Our definitive review of MG’s facelifted and family friendly SUV. By Al Suttie.

MG HS Trophy DCT

List price (BiK): £26,400 (37%) CO2: 174g/km Economy: 36.6mpg Test efficiency: 34.3mpg

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Monday

‘New’ is a relative term for the MG HS that graces the sweep of the driveway up to the homestead this morning. There are new bumpers, lights, grille, wheels, and another paint colour on the chart. MG has also rationalised the range down to just SE and Trophy trims, with the higher spec being the one sat outside right now with the DCT dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Let’s see how the week pans out.

Tuesday

Ticking the box for the auto gearbox does nothing to upset the performance of the MG HS. On paper, it accelerates from 0-62mph in the same 9.9 seconds as the six-speed manual model, and it feels just about quick enough for what you’d want from a compact SUV. Not as nippy as a Ford Puma but still decent and the seven-speed auto swaps gears smoothly in today’s mixed driving conditions.

Wednesday

Off into Edinburgh today, where the automatic gearbox earns credits for making town driving a much easier experience. Just a shame the city’s council has neglected road maintenance to the point where even a softly sprung SUV such as the HS winces at the potholes and craters in the street surfaces. However, the MG needs a gentle right foot to pull away smoothly as there’s a slight lurch as drive engages.

Thursday

A few more motorway miles and some back roads are on today’s schedule, and they show up the 162hp 1.5-litre turbo petrol’s weak spot. It pulls strongly enough, but it gets a bit noisy when asked to work for its keep. Thankfully, there’s enough low-rev pull from 1500rpm on tap to make this sort of use the exception. On the other hands, fuel economy of 34.3mpg in my hands, plus 174g/km CO2 emissions, is disappointing.

Friday

Sat waiting for my son to finish football training this evening, I take the time to have a poke and prod around the MG’s cabin. Build quality is decent and the standard of materials is up to the job. While not as classy as a Peugeot 3008, for instance, the MG holds it own and is definitely up to the rigours of life. The same cannot be said of the infotainment system, which just feels dated and slow nowadays.

Saturday

The fact I haven’t really noticed the HS’s driving position tells its own story – it’s very good. The seat offers loads of support without the need for copious bolsters and options, and the relationship with the controls is well thought through. You also get decent all-round vision, aided by front and rear parking sensors and a parking camera as standard. It all added up to a good comfort during today’s series of short hop drives.

Sunday

There was a comedy moment today when my son was hemmed into the back of the car as I’d forgotten to undo the child lock on the door. When opening the door, his knees appeared to be touching his ears. It’s not that the back of the HS is cramped, just the floor higher set than in many similar SUVs. He didn’t complain, either, which suggests there was sufficient space back here.