit assistant…
Nor is the endowment in terms of connectivity and comfort lacking, although perhaps the most striking thing is the price, unbeatable for almost all its rivals. And it is that everything seen and told so far costs 30,290 euros if we take advantage of discounts and the Moves III Plan.
THE KEY
Well made and with a practically unbeatable quality-equipment-price ratio, this model also offers high comfort, good dynamic manners and great efficiency if we take full advantage of its PHEV system, which will allow us to move daily with a cost of use. almost laughing.