Morris Garages (MG) is one of the most renowned British brands known to produce top-notch cars in terms of quality and performance, and even members of the British royal family are known to have used these cars over the years before the company was bought by the state-owned Chinese company SAIC Motor Corporation Limited in 2007.
Last week, we reviewed the Haval H6 and saw how it impressed the local consumers, helping Chinese car brands to gain a strong foothold in the local market.
As many corporate houses want brand new vehicles for their employees, many opt to go for these brands as they often provide more value for money.
One of the major concerns car buyers have is spare parts not being available. Well, these brands and dealerships offer services so you don’t have to worry about taking your car from one workshop to another to get it fixed. Also, these brands have been here for a while now and the history of them breaking down is quite rare.
The Chinese made British car MG HS is priced around Tk37 lakh, brand new right from the dealership — not too bad for a car with a tremendous heritage that links back to the British royal family.
Whereas, the 2022 H6 will set you back Tk42.8 lakh right from the showroom.
The HS is most appealing for its price and the number of features it offers at its price point is quite impressive to most buyers.
The aesthetic appeal of the car comes in a close second to the technological offerings.
Both these cars are powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The MG HS gives around 169 horsepower, whereas its Haval counterpart produces 161.
One of the biggest advantages of having a 1500cc engine under the hood is tax brackets. Going for their competitors means, you’ll have to go for a 2.0L Honda CRV or a 2.0L Nissan X-Trail pushing your yearly tax to a whopping Tk75,000, according to the government’s latest decision.
Interior
The HS comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto comes as standard.
The stalk mounted on the left side of the steering column is pretty easy to use once you take a quick look at the functionality.
The vehicle also features Adaptive Cruise Control and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
Alongside these features, the high spec model of the HS features a 360° view camera, heated and electrically adjustable bucket seats, and a panoramic glass roof.
One of the biggest advantages of driving an SUV or a crossover is the higher seating positions, giving the driver a more commanding experience while driving.
There’s a reasonable amount of adjustability with the front seats, but, even in their lowest setting, some users have complained that the seating arrangement is still fairly higher than what they’d like.
There are electric seat adjustment options, but only for the high-spec models and adjustable lumbar support is standard across the range, which helps in supporting the passengers’ lower back in long drives.
On the other hand, the H6 has a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and the overall build quality of the whole interior is solid and durable.
The H6 also has plenty of leg and headroom for taller passengers. It's quite spacious enough that passengers won't feel cramped in a tight space, and the interior finish of the dashboard is top-notch and has gained a lot of praise from reviewers around the world.
Efficiency
MG claimed fuel economy might not match its key rivals, but one should be able to travel more than 644 kilometres on a tank, the petrol tank has a capacity of carrying 55 litres of fuel, meaning roughly around 11 to 12 kilometres per litre.
An MG HS plug-in hybrid is also set to go on sale soon in the local market, which will be more efficient — particularly if you can charge it regularly and cover a lot of short journeys.
On the contrary, the H6 gives a much better mileage of 14 km per litre. The mileage is especially important as we all know about the notorious Dhaka traffic, and it can burn a lot of fuel idling.
Looks-wise, I’d personally go for the MG as it just looks more luxurious and there’s history associated with the badge.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the Haval looks any bad, it’s quite good looking as well. It is taller, making it look much bigger and has a more rugged feel to it.
It really comes down to the price at the end of the day, at which, I feel like the MG has more value for money.
