Duster vs MG HS
| Dacia Duster<br>2024 | MG HS<br>2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £18,745 | £24,995 |
| Body type | SUV | SUV |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Engine | 1.6-litre petrol + hybrid system | 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol |
| Power | 140PS | 170PS |
| 0-60 mph | 10.1 seconds | 9.6 seconds |
| Top speed | 105 mph | 121 mph |
| Fuel economy | 51.4 mpg (WLTP) | 37.7 mpg (WLTP) |
| CO2 | 123 g/km | 168 g/km |
| Boot space | 472 litres | 507 litres |
| Length | 4,343 mm | 4,655 mm |
| Transmission | Multimode automatic | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Drive | Front-wheel drive (4x4 optional) | Front-wheel drive |
| Owner rating | — | — |
At the budget end of the SUV market, every pound is doing heavy lifting. The Dacia Duster 2024 costs £18,745 — the cheapest proper SUV in this comparison by a distance. The MG HS 2024 costs £24,995, a full £6,250 more. That gap alone could buy the Duster's fuel for the best part of six years. So the MG has a mountain to climb, and it climbs it with power and equipment rather than economy.
The HS is the stronger performer: 170 PS against the Duster's 140 PS, and 0-60 mph in 9.6 seconds versus 10.1. It is also the bigger-feeling, better-equipped car — MG has made its name by loading kit into keen prices, and the HS carries more of everything. But that performance comes at the pump. The HS returns just 37.7 mpg against the Duster's 51.4 mpg, which translates to £1,399 a year in fuel for 8,000 miles versus £1,026. That £373 annual fuel penalty is the thirstiest figure in this entire comparison set, and it never goes away.
The rest of the ledger deepens the Duster's advantage. Insurance: £550 versus £600. Maintenance: £425 versus £450. Five-year true cost: £22,764 for the Duster against £28,942 for the HS — a £6,178 gulf that almost exactly mirrors the purchase-price gap, meaning the HS never earns its premium back through ownership. Monthly, £379 versus £482; on 48-month finance, £427.07 versus £569.46. The Duster is not just the cheapest SUV here to buy; it is the cheapest to own by one of the widest margins in the whole series.
Buyer profiles: the Duster is for the budget-first buyer who needs honest SUV practicality — the rural driver, the young family, anyone who wants maximum car for minimum outlay and refuses to pay for frills. The HS suits the buyer who wants more power, more equipment, and a plusher cabin and is willing to pay £6,250 plus higher fuel bills for it — the value seeker who measures value in kit rather than cash. The third buyer, the tow-car or load-lugger, should check real-world weights and capacities rather than brochure pace.
Our pick is the Dacia Duster, emphatically. It is £6,250 cheaper to buy, far more economical, and £6,178 cheaper over five years. The MG HS is the nicer car to sit in and the quicker car to drive, but at this end of the market, money talks loudest — and it is saying Duster.
Dacia Duster review → MG HS review →