While awaiting its arrival in Malaysia, British-Chinese carmaker MG has another addition to its line-up in Thailand and this time it’s electric. The new 2021 MG HS PHEV was just launched there with sales beginning from 28-October 2020.

The hybrid rival to the Proton X70 runs on a plug-in hybrid powertrain that uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a high-performance electric motor. This gives a combined output of 284 PS and 480 Nm with a claimed acceleration to 100 km/h from rest in under 7.5 seconds.

Running on battery power alone, MG claims that the HS PHEV will be able to run for up to 67 km on a full charge. MG also claims that it has a fuel consumption of 1.5 km/100 km.

But if you wanted the old sports car pedigree seen in older MGs, then this hybrid crossover might have the answer. It comes with 5 driving modes which are Normal, Eco, EV, Sport, and Super Sport. That’s not all, it has KERS too just like in F1 cars which helps in regenerative charging while driving.

The MG HS PHEV comes equipped with LED headlamps and taillamps as well as 18-inch alloy wheels for a little bit of that subtle sporty look.

The crossover’s cabin comes with a choice of two-tone Monaco Blue or all-black leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof, a 12-inch digital instrument panel, a 10-inch infotainment screen, Bose sound system, and interactive ambient lights with 64 colour options.

Besides, the infotainment system uses MG’s latest i-SMART operating system which features Smart Command which allows voice recognition in Thai, Smart Connect which allows drivers seamless connection between their smartphone and the infotainment system, and Smart Check which shows the vehicle condition and the battery status.

The HS PHEV is also not short on safety equipment with 6 airbags, 360-degree camera, and an impressive suite of ADAS which includes blind-spot detection, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and forward-collision warning.

The hybrid MG starts from THB 1.359 million which is around THB 200,000 more than the top-of-the-line petrol variant of the MG HS, the Turbo X. The smaller ZS EV meanwhile retails at THB 1.19 million and it is the most popular EV in Thailand.

That being said, would there be a potential for MG to launch the HS PHEV in Malaysia on top of the petrol-powered variant?

Special thanks to our friends at our Thai sister site, Autofun Thailand for providing the info.