MG Hs Super Hybrid vs Lepas L6

What's the difference?

The MG HS Super Hybrid Essence gets a lot right. It’s well sized for families, comfortable on the road and easy to live with day to day.

However, it misses a few features you might expect for a flagship grade. More notably, the calibration of some of its technology and safety systems could do with further refinement.

Chery really doesn’t need any more brands in Australia, but here is Lepas, anyway.

While the L6 EV is rather characterless, it’s arguably the best Chery Group vehicle I’ve experienced to date. You can tell a lot of work has been put into localising it and as an electric mid-size SUV, it’s a pragmatic choice.

On the outside, the HS leans confidently into an athletic look, with strong body lines, side steps and a swooping front end. The black accents add a nice edge, while the 19-inch alloy wheels and full suite of LED lighting give it a sportier presence. It looks particularly good in the Diamond Red Metallic paintwork of our test car.

Step inside and the cabin carries through that sharp design, with a mix of soft-touch and well-finished materials. The standout is the optional tan synthetic leather upholstery. At $700, it’s not essential, but it does a lot of the heavy lifting in giving the interior a more premium feel.

A panoramic sunroof and dual 12.3-inch displays help round things out, creating a space that feels well put together.

Take away the Lepas badge on this car and you could tell me the L6 is a new model from any new Chinese brand in Australia.

The overall silhouette screams generic mid-size SUV with design elements to make it look modern, tougher and sleeker. There’s nothing revolutionary about it and as a result it blends into mediocrity.

What isn’t bland about the exterior though is the paint colours that are available. There’s a bright orange, as well as a lovely purple. You unfortunately don’t see colours like this on the road as often anymore.

If orange and purple are too lairy, Lepas also offers boring colours like white and grey. There’s also black, though it’s strangely only available to those who pre-order.

Inside the uniformity continues. It’s an ultra-minimal look with the majority of the dashboard focus being on the portrait-oriented 13.2-inch touchscreen multimedia system.

It’s nice to see different types of materials around the cabin as it helps to elevate the premium feel. There’s also barely any glossy piano black, though unfortunately it does feature on the steering wheel buttons which are frequently used and can get grubby quickly.

While the beige synthetic leather upholstery stands out, it’s not particularly family-friendly. It would be nice if there was a black or darker option for those who don’t want a light interior.

The HS covers the basics well when it comes to comfort and space, but its day-to-day usability is let down somewhat by its technology.

Up front, the cabin is a comfortable place to spend time. The seats are supportive with plenty of padding, making longer drives easy. The heated seat function is controlled through the multimedia screen, though, which means it’s easy to forget about and the heating cycle switches off fairly quickly.

Storage is decent for the segment. You get a pair of cupholders, sunglasses holder, large door bins and a phone tray, although the middle console is on the smaller side.

Where things fall down slightly is in the technology. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, but CarPlay didn’t consistently reconnect on its own during our time with the car, requiring daily set-up. The Bluetooth connection was stable, although it didn’t pull through contacts or call history.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia display can be laggy and because most functions, including climate control and some seat settings, are buried within it, it can become frustrating to use day-to-day.

That said, there are some positives. The built-in satellite navigation works well and can be mirrored in the driver’s display, which is a nice touch. Charging options are also good, with two USB-C ports per row, a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad up front.

In the back, there’s plenty of space for legs and headroom and the seats are impressively plush. Access is generally easy, although the side steps feel a unnecessary. There’s a fold-down armrest with cupholders, but the window line is quite high, which may not suit younger passengers.

Rear amenities include map pockets and directional air vents. However, given the price jump over the petrol equivalent, it feels like a few extra premium touches could have been included. It’s comfortable, just not especially feature-rich.

Around the back, the boot offers a solid 507 litres of capacity. The flat loading floor makes it easy to slide items in and out, and there are handy netted side pockets for smaller bits. A powered tailgate adds convenience, though the absence of a spare wheel in favour of a tyre repair kit may be a drawback for some buyers.

Like many SUVs, the driver’s seating position is high. This gives the driver a commanding view of the road ahead, though it may be a touch too high for taller people.

The front seats are comfortable and soft. The amount of electric adjustment available is enough, though it would be nice if the under-thigh support could be adjusted.

Looking ahead, the steering wheel is a classic, flat-bottomed Chery unit with a Lepas badge on it. It’s nice to hold and while the glossy piano button sections can get grimy quickly, there are physical buttons that press. There’s no awkward touch-sensitive button nonsense.

Behind the steering wheel is a short and wide 8.9-inch digital instrument cluster that, despite its size, displays a lot of content. There are a series of informative pages you can cycle through, which is good for customisation.

Moving across, the portrait-oriented touchscreen multimedia system has a simple layout and user interface that’s hard to get lost in.

There’s a handy swipe-down control centre menu with many key functions, plus you can swipe up from the bottom to change the climate control functions.

It’s great to see a bank of physical buttons under the touchscreen for key functions like the drive modes, air conditioning and the defoggers, among others. These aren’t guaranteed in every Chinese car now.

Around the cabin there’s a 50W wireless charger with a slot on the other side for the passenger to put their phone, two cupholders, a large centre console with an additional open storage area under the touchscreen, as well as a glove box.

In the second row there’s plenty of space on offer, like many Chinese SUVs. There’s oodles of legroom and headroom is good too, even with the panoramic glass sunroof.

The rear bench is reclined back a fair way, creating a lounge-like experience and the seat itself is soft and plush.

In terms of amenities there are air vents on the back of the centre console, a USB-A and USB-C port as well as a fold-down armrest with cupholders.

At the back there’s a power tailgate as standard. When it opens it presents the boot which offers 435L with the rear seats upright. It’s a decent space with a flat load floor.

There’s a surprisingly deep 99L underfloor storage area that’s great for charging cables among other odds and ends.

Lepas has said it’s exploring options of a space-saver spare wheel or an esky accessory to better utilise this cavernous underfloor space. Nothing is confirmed yet, though, so that means the L6 EV only has a tyre repair kit.

A single, range-topping version of the Lepas L6 EV, called Signature, is being offered at launch. It’s priced from $47,990, before on-road costs.

This sees it positioned slightly higher than the popular BYD Atto 3 Evo and Geely EX5, though it’s considerably cheaper than Chinese-made rivals from legacy brands, including the Hyundai Elexio and Kia EV5.

Like many Chinese brands, there’s a large standard equipment list. Highlights include the following:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Power tailgate
• Rear privacy glass
• 8.9-inch digital instrument cluster
• 13.2-inch touchscreen multimedia system
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Eight-speaker Sony sound system
• 50W wireless charger
• Dual-zone climate control
• Interior ambient lighting
• Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
• Beige synthetic leather upholstery
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Six-way power-adjustable front seats

The MG HS Super Hybrid is front-wheel drive and combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor, delivering combined outputs of 220kW and 350Nm.

The system integrates the electric motor smoothly, providing immediate response off the line. Even when the battery charge is low, performance remains largely consistent, with the hybrid system continuing to support the drivetrain rather than dropping off noticeably.

Power for the L6 EV comes from a front-mounted electric motor sending 160kW and 275Nm to the front wheels.

Lepas claims it can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.9 seconds, which historically would have been supercar territory, but it’s now average for EVs.

The HS Super Hybrid is equipped with a 24.7kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, with a claimed WLTP electric-only range of up to 120km.

The combined (urban/extra-urban) fuel cycle figure is 0.7L/100km. In the real world, under normal driving conditions, you won’t see that but you’ll be able to comfortably travel over 1000km before you have to fill up - which is impressive for a 55L fuel tank.

Over a week of driving close to 1800km, mostly on the highway with some urban use mixed in, I recorded an average of 4.6L/100km. Hybrids typically aren’t at their most efficient on longer highway runs, so this is a solid real-world result.

Charging is handled via a Type 2 port, supporting AC charging up to 6.0kW. On that set-up, a full charge takes around four hours, while a standard domestic socket will see it stretch out to an overnight job.

Unlike some rivals, there’s no DC fast charging capability here. That’s something you may notice on longer trips, where quicker top-ups would make a difference.

The electric motor in the L6 EV is fed by a 65kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that allows for up to 440km of claimed range, according to NEDC testing.

That's less than the BYD Atto 3 Evo Premium offers and is roughly equivalent to Geely EX5 Extended Range. Both of these mid-size Chinese electric SUVs are cheaper than the L6 EV.

DC fast-charging is available at rates up to 120kW, which allows for a 30 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 22 minutes.

AC charging, on the other hand, is offered at rates up to 6.6kW. This is much slower than the 11kW benchmark at this price point.

The HS Super Hybrid is an easy car to get along with on the road. Power delivery is smooth and immediate and the transition between the petrol engine and electric motor is largely seamless.

Through corners, it feels composed with minimal body roll, and there’s enough control to make a winding road enjoyable without pushing into anything overly sporty. The suspension strikes a nice balance, remaining forgiving over bumps without feeling floaty, while the steering is responsive enough for everyday driving.

The regenerative braking system offers two levels of adjustment, although it can feel a abrupt on steeper descents, occasionally resulting in a lurchy sensation.

The cabin stays impressively quiet, with minimal road and wind noise even at higher speeds, making it a comfortable companion for longer trips.

Visibility is generally good out the front, though the A- and B-pillars, along with the side mirrors, are on the thicker side, so you do need to be mindful when checking around them.

Around town, it’s an easy car to park. The 360-degree camera system is clear, and the overall size of the HS means it doesn’t feel intimidating in tighter car parks.

Behind the wheel, the Lepas L6 EV offers just the right amount of oomph. Goldilocks would approve.

Around town you can accelerate with traffic easily, plus if you boot it a little harder, there’s still enough in the tank. It’s fun watching the power gauge on the instrument cluster go red when you accelerate harder.

It’s worth noting if you gun it from a standstill, there may be some tyre squeal. This is a front-wheel drive car with 300Nm of torque.

There are three drive modes available - Eco, Normal and Sport - which all do what they say on the tin. Normal as a default mode is all you really need in a car like this.

For regenerative braking there are also three modes and you can cycle through them using a configurable button on the steering wheel. None offer one-pedal driving, however, meaning you need to use the brake pedal to come to a complete stop.

My favourite of the three regen modes tended to be the weakest. This more closely simulates a combustion or hybrid driving experience, as with the stronger modes the transition to regen can be a little too strong.

With the steering there’s an adequate amount of weight, though there is almost no road feel. It feels like you’re steering the car in a video game as there’s no feedback from the front wheels.

Lepas claims the L6 EV has “European” tuning for the suspension and in practice it is a little more composed and settled than previous Chery Group vehicles I’ve driven.

You wouldn’t call this a sports car by a long shot, though, as the car wallows about when pushed harder. In the everyday this car is agreeable enough, just mediocre and soulless to drive.

For noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the L6 EV is naturally already a quiet car given it’s an EV. We didn’t do a great deal of high-speed driving at this launch, so we’ll have to wait and see how road and tyre noise is at a later date.

The Lepas L6 hasn’t been crash-tested by ANCAP yet and is therefore unrated for now.

However, a full suite of safety kit comes as standard. Highlights include:

• Seven airbags
• Auto Emergency Braking (AEB)
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane centring
• Adaptive cruise control
• Intelligent speed limit assist
• Driver attention monitor
• Automatic parking assist
• Remote parking assist
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Surround-view camera

Lepas claims it has gone to great lengths to calibrate the advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) for Australian conditions and you can tell as all the systems operate as they should, and critically, aren’t annoying.

This has been a gripe of many Chery Group vehicles and it’s great to see a step in the right direction.

The HS is backed by MG’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is competitive for the class. There’s also the option to extend this to 10 years or 250,000km, provided servicing conditions are met.

Servicing is covered by either a three- or five-year capped price program, with the five-year plan costing $2166. That’s a reasonable figure for the segment, and service intervals are set at every 12 months or 15,000km.

The HS Super Hybrid requires 95 RON premium unleaded fuel or higher, so while it’s efficient, it doesn’t quite sip the cheapest fuel on offer.

There are 110 MG dealers across the country (plus three service-only sites) covering all states and territories as well as key rural and regional centres.

Lepas covers the L6 EV with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery pack is covered for eight years or 200,000km.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km. The first seven services are capped-price and total a pretty sharp $2043, or $291 on average.

There’s also up to seven years of roadside assistance and as part of an introductory offer, L6 EV buyers can get either a complimentary home charger or public fast-charging subscription.

It’s worth noting Lepas has a separate dealer network from Chery and Omoda Jaecoo. At launch there are 23 dealers and the company plans to have a total of 30.

Thanks to the Chery Group, Lepas already has official channels for aftersales and spare parts. A metro dealer is claimed to be able to receive a spare part overnight, for example.