The teasers for the 2024 Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) have been trickling in, and the latest to put out a shadowy image on its social media platforms is MG Philippines. At least this one is easy enough to decipher: The carmaker looks set to unveil the all-new MG HS at the show.
The question is, which powertrain are we getting?
Currently, the brand’s local crossover offerings are propelled either by internal combustion or battery-electric power. Also, the latest generation of the HS, measuring 4,655mm long, 1,890mm wide, and 1,664mm tall based on UK specs, is not that much bigger than the locally available turbopetrol-powered MG One, which stands 4,581mm long, 1,871mm wide, and 1,617mm tall. Both are classified as compact crossovers.
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Based on this segment overlap, it makes sense for MG Philippines to vary the powertrain offering for the HS—and conveniently, the model debuted several months ago with a plug-in hybrid option. This system pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with an electric motor to produce a combined peak output of 303hp and 432Nm of torque. The 24.7kWh battery may be fully topped up in four hours using a 7kW charger, and claims an all-electric range of 120km.
There is also a 1.5-liter turbopetrol engine option for the all-new HS. This powerplant puts out 168hp and 275Nm, through a seven-speed dual-clutch or a six-speed manual gearbox. We suppose in the same way the Corolla Cross and the RAV4 are both compact crossovers with hybrid powertrains but quite different USPs and price points, the One and the HS can coexist in the same segment with the same type of propulsion, provided they target different sets of buyers.
That said, this is a good opportunity for MG Philippines to introduce a plug-in hybrid model, especially since it already offers the hybrid version of the MG 3 hatchback in our country. Thoughts?
