MG will launch a new generation of its mid-sized SUV this year.
The next-generation MG HS will arrive in the second half of this year, initially with petrol power.
A replacement for the current HS Plus EV plug-in hybrid is still planned, though it’s expected to follow after the petrol model.
Patent images published on the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) database last year appear to reveal the HS replacement and not, as originally thought, a replacement for the similarly sized Marvel R that’s also expected to come to Australia.
It appears to be a restyled version of the RX5 from Roewe, another marque also under the SAIC Motor umbrella.
This third-generation RX5 entered production in 2022, and is offered with a choice of petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
It measures 4655mm long, 1890mm wide, 1664mm tall and rides a 2765mm wheelbase. That makes it 81mm longer, 14mm wider, and 21mm taller than the current HS on a 45mm longer wheelbase.
Roewe RX5 
The images reveal a more aggressively styled SUV than the current HS, with a gaping grille and headlights that stretch out towards the fenders.
Behind the A-pillar, the new HS appears almost identical to the Roewe RX5.
That means the soft, rounded sides of the current HS are gone, replaced with sharper creases and a more angular look overall down to the slanted tailgate and full-width lighting assembly.
The RX5 in China uses a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 138kW of power and 300Nm of torque, mated to a seven-speed wet dual-clutch automatic transmission.
That’s 19kW and 50Nm more than the current HS 1.5T.
The plug-in hybrid eRX5 mates a turbo 1.5-litre with an electric motor and a 10-speed automatic transmission, with total system outputs of 183kW and 570Nm – down 6kW but up 200Nm.
It uses a 12.3kWh lithium iron phosphate battery and offers a claimed electric range on the NEDC cycle of 61km.
Available features include a choice of 24.6-inch or 27-inch screen arrays, a power tailgate, and power-adjustable and heated front seats.
There’s also a full suite of active safety and driver assist technology available including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic assist, and a surround-view camera.
MG won’t bring a facelifted version of the current HS as had originally been planned. First revealed in 2020, the updated crossover was set to come here in 2023 before being delayed to this year.
We’ll therefore miss out on this minor update, which was headlined by tweaked styling front and rear, new wheel designs, and a new infotainment system.
Facelifted HS 
This isn’t the first time SAIC Motor has applied the MG octagon to a vehicle from another brand.
The large Roewe RX8 has donned the MG badge in some Asian markets, while various LDV models including the T60 ute and V80 van have also been badged as MGs in markets like Thailand.
This HS replacement, however, will be the first time a Roewe has been sold here as an MG.
The Roewe brand was established in 2006 as a spiritual successor to the Rover brand, as SAIC Motor couldn’t purchase the rights to that name.
MORE: Everything MG HS
