Getting to know a restyled model is always interesting because there is a clear interaction between the brand and users. And MG has done a good job with this. The fresh MG ZS EV turned out to be much more successful than its predecessor.
I first got to know the Anglo-Chinese electric car back in 2021, and now, at the end of 2023, a fresh model has appeared. Usually, about four years pass between restyling, and a completely new generation appears only after six or seven years. Such a cycle is necessary for analytics, work on new technologies and their implementation. For me, the MG ZS EV was a vivid example of how the manufacturer quickly worked out and corrected minor flaws.
At that time, the compact member of the model range was very close to its conventional ICE counterpart. It had the same appearance, multimedia, almost the same dashboard, and lacked graphics, information, and its own special charm that an electric car always carries.
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Changing the angle in the MG ZS EV
The new ZS EV is completely different. And it is impressive. Not only does it have LED optics everywhere, but it also has an updated exterior that gives the electric car character. Of course, it doesn’t look impressive now, but it is practical and modern enough. Especially if we remember that this is the most affordable electric car on the Ukrainian market, which is officially presented. And it costs from UAH 1,009,130 (USD 25,613) for the starting equipment.
The dimensions (4323×1809×1649) and silhouette have not changed, but new bumpers have appeared in the front and rear, a blind decorative insert replaced the false radiator grille of the predecessor, and fresh optics look more restrained and stylish.
The cheap and fragile charging cover has been replaced with a sturdier version with side hinges. The hatch has become smaller and slightly moved away from the center and logo. It’s nice that you no longer need to press it several times waiting for it to open, just once, but make sure the car is unlocked. There is even a flashing LED indicator that shows the battery level. The fresh design of the wheels also looks good. And it’s worth adding that they will be 17 inches in any configuration.
So far, no one has complained that the car was not reliable or strong enough, but the company still emphasized the strengthening of the design. There is even stronger steel, airbags all around, and reliable protection for the battery pack. The torsional stiffness of the car body is 25,000 Nm, which is a good indicator. And the electric car has already received 5 stars for the safety system from EuroNCAP.
The front headlight is equipped with 21 LED elements. The rear lights have an interesting illumination in the form of beams of 8 LEDs each.
Range and charging in the MG ZS EV
All of this is good, but the main thing is that now the electric car will have two types of batteries that allow you to drive even longer than its predecessor. If the battery used to have 44.5 kW of capacity, now it offers 50.3 kW or 69.9 kW. So, instead of the previous 263 km of range, the ZS EV can travel 320 km or 440 km. This is according to the manufacturer. Of course, real-world conditions will reduce the mileage by about 20-50 km, depending on weather conditions, road conditions, or driving style.
And a completely modern feature in an electric car is the iSMART app, which allows you to control the electric car remotely. This is something that you don’t often see even in the premium class, let alone the budget class. With remote control, you can turn on/off the charger, warm or cool the interior, close the windows if you forget, and so on. At the time of the test drive, the app wasn’t available in the country, but hopefully, it will work one day.
In addition, the electric car has a reverse charging function. So the car can be used to power electrical appliances or even maintain power in the house. True, the electric car only produces 2.2 kW and only in the version with a larger battery, but in our time this is an indispensable support
The MG ZS EV can be charged from direct current with a capacity of up to 98 kW and replenish the range up to 80% in 40 minutes, the last 20% can take more than two hours. When traveling, it is enough to recharge not up to 100% and plan a route with stops accordingly. If you charge the car from an 11 kW three-phase outlet, it will take about 6–8 hours, depending on the battery capacity.
There is a synchronous electric motor with an inductor consisting of permanent magnets (permanent magnet synchronous motor, PMSM). After restyling, it produces 40% more power and has lower fuel consumption. The electric motor is located on the front axle, and under the hood are the usual units: a starting battery, compressor, inverter, and so on.
With all this, the MG ZS EV may drive mediocre, but it is enough for any everyday purpose. The crossover is easy to drive and behaves predictably. The availability of torque makes for a fun start, and a nice twist on the console switches the gearbox to forward or reverse. All the necessary elements, levers, buttons are located in the usual places and work perfectly. Compared to its predecessor, only the suspension settings have changed, and the car has become softer. It is good that it is not at the expense of handling.
The suspension has the usual configuration for this class: MacPherson at the front and beam — at the rear. Disc brakes on both axles. It’s cool that the manufacturer explicitly emphasizes the possibility of towing a load of up to 500 kg, which is rare among electric vehicles. An additional 75 kg can be mounted on the roof.
MG engineers have done a good job on the suspension in the ZS EV, and now it works more for comfort, protects passengers from bumps in the road and vibrations. Although the same Korean rivals, such as Hyundai Kona Electric or Kia Niro EV, are more caring towards passengers, they have not yet been brought to us. The main focus is on controlling body sway, but the ZS leans and rolls longer than the competition, winning additional energy savings.
By the way, the crossover’s energy consumption is moderate and sometimes even less than the claimed 17.8 kW. But in the winter, when the test drive took place, the consumption was about 24-26 kW in the city because the climate was almost always on.
Traveling a long distance can be an adventure, as it turned out for me. Counting on a working fast charging station, I made a 300 km route. However, it was not possible to connect to a powerful charger due to errors in the station itself. Charging from a three-phase 22 kW outlet was supposed to take about 6 hours, so I didn’t wait. I recharged it in an hour and set off with the expectation of recharging on the road and having a remaining 320 km of range. As a result, I almost rolled out the entire charge and found a small outlet also for 22 kW only on the way back and almost at zero. I had to wait about 2.5 hours to get to the city and a powerful working charger. So planning is the main task of all electric car owners and it is better to always have a backup.
There are three levels of energy recovery, which allow you to drive around the city without touching the brakes too much. Recuperation doesn’t save much money, but it does reduce energy consumption. Just note that the electric car does not memorize the settings, so after turning off and starting up again, you will have to adjust everything once more.
The same applies to the driving modes, of which there are three: Normal, Sport, Eco. You can change them on the middle console near the gearshift knob. Changing the mode to Sport adds elasticity and speeds up the response to the accelerator, but Eco mode completely switches the electric car to economy mode, even turning off the climate system.
It was nice to look at the 7-inch dashboard, which is now fully digital. The graphics are not in the style of «augmented reality», but everything is clear, colorful, and informative.
Security of a different level
The complete MG Pilot package adds charm to a «simpleton» like the ZS EV. Safety has already been appreciated in Europe and is only getting better. Even the standard equipment list will already include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane keeping assist, emergency braking, blind spot monitor and traffic sign recognition. Not to mention passive safety, which is plenty.
In traffic jams, the ZS EV can help keep a distance from the car in front of it. It keeps you in the lane very actively, so you’ll have to struggle to get around potholes, or turn off this assistance. Navigation is built-in, but it speaks English. The car responds and hears commands in English as well.
The MG Pilot system is quite sensitive and recognizes cyclists and pedestrians and will always notify you of an obstacle. But the 360-degree camera, which allows you to see everything in detail around the car, will be available only in the maximum configuration. The cameras themselves are not bad, but they quickly get stained if the street is dirty, so you will either have to wipe them constantly or accept it and use the mirrors. It’s difficult to see through the cameras in the dark, and I still want better quality, especially since other MG models have cool cameras with excellent images.
Comfort and space in the MG ZS EV
The interior styling hasn’t changed much, except for the details. The quality of materials has been slightly improved, but the configuration is the same. The front seats are comfortable and have many settings, but the steering wheel can only be adjusted in height, which is not surprising in this segment.
All materials are pleasant to the touch and look neat and restrained. There is a minimum of aluminum and glossy inserts, which makes the interior look pricier.
We enlarged the multimedia screen to 10.1 inches and transferred most of the functions and settings there. It responds to touch in a mediocre way, of course, and it glares a lot in sunny weather. The graphics are clear and colorful. It is here that you will control the security systems, navigation, the atmosphere in the car, and the climate. Interestingly, seat heating can be found only in the climate settings on the main screen, and there is no temperature control, but it heats up decently, so you have to turn it off yourself.
Of course, there is an Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connection, which allows you to not depend on the built-in navigation and communicate freely. The voice assistant is able to execute commands and even read you a message or write from your dictation. For connection, it is better to use the USB port on the center console. There is also a wireless phone charger.
I’ve always been surprised that a manufacturer makes wireless charging and can’t make the phone connect wirelessly to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Even the Koreans are installing it, although only in the maximum configuration.
It’s good that the main climate control buttons are located on a separate panel. However, it’s best to turn on the automatic climate control in these cars because it will be very difficult to set the temperature, and you will have to switch it constantly. The automatic system works quite well, so it’s easier to trust it to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Electric cars always have more space in the cabin due to the flat battery at the base, so it is not uncommon to see a center tunnel in the second row. Rear passengers will have plenty of room, and there are air diffusers and gadget charging ports for them. There are pockets and a lowering center armrest.
The large panoramic glass with a sliding front hatch adds light and space. It always looks expensive. This is the prerogative of the Lux and Lux LR trim levels.
The rear row folds down two to one, but there is no flat floor. The luggage compartment is spacious for this class and amounts to 448 liters, which is quite decent. The folded backrests of the rear row increase the space to 1166 liters. Under the floor are additional containers for small items, repair kits and wires.
Seating features in the back row will be the low position of the seats, which forces you to bend your legs more. But in general, it is quite comfortable to sit even on long trips.
General impressions of the MG ZS EV
In general, this electric car has almost no competitors in the Ukrainian market, if we consider official representatives with a guarantee, as in our case. And so far, I have only found the Opel Mokka-e, which is pricier than the top version of the MG, but with a 50 kW battery. And the Mokka-e is smaller in terms of space and mileage.
If we take among the «gray» dealers, we can already name VW ID4, BYD Atto 3, and many more different representatives from the Middle Kingdom. Of course, you can find versions with interesting offers and low prices, but there are no guarantees. It’s everyone’s choice whether to take a risk or not, but you need to check the car itself well and trust the seller.
In the case of the MG ZS EV, you can get a decent family car in the price-quality category, equipped with all the modern features, with a good range and comfort. This is a purely practical solution chosen by pragmatic people who believe in the electric future
PROS: cost, warranty, range, interior and trunk space, equipment, practicality, easy handling.
CONS: outdated design, little headroom, limited steering wheel adjustment.
| Body, type | SUV |
| Dimensions (LxWxH), mm | 4323/1809/1649 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2581 |
| Declared ground clearance, mm | 161 |
| Trunk volume, liters. | 448/1166 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1620 |
| Battery, kW | 50,3/69,9 |
| Power, hp (kW) | 130/115 |
| Torque, Nm | 280 |
| Power reserve, km | 320/440 |
| Type of drive | front |
| Pendant | Macpherson / torsion beam |
| Transmission | single-stage automatic |
| Dynamics 0-100, s | 8,6 |
| Maximum speed, km/h | 175 |
| Energy consumption, kWh/100 km | 17,3/17,8 |
| Cost, UAH | 1 009 131 |
| The cost of the test car, UAH | 1 244 030 |
| Competitors | Opel Mokka (officially available) |
| Peugeot 2008-e (expected) | |
| Toyota bZ4 | |
| Kia Niro Electro | |
| Hyundai Kona Electro | |