SUV Reviews

Driving in Sydney in the lead up to Christmas is a chore. Let’s find out how the new MG HS fared in the heat and non-stop traffic. After two months in the MG HS Essence I’ve driven more than 1300km and spent over 50 hours behind the wheel - or more than two days. That’s a huge amount of time to spend in one car as a motoring journalist and after all that driving it has ironed out some of its foibles from the first month but accentuated some of the red flags, too. Let’s talk about the good points first. The engine is a cracker for a mid-size family SUV. It performs better than its 1.5-litre capacity suggests, with 125kW and 275Nm on tap. That torque figure is key to delivering hefty performance in the middle of the rev range making for sturdy and spritely acceleration. It’s quiet, too, with only a slight grumble entering the cabin. Pop the bonnet and you’ll see why, with noticeable sound deadening material blocking the engine noise from pumping into the interior. This helps add a level of refinement missing from earlier MGs. The steering is well weighted and responsive, which makes it easy to pilot around town. Last month I talked about the twitchy dual-clutch automatic that sent surges of power to the wheels and was lagging when accelerating on turning at intersections.  Those elements are still there, but with more sympathetic throttle application than needed in other cars those issues are left in the rear view mirror. So be gentle with the HS and it will reward you with a smoother commute. It’s a good size SUV, too. It's big enough to lug the family around but so big that it feels cumbersome around town. Driving the HS it’s easy to see why mid-size SUVs are the most popular vehicles in Australia. This was confirmed navigating a mammoth Westfield shopping centre, jam-packed Woolies and cut-throat beachside car parks. The HS never had an issue getting down tight concrete lined ramps or squeezing into parks next to big poles. This was aided by excellent parking aids with detailed sensors that tell you the exact distance in centimetres between the object behind or in front. The top down view also helps make sure you’re lined up correctly. The cabin is spacious with plenty of room for kids and adults in the back seat. A solid distance between the back and front seats meant our two-year old couldn’t kick the seat in front, as in some vehicles. There were a few things that stung this past month, though. The heat in Sydney was ramping up and the MG’s air con wasn’t as cooling as was needed, it took some time to cool down and blow the heat out of the cabin. The black synthetic leather upholstery got particularly hot if it was in direct sunlight, too. On one occasion the multimedia screen went completely green as we were parking, making the rear view and surround view camera unusable. Luckily this issue only happened once and hasn’t been seen since. The driver attention warning was particularly frustrating. It would beep if I scratched my face, adjusted my sunglasses and it thought I was falling asleep when I was squinting into the sun one day I had forgotten my shades. The boot isn’t as big as you’d expect in a car this size. I can fit more in my personal car that is a size smaller than the HS. Fuel use and the cost of filling up also stung a lot. MG claims the HS drinks 6.9L per 100km combined, or 8.9L/100km around town and 5.8L/100km on the highway. We couldn’t get below 10.4L/100km this month, which is about 17 per cent worse than the company’s city driving claim where we did most of our motoring. It needs premium petrol, too, which meant it cost more than $100 to fill up. Running costs are further hurt by pricey servicing, which costs $2354 over five years/75,000km ($471 per workshop visit). The counterbalance to that is a sharp entry price — our range-topper is about $44,000, drive-away — and it comes with a benchmark 10 year/250,000km warranty. For the next instalment we’ll hit the freeway and get out of town to see how it likes the open road. Acquired: October Distance travelled this month: 584km Odometer: 3122km Average fuel consumption this month: 10.4L/100km (measured at pump)

We've passed the mid-point of our three-month stint with Renault's pure-electric Megane and in this second instalment Senior Journalist Tom White hits the freeway and carves some corners.

You might be feeling overwhelmed by all the new electric brands coming into Australia right now, but if there's one you should take note of it's Zeekr and its X small electric SUV - it impressed us.

The all-new 2025 Lexus GX line-up is here and the off-road hero of the range is the Overtrail.This big luxury 4WD wagon is based on the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series platform, has a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, off-road driver modes, a locking rear diff and, on paper at least, it seems like the ultimate adventure machine.But is it as good in the rough stuff as it's hyped up to be?

After a slight delay in its launch to ensure its local tuning was on point, the Kia EV5 has hit the market strongly with sharp pricing and an even sharper features list. But is it enough to topple the market-leading Tesla Model Y?

The most popular model in the Cupra stable gets another plug-in hybrid variant but this time with the snazzy features of its top petrol grade. Is it a model we need?

The Subaru Outback has long been a fan favourite and now it welcomes a special-edition AWD Sport Touring XT model grade to its line-up but is this new model necessary?

The Macan Turbo is a true EV monster. We’re talking 430kW (470kW with launch control), 1130Nm and a sprint to 100km/h that’s as fast as a Carrera Cup race car – just 3.3 seconds. It’s twin-motor, all-wheel drive and offers the kind of brutal acceleration that gives you a little facelift every time you step on the accelerator. The cost is a not-insignificant $184,400, but because it’s the performance model, you get performance kit as standard, like the 'Porsche Electric Sport Sound', the 'Sport Chrono Package' and a performance-focused 'Sport+' drive mode. Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, which helps deliver a 616km claimed driving range, while its 800V architecture is set up for 270kW DC high-speed charging, which will take 21min to go from 10 to 80 per cent. It will also accept 11kW AC charging, which should take 10 hours to go from empty to full.

The 4S is probably the performance sweet spot in the Macan Electric range, with its dual-motor set-up generating 330kW (380kW with launch control activated) and 820Nm, and a blistering sprint of just 4.1 seconds. That’s not as powerful or as fast as the Macan Turbo, but it sounds like plenty to us - plus it’s substantially cheaper.  You’ll be parting with $149,300, and for that you’ll get the same 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, and a second 10.9-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as the lesser models, as well 20-inch alloys and the 'Porsche Active Suspension Management' (PASM) system as standard, but you’ll also find LED matrix headlights, a better Bose stereo, a panoramic roof and four-zone climate control. Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, and rides on a 800v architecture, and in the case of the 4S, you can expect a claimed 619km driving range. But there is a downside. While the cheaper Macan’s boot opens to reveal 540 litres, that number drops to 480 litres in the 4S or Turbo.

The Macan 4 ($134,400) is the second rung on Porsche’s new electric SUV ladder, and is also the cheapest way into a dual-motor, AWD version, with a second electric motor upping the grunt to 285kW (300kW with the launch function) and 650Nm — enough to complete the sprint to a brisk 5.2 seconds. Apart from the second motor, it largely mirrors the spec of the entry-level, and rear-wheel-drive, Macan, meaning a 12.6-inch digital instrument cluster, and a second 10.9-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Outside, there are 20-inch alloys, while inside you’ll find synthetic-leather seats that are heated up front, and Australian cars get things like the clever 'Porsche Active Suspension Management' (PASM) system as standard. Every Macan is fitted with a big 100kWh lithium-ion battery, which in the 4 means a claimed 624km driving range. When it comes time to recharge, the Macan rides on an 800V architecture, and is set up for 270kW DC high-speed charging, which will take 21min to go from 10 to 80 per cent. It will also accept 11kW AC charging, which should take 10 hours to go from empty to full.