Porsche Taycan vs MG HS +EV

What's the difference?

Porsche says its Taycan models have always been performance-focused and this updated version is even faster than the car it replaces, in a straight line and point-to-point. It’s better equipped, more efficient, and yes, more expensive but every millimetre a Porsche in the way this EV sedan and wagon package has been executed.

It’s an impressive car likely to appeal to Porsche newcomers rather than traditionalists, although you may already have other Porsches in the garage. But with the Macan EV landing any minute and the pure-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman just around the corner it's a key part of the changing face of this iconic German brand.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The MG HS +EV Essence is a nicely specified medium SUV that should suit a lot of people. It looks really nice and I love that it's fairly practical with its features and size but would like some of the tech to improve. It’s not always seamless to use and in this market, tech is very important. The price tag and the on-going costs are hard to beat and if you’re looking for a greener option that will happily cruise in the city or on the open-road, this isn’t a bad option.

Porsche has freshened up the Taycan’s front and rear end, the nose losing the vents dropping down from the headlights as previewed by the original Mission E Concept in 2015.

Matrix LED headlights are standard with high-resolution HD available. But there are no major sheet metal changes to the bulk of the car. And why would you fiddle with it? The drag coefficient is an ultra-slippery 0.22.

Around the back the Porsche logo in the rear light strip has been given a cool three-dimensional treatment al la the 911, Panamera and other current Porsches. And if you have eyes for the Turbo or Turbo S the brand’s glamorous ‘Turbonite’ metallic silver colour is now available.

Inside is a screen-rich environment with a three-dial digital version of the brand’s five-dial instrument cluster customisable through roughly 5000 configurations and there’s a new multimedia software interface for the central screens with additional functions. A passenger display is a $2860 option.

It has an inoffensive exterior design that you won’t be embarrassed to be seen in. Curvy in all of the right places, it still manages to look sharp with its tapered LEDs and chrome accents.

It sits firmly within the medium SUV specs at 4574mm long, 1876mm wide and 1685mm high, so navigating your local shopping centre car park will be manageable.

The interior looks polished with the Bader leather sports seats and their suede-like inserts. The air vents are cute and add some personality to the robust dashboard.

There’s a plethora of soft touchpoints throughout that enhance the overall comfort and refinement, too.

At nearly 5.0m long and 2.0m wide but less than 1.4m tall the Taycan is a low-slung large sedan.

In the front of the Taycan I’ve got plenty of breathing space, lots of headroom and enough shoulder room and you don’t feel cramped relative to the co-pilot.

In terms of storage, there are pockets in the doors with room for bottles, a couple of cup and bottle holders in the centre console as well as a tray under the flying buttress type upper console section.

A lidded box between the seats housing a couple of USB-C outlets and a 12-volt socket is handy and there’s a decent-size glove box on the passenger side. 

Interestingly, an in-car video function enables video streaming on the central display (while the vehicle is stationary) and the passenger display at any time with the vision hidden from the driver by a lenticular-style screen.

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat, set for my 183cm position, I have ample legroom and space for my feet. Problem is my head hits the roof solidly, even with the extra room afforded by the panoramic glass insert, which is a no-cost option from the Taycan 4S up.

Standard configuration is two rear seat positions, although a ‘4+1’ set up which adds an occasional centre rear position is optionally available. Trust me, that’s tight. 

On the upside you have adjustable ventilation for the rear seat passengers (climate control zones on the Turbo grades) with a small oddments shelf below them, slots in the doors for bottles and two more cup or bottle holders in the fold-down centre armrest.

No map pockets on the front seat backs, so while there’s some room for storage it’s not exactly over supplied in that department, or for breathing space in general.

Boot space is relatively modest at 366 litres in the sedan but the 60/40 split-folding rear seat liberates more space if required. The Cross Turismo wagon offers 405 litres and a much larger load aperture for greater flexibility. An 84L frunk sits in the nose of all Taycans.  

Interesting to note Taycans in other markets boast an extra 41L of boot space. It doesn’t feature here because Porsche Australia has made the high-end Bose sound system standard and its sub-woofer eats into available capacity. 

A power boot lid or tailgate and auto self-levelling to maintain the car’s ride height under load is standard but there’s no spare tyre of any description. A repair/inflator kit is your only option, which is less than ideal.

The cabin space is very practical with its size. Each row has a decent amount of head and legroom. The big sunroof also makes the cabin feel airy and light-filled, which adds to that roomy feeling.

The leather-accented sports seats are quite comfortable and both are electric but the passenger side misses out on additional lumbar support.

I did have a few comments this week about the front seats, though, mainly that it feels like you’re perched forward in them. It would have been nice to be able to dip the bottom of the seats back.

The individual storage options are solid for this sized SUV with a glove box, two cupholders, drink bottle holders in the doors for front occupants and an air-cooled middle console box.

I missed having a utility tray next to the two USB-A ports and 12-volt outlet, as the Essence features wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but there is a dedicated phone holder next to the cupholders.

Back seat passengers enjoy two cupholders in the fold-down armrest, map pockets and drink bottle holders in the doors.

The seats in the back are well padded but you feel like your knees are propped up a bit because of the shallow footwell. Taller passengers may feel like they’re folding in on themselves.

The technology looks good but isn’t always easy to use. The 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system is simple to understand but regularly feels laggy.

It has built-in satellite navigation but a lot of the controls are found via accessing the touchscreen – like the climate control and heating function for the front seats.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument panel is very easy to read but not really customisable.

Charging options are okay and I like the two USB-A ports in both rows but there’s no wireless charging pad or USB-C port which would provide faster charging speed.

The boot is a decent size for the class at 451L and you can bump that up to 1275L if you fold the back seats down. The rear seats have a 60/40 split for added practicality.

There’s a cargo blind and some underfloor storage for the charger and a tyre puncture repair kit. I liked using the powered tailgate but found it a bit glitchy, it sometimes stopping mid-action.

There are only two models in the HS +EV line-up and the Essence is the top dog.

It will cost you $51,990 drive-away and that positions it as one of the most affordable options relative to its rivals. Only the Haval H6 is more affordable at $41,990 (drive-away) but admittedly, it’s by a fair chunk of change - almost $10K!

The Essence is well-specified with Bader leather-accented trims, heated front seats, electric front seats with four-way adjustment for the passenger seats and six-way for the driver, a powered tailgate, as well as a massive panoramic sunroof. The middle console is even cooled with air-control for added convenience.

The exterior hosts full LEDs with its daytime running lights, headlights and tail-lights, as well as, a heated rear window with timed cut off.

It also sports dual-zone climate control up front and directional air vents in both rows, plus multiple charging options add to interior practicality.

Its technology feels up to category standard with the sizing but the usability isn’t as great as its rivals. More on that later. 

And an added bonus. All the paintwork colours are included in the price.

The entry-level single-motor RWD Taycan features a new electric motor that’s 10kg lighter and seven per cent more powerful but more notably produces 22 per cent more torque than the unit it replaces.

Both it and the additional motor fitted to the front axle of AWD models are permanent magnet synchronous units with outputs up across the range, the Turbo S producing a stonking 700kW and more than 1100Nm.

That 700kW peak number for the Turbo S comes courtesy of an ‘overboost’ function with Launch Control. And Taycan models equipped with the Sport Chrono package and the Performance Battery Plus have up to an extra 70kW courtesy of a 10sec push-to-pass button.

There’s a two-speed transmission on the rear axle and a single-speed on the front of AWD variants.

Both HS +EV models share a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor hybrid combination. Maximum outputs are 189kW of power and 370Nm of torque.

It’s very responsive with its power output and you definitely will be surprised by how much grunt this thing has.

Drive goes to the front wheels via a 10-speed auto transmission but it’s clunky and a bit too slow to shift out of the lower gears. This can make it feel like the engine is pulling back even when you’re accelerating, which I didn’t like.

On the electric motor side of things – the lithium-ion battery has a 16.6kW capacity and 63km (NEDC) driving range.

It has a Type 2 AC charging port but it can’t be hooked onto a fast charger as it lacks the CCS enhanced port. On a 7.0kW system you should see a full charge be completed in around five hours.

The Taycan runs 800-volt electric architecture which means it can charge at up to 320kW on a DC fast-charger which is 50kW more than its predecessor. In fact, charging at more than 300kW for up to five minutes is possible. 

You’re looking at a 10-80 per cent charge in 18min on a fast charger which is down from 37min. It’s 46min on a more typical 120kW charger.

An 89kWh lithium-ion battery is standard on the entry-grade Taycan. It boasts a nickel, cobalt, manganese cell chemistry which Porsche says delivers high energy content, lower internal resistance and higher charge and discharge currents. And it’s 9.0kg lighter.

All models above it feature the 105kWh ‘Performance Battery Plus’, a roughly $12K option on the base car.

Maximum AC charging capacity is 11kW and you’re staring down the barrel of nine hours for a 0-100 per cent fill of the smaller battery and 11 hours for the performance battery pack.

Official energy consumption on a combined urban, extra-urban cycle varies from 17.1kWh/100km for the single motor Taycan to 17.8kWh for dual-motor variants.

On the launch drive program, covering mainly rural B-roads on Tasmania’s east coast, we cycled through all models on offer and recorded a best figure of 21.5kWh/100km for the single-motor Taycan up to 22.0kWh for the Turbo S. Not bad.

Claimed range is 566km for the entry-grade Taycan, up to 626km for dual-motor models.

Interestingly, on 4WD models the - front electric motor can electronically decouple more frequently to improve efficiency.

With the electric motor being used, the official combined cycle fuel figure is 1.7L/100km and the urban figure comes out at 5.8L/100km.

My real-world usage came to 6.6L. That’s not bad at all, but I have done a lot of open-road driving this week. 

Based on the urban figure and the 55L fuel tank, you should see an approximate driving range of 948km.

MG recommends a minimum 95RON petrol be used. 

Full disclosure. My preference when it comes to Porsche propulsion is pistons in cylinders; ideally six of them, horizontally opposed. 

But if the Taycan is on your shortlist you’re ready to move past internal combustion and there is no doubt this car is properly quick. 

The entry-level RWD model accelerates from 0-100km/h in 4.8sec (0.6 faster than the outgoing model) with the Taycan Turbo S at 2.4sec which is hypercar fast.

Porsche admits to having played around with some dual-clutch transmission-type mimicry along the lines of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. But the boffins in Zuffenhausen left that to one side due to concerns over compromise to the car’s point-to-point ability. Porsche seemingly can’t entertain anything that makes a car slower.

It did, however, install a push-to-pass function on dual-motor versions which gives you a 10-second burst of extra performance which is fun.

Suspension is by forged alloy double-wishbone front and rear with some extra links at the back.

Adaptive air suspension is standard across the range, and ‘Active Ride’ is fitted to the upper variants which takes things one step further.

And it does ride very nicely. The launch drive covered second-class, coarse-chip B-road type surfaces and the Taycan smooths the road out beautifully.

Standard wheel diameter is 19-inch for the entry-grade, 20s for the 4S and Turbo, then 21s on the Turbo S. The cars on the launch program all featured 21-inch rims shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 or Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber and even on those big wheels the car still rides well.

In terms of the steering… hey, it’s a Porsche. It’s fantastic. Accurate and direct without being too jerky or snappy. It does exactly what you want the car to do. The connection with the front tyres feels like it’s almost direct.

This car may be lighter than its predecessor but all models are over 2.0 tonnes so you’d expect it to be heavy and slow. It’s not. Point and accelerate through corners with supreme confidence. It’s beautifully balanced. What you’d expect from a Porsche performance car.

Physical braking is by big ventilated discs all around with six-piston aluminium monobloc fixed-calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear. Suffice it to say they wash off speed effectively. 

Believe it or not the Turbo S’s front brake calipers contain no less than 10 pistons, clamping ceramic composite rotors. We gave all Taycan variants a solid workout on the Baskerville Raceway just north of Hobart and stopping power felt as strong and effective at the end of the session as it did at the start.

There’s also improved recuperation capacity for the regenerative braking system, up 30 per cent from 290 to 400kW.

In terms of miscellaneous observations, beware the 11.7m turning circle. What might appear to be a three-point turn situation often turns into a five-pointer.

And entry to cars fitted with Active Ride is made easier (when activated). As soon as a door is opened, the body raises by 55mm. May seem OTT but it makes life with the Taycan that bit better.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the overall driving experience. Besides the slower gear shifting, it’s generally smooth to handle. The power is there and makes it easy to keep up with traffic or overtake if you need to.

The suspension handles bumps very well and the steering is responsive. You can tackle corners or a winding road with confidence and without too much roll!

The cabin is quiet, even at higher speeds but you will note the whining of the engine at lower speeds as those gears shift.

On a windy day at higher speeds, the car moves about in the lane more than I like but otherwise, is firmly placed.

The regen braking isn’t customisable but it’s firm enough that you’ll feel it when you pull off the accelerator.

Going down a mountain let me gain five per cent charge on the battery and despite driving over 500km this week I only popped it on charge once (with 15 per cent left) - just to give you an indication of its performance.

I kept the EV mode on default but you can switch it over to a full EV if you want to wring out the most from the electric range.

This is not a difficult car to park and you’ll love its size in a small car park. However, the 360-degree camera view, while pretty clear, is jumpy.

At first, I thought it was laggy but the image just shudders, like a bad connection. I's prefer to see front parking sensors, too, as this MG only has them at the rear.

The safety features are good on the HS and I like the 360-degree camera view but don't like the way the image shudders while in use.

It has a blind-spot monitoring system but the interior ‘alert’ light is in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it position.

Other features that come standard, are LED daytime running lights, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aids, lane departure warning, intelligent seat belt reminders, rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition, a driver fatigue monitor and adaptive cruise control.

It has autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 0-80km/h.

The HS +EV hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP but its fuel-based sibling achieved a maximum five-star rating in 2019.

It only has six airbags, which is pretty low for an SUV, but the curtain airbags cover the back row.

There are ISOFIX child-seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points but two seats will fit best.

Front passenger space may be compromised a little when a 0-4 rear-facing child seat is installed but overall, it was very easy to install my booster seat this week.

Porsche covers the Taycan with a three-year, unlimited km warranty which is off the pace for the premium segment where five years, unlimited km is the norm. The high-voltage drive battery is covered by an eight-year, 160,000km warranty. The paint is covered for three years and a 12-year (unlimited km) anti-corrosion warranty is included.

Porsche Roadside Assist provides 24/7/365 coverage for the life of the warranty, and after the warranty runs out is renewed for 12 months every time the vehicle is serviced at an authorised Porsche dealer.

Thanks to fewer moving parts, servicing intervals for the Taycan are relatively lengthy at two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first. 

With Porsche, final costs are determined at the dealer level (in line with variable service labour rates by state/territory).

The ongoing costs are great on this! It comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which includes the hybrid battery.

It also has a seven-year capped-price servicing plan, which is above average for the class, and services average $426 which is competitive.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first, which is fine if you don’t clock a lot of kays every year.