If the MG brand is all about offering lots of car for little money, the ZS SUV is arguably the most on-brand of all the MG products. Sure, the MG4 EV showed us electric cars could be good and well-priced at the same time, but the ZS offered compact SUV space and mid-range equipment for bargain basement prices, and that has made it enormously popular. It has been an unqualified success for MG.
So, the new one wades into battle with the weight of expectation on its new, chunkier shoulders. As well as a fresh look, it has new tech, more space and a new dashboard, not to mention a new hybrid powertrain, although the electric version has been axed with a standalone EV waiting in the wings.
At launch, then, the hybrid is the sole option, and that’s what we’re testing here, on UK roads a little before the car arrives in Ireland. It’s our first taste of the ZS, so the pressure is on. Will MG have managed to increase the ZS’s appeal while keeping the price in check?
What does the new MG ZS Hybrid+ look like?
MG has increased the size of the ZS quite considerably, adding around 10cm to the car’s length, as well as increasing the width and height slightly. As a result, there’s an all-new body with more muscular design and a bit more sculpting, but the headline is arguably the wide new grille, which is apparently going to become a feature on petrol- and hybrid-powered MG products going forward. We’ve already seen it on the forthcoming HS and the new MG3 Hybrid+, and the ZS is simply following suit.
Whether you think the look is a good one comes down to taste, but while oversized grilles have taken a bit of a kicking in recent years, largely thanks to the efforts of BMW, the new ZS really isn’t a bad-looking car. Perhaps it doesn’t have the sophistication of some more upmarket alternatives, but park it next to a Toyota, a Nissan or even a Volkswagen and it won’t look out of place.
A look inside the MG ZS Hybrid+
MG has put a lot of effort into the new ZS’s cabin, and it has paid off. The design is much more modern than before, with a touchscreen that’s more elegantly integrated into the dash and a digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. There’s a minimalist feel, though, with just a single bank of shortcut buttons beneath the screen and a few switches on the centre console and steering wheel.
And it largely feels quite pleasant, too, with some tactile materials in evidence on most of the major touchpoints, and only a few cheaper plastics showing through. Yes, the steering wheel buttons remain fiddly and difficult to decipher, and the buttons on the dashboard feel a little bit low-rent, but for something at this price point it feels remarkably ergonomic and comparatively well made.
It’s roomy, too, thanks in no small part to the increased dimensions. The extra length has allowed for more space in the back, and even tall adults will have no problem getting comfortable back there, as both head- and legroom are more than sufficient. The boot is competitively sized, too, although it isn’t quite as large as that of the old ZS thanks to the hybrid gubbins under the floor. In fairness there isn’t a huge difference.
The MG ZS Hybrid+’s on-board technology
MG has put a lot of the interior focus on technology, placing a touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard and a digital instrument display behind the steering wheel. Both screens have a reasonably high resolution and some relatively modern graphics, especially compared with some other MG products, but there the praise ends.
The touchscreen, which houses all the usual functions and the climate control system, may look much better than before, but it’s still quite laggy at times, stuttering over inputs and spending much too long trying to get its ducks in a row. That makes it more distracting than it should be, despite MG’s attempts to make it more intuitive with shortcut buttons below the screen.
Then there’s the instrument display, which naturally doesn’t have the same software issues as the touchscreen but does still have some control and configuration problems. In MG’s attempts to reduce buttons on the steering wheel, it has simply given buttons multiple tasks depending on the situation, and that makes configuring the instrument display quite tricky at times. When you think you’re changing the display, you might actually be increasing the volume on the radio. Combine that with some cluttered graphics, and you’ve got an instrument display for which MG hasn’t quite got the execution right.
How efficient is the MG ZS Hybrid+?
To create the ZS Hybrid+, MG’s engineers effectively grabbed the MG3 Hybrid+’s powertrain and slotted it into the engine bay of the ZS, then slapped themselves on the back and went off for a beer. And well they might, because on paper, at least, the transplant seems to have worked very nicely indeed.
With a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine working alongside a 100kW electric motor, the ZS has a total output of 196hp, and it sends that to the front wheels via an archaic-sounding three-speed automatic gearbox. Archaic or not, though, the transmission clearly does the job, allowing relatively brisk acceleration and impressive efficiency. According to the official economy test, the ZS Hybrid+ will burn just over five litres of unleaded every 100km, and our test drive suggested that figure wasn’t too far from reality. The 115g/km emissions rating keeps the tax bills palatable, too.
And the system is reasonably refined most of the time, albeit with a few caveats. The ZS isn’t quite as comfortable with the hybrid powertrain as the MG3, presumably because it’s a bigger and heavier car, but it still uses the electric motor way more often than you might expect, and it integrates relatively well with the petrol engine. The gearbox control software sometimes makes some odd decisions, which can disturb the peace slightly with the tuneless drone of a high-revving four-cylinder engine, but that’s only an occasional issue.
Driving the MG ZS Hybrid+
While the ZS performs admirably on paper, a few blots in its copybook surface when you get it on the road. The refinement of the engine, albeit occasionally less than exemplary, is less of an issue on the motorway, for example, because of the road noise you get on almost any surface. It gets quite loud in there, and though you can drown it out with the stereo, it doesn’t make for comfortable journeys.
The ride, on the other hand, is at its best on motorways, where the speed and the nature of the bumps, which tend to be of lower frequency and longer wavelength, leaves it feeling relaxed. However, around town the relatively soft springs seem to struggle with some sharper bumps such as potholes, and though the effects aren’t disastrous, you wouldn’t call it a comfortable urban runabout.
That wouldn’t be such a problem were the MG the last word in driver involvement, but it’ll surprise absolutely nobody to find the ZS’s strengths lie elsewhere. Numb, light steering is quite useful in the supermarket car park, but it’s less helpful on a country lane, and that soft suspension makes for some ‘interesting’ movements of the car’s body, particularly when cornering on a less-than-ideal road surface. In short, the ZS just about drives adequately in most everyday situations, but it isn’t sporty in any way, and it doesn’t relish a challenge.
How safe is the MG ZS Hybrid+
The new MG ZS hasn’t been assessed by Euro NCAP, the independent safety body, but we are hoping it will fare better than its predecessor. The old ZS slipped to a miserable three-star rating when it was new in 2017, and MG will be hoping to improve on that figure considerably.
As if to prove its intent, the Chinese brand has fitted the ZS with all manner of safety systems as standard, including a reversing camera and autonomous emergency braking, and the company says it has tuned the driver assistance systems to be a little more forgiving on European roads. That means the lane-keeping assistance has been tuned for narrower roads, and the speed limit warning technology is also adapted to allow a moment’s leeway when the speed limit changes. These are small things, but they make the car a little easier to live with.
That said, our test drive revealed inaccuracies with the speed limit warning system that meant it would misread road signs, while the lane departure system would intervene unnecessarily, so we turned them both off (something you have to do every time you drive the car, if you’re so inclined, thanks to EU legislation). Fortunately, though, we had a more positive experience with the 360-degree manoeuvring camera system, which is very sharp and offers useful angles that should help owners avoid low-speed bumps.
How many child seats can you fit in an MG ZS Hybrid+?
As is de rigueur in SUVs of this size, the MG ZS Hybrid+ comes with two ISOFIX child seat mounting points on the outer rear seats. There’s no front passenger seat mounting point, but that isn’t uncommon in this class.
How much does the MG ZS Hybrid+ cost in Ireland?
In short, not very much. The basic Essence version comes in at just under €29,000, which makes it about €6,000 cheaper than an entry-level Volkswagen T-Roc, and about €2,000 cheaper than a Toyota Yaris Cross. Yet the MG still comes with lots of standard equipment, including a reversing camera, parking sensors and the digital instrument display, as well as a seven-year warranty.
Those who want to upgrade can move to the Excite model, which is about the same price as the Yaris Cross, at €31,495, and that comes with everything you really need. Seventeen-inch alloy wheels, automatic lights and wipers, and a larger touchscreen are all included, along with keyless entry and navigation. But those who want more can upgrade to the Exclusive tested here, complete with its 18-inch wheels, heated seats and heated steering wheel, as well as leather upholstery, an electrically adjustable driving seat and a 360-degree camera system.
The reasons you’d buy an MG ZS Hybrid+
The ZS was always an average car made appealing solely by its price tag, and there’s still an element of that with the new model. However, while it’s undoubtedly flawed, the MG is now even more appealing than its predecessor, and it offers even better value for money. For those seeking a proper 4x4 and those who enjoy driving, the ZS probably won’t suit, but for most would-be buyers, the combination of equipment, space and price will be difficult to beat. Especially for those that are not ready to go fully electric yet.
Ask us anything about the MG ZS Hybrid+
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