2020 MG ZS EV electric SUV review

As of late 2020 (when it went on sale) the MG ZS EV is the most affordable battery electric vehicle available in Australia.

It utilises the small SUV body of the MG ZS (not the facelifted ZST) and replaces anything to do with petrol with lots to do with electricity.

COMING SOON: MG ZS EV update due in 2022 with styling, tech updates

Some will no doubt shop the ZS EV against the Nissan Leaf and Hyundai Ioniq Electric, the next two cheapest EVs.

But its most direct rival is the Hyundai Kona Electric, the only other mainstream small SUV powered only by electricity.

And, of course, there’s all manner of ICE-powered small SUVs that can be compared to the ZS EV.

As for MG the brand, it’s part of the giant SAIC Motor company that also produces LDV. MG has relied on pricing that undercuts key rivals to boost its sales and market share in recent years.

It’s planning the same with EVs. MG says it can sell 3000 ZS EVs in Australia in 2021 and it has plans for at least four more electric models by 2025.

Value

It’s mostly about the price with the MG ZS EV. At $43,990 drive-away (or $40,990 before on-road costs) the new all-electric small SUV is at least $8000 cheaper than the next most affordable electric car, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric (closely followed by the Nissan Leaf).

While it’s easy to get wrapped up in the hype of what is currently the most affordable SUV on the market, it’s worth remembering that the regular ZS the EV is based on sells for almost half the price.

So there’s a big price premium for going electric, albeit one partially offset by lower running costs, more affordable servicing and so-on.

But MG has also added plenty more equipment to the ZS EV’s artillery compared with a garden variety ZS.

It includes smart key entry, a panoramic sunroof, active cruise control, fake leather trim, heated front seats and an 8.0-inch touchscreen incorporating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There are also unique 17-inch alloy wheels and an “EV” badge on the rump for visual differentiation.

Other than the spare tyre (there’s a repair kit in its place) there’s not a whole lot missing, although dual-zone ventilation would be handy.

The warranty also deserves a mention. Australian-delivered MGs are covered by a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty. However, the MG ZS EV gets only a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty. The high-voltage battery used in the EV system gets a separate eight-year, 160,000km warranty.
UPDATE: As of July 1, 2021 the MG ZS EV price increased by $1000 to $44,990 drive-away and the warranty was extended to seven years, unlimited kilometres. That warranty also includes the battery.

Inside

The ZS is a small SUV and its EV status doesn’t affect anything inside.

That translates to decent space up front but less sprawling room in the rear. Those back seats are best left to kids or teens, but even then three people across the bench will be cosy.

There are no rear air vents, but people in the rear can fight over a USB power outlet.

There’s the occasional reminder the ZS EV was born from a budget-priced small SUV – some hard dash and door plastics, for example – but elsewhere there’s genuine thought into visually elevating things.

The striped black plastic in the centre console is elegant, for example, and there are enough metallic highlights to spruce things up.

At 359 litres the boot is useful and relatively deep, at least if you lower the separator that otherwise creates some handy underfloor stowage.

Performance and efficiency

Pop the bonnet (who does that these days!?) and there’s a fair bit of space above the orange cables and electric motor sitting where a petrol engine usually does in an MG ZS.

The single motor drives only the front wheels and makes 105kW, which is modest by modern standards.

But there’s a far more useful 353Nm of torque, or pulling power.

It’s that torque that gives the ZS EV its pep, especially off the line. It’s no fireball, but the initial reaction to a prod of the throttle is better than most petrol engines at this price.

MG claims it’ll hit 60km/h in 3.1 seconds.

Three drive modes – Eco, Normal and Sport – are selected via a toggle switch just forward of the circular gear selector (or, more correctly, forward/reverse selector), in turn changing the throttle response. The differences are most noticeable at low speeds, with Sport more energetic and darty, albeit with no change to how much power is produced.

Another toggle adjusts the regenerative braking between three levels, the most aggressive of which allows minimal use of the brake pedal in regular driving.

All of which works fine, although we wish the toggle switches were somewhere more logical.

While acceleration is terrific below 60 or 70km/h, approaching triple figures the enthusiasm wanes. It’s not slow and will comfortably maintain pace up hills, but it doesn’t have the zippiness of lower speeds. By way of comparison, the run from 60-100km/h takes 5.1 seconds, for an overall 0-100km/h time of 8.2 seconds.

As for electricity use, the ZS EV is claimed at 18.6kWh per 100km and we got very close to that during just over 100km of mostly suburban running.

Charging

The MG ZS EV has a 44.5kWh battery pack claimed to give it 263km of range according to the tougher WLTP cycle.

Our limited drive suggested something like 230-240km should be easily achievable, probably more if you were driving more sedately and at slower speeds.

That makes it useful as a second car in the garage or for something mostly confined to your local area, but it’s not the sort of EV you’d want to attempt interstate trips in.

Charging is done via a Type 2 CCS combo charger which is hidden behind the grille. Provided the car is unlocked and parked you push the MG badge to allow it to pop out and up.

The AC charger can accept up to 7.2kW, which should provide a full charge in around seven hours.

DC charging ups the peak power to 50kW, allowing for an 80 percent top-up in as little as 40-45 minutes.

Ride and handling

The ZS EV is in its element zipping around the suburbs, where the dominant sensation is its easily-accessible low-speed performance.

It’s also respectably quiet and does what it’s told through corners.

It’s less convincing once you step up the pace, especially if bumps enter the equation.

The suspension doesn’t recover as quickly as it should to big bumps, something amplified if there’s more than one.

Lifeless steering doesn’t help with carving through corners; there’s a deadness that means you’ll need more muscle for quick direction changes.

Hints of torque steer (or steering wheel tug) kick in at low speeds if you’re accelerating out of a corner or interesection.

At least the Michelin tyres do a respectable job of keeping things on track.

Talking point

There’s a (very) little bit of Formula 1 in the MG ZS EV. Sort of…

One of the three switches in the centre console is marked as KERS, a cheeky reference to the Kinetic Energy Recovery System used at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Distilling it down to EV speak it refers to regenerative braking, whereby the flow of electrons in the electric motor is reversed. It means the motor helps slow the car while generating electricity for use later.

As for the Battery button, it’s borderling useless. It flashes up the remaining range for a split-second in the small digital display between the two traditional analogue instruments in the cluster. It’s the same range that is permanently on the same display, albeit smaller.

Safety

The MG ZS EV has not been independently rated by ANCAP. The ZS it shares its body with scored four stars in 2017, although the rating doesn’t apply to the electric version.

As well as six airbags, the ZS EV gets loads more active safety gear than those regular ZS models, more closely mimicking the ZST for crash avoidance tech.

As well as autonomous emergency braking (AEB) there’s blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert. Speed sign recognition tops off a good level of safety kit.

Verdict

The ZS EV is a game changer by electric car standards and is indicative of anticipated increased activity in the lower end of the EV space.

It’s best suited to around-town driving at more sedate speeds, ultimately lacking the fizz and excitement for spirited blasts. At which point it’s a surprisingly enjoyable car to drive, albeit with less endearing qualities.

But it’s still expensive when compared with regular petrol-powered cars, something that suggests it will be early adopters and those keen on electric tech – rather than the bargain-hunters that have gravitated to the born-again MG – popping the ZS EV on the shortlist.

2020 MG ZS EV specifications

Price: $43,990 drive-away

Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, SUV, FWD

Range: 263km (WLTP)

Battery capacity: 44.5kWh

Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km

Energy consumption: 18.6kWh/100km

Motors: 1 front 105kW/353Nm

AC charging: 7.2kW, Type 2 plug

DC charging: 50kW, Type 2 CCS combo plug

0-100km/h: 8.2 seconds