2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ Excite Review: Updates to this affordable SUV means the battery now stays charged, but it still left us feeling a little flat

April 19, 2025April 19, 2025 Bruce Newton 966 Views 0 Comments Excite, mg, ZS Hybrid+

In the old days (last year), the MG ZS compact SUV was cheap and cheerful rental fleet fodder, but now it’s meant to be something that appeals beyond its price.

The new generation has gone for a much more sophisticated pitch (read more expensive) and made itself a whole lot more relevant to a whole bunch of new car buyers in Australia by adding a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain to its line-up.

The EV’s gone by the way, evolved into a new model called the MG S5 that arrives in June.

So let’s saddle up and check out the new ZS Hybrid+ to find out just how good it is.

2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ Excite price and equipment

MG pricing is a bit like Melbourne weather. It changes a lot. In fact, it’s pretty hard to keep up with.

The MG ZS Hybrid+ Excite is the cheaper of two petrol-electric models launched late last year – the other is the better equipped but mechanically identical Essence – and it was priced at $33,990 plus on-road costs at launch.

But there was a launch special that reduced the price to $33,990 drive-away and now on the MG website it’s $32,990 drive-away.

In researching this review an entirely routine request for clarification on current ZS pricing was put to MG’s media people. That was 10 days ago and we’re still waiting…

Anyway, the upshot appears to be the people at MG responsible for things like pricing got a little bit carried away with how highly the ZS was regarded out here in buyer land when the price wasn’t cutting edge.

But for now anyway, the MG ZS Hybrid+ Excite is very much competing on price against its fellow cheap Chinese hybrid, the GWM Haval Jolion, rather than the hybrids further along the quality end of the pathway, like the Hyundai Kona and Toyota Corolla Cross.

So, anyway, on with the show. The MG ZS Hybrid+ Excite picks up the Hybrid+ appellation because it behaves more like a range extender than a normal plugless hybrid in the way it tries to reserve its e-motor for driving the wheels and its 1.5-litre petrol motor for repowering the 1.83kWh battery pack.

Of course, the battery is tiny and that creates limitations we’ll get to in a moment.

Standard Excite gear includes LED headlights and daytime running lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, fabric seat trim, single-zone climate control, dual 12.3-inch digital infotainment and instrumentation panels, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded satellite-navigation and six-speaker audio.

The Excite comes with the expected safety systems, but is downgraded in ANCAP crash testing to four stars because of adult occupant protection issues relating to the rear seatbelt and the lack of a centre-front airbag.

If you upgrade to the Essence a panoramic sunroof, 18-inch alloys, PVC synthetic leather seat trim and a powered driver’s seat are among the items added.

There’s no spare tyre in either model, which we reckon is a major omission

Like all MGs, the ZS Hybrid+ comes with a 10-year/250,000km warranty that includes the high-voltage battery. Service intervals are 12 months/15,000km and capped price servicing is competitive with Toyota, which is good stuff.

2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ Excite: What we think

One of the reasons the MG ZS Hybrid+ might have got off to a slow start in Australia was the derating of the battery reported out of the national media launch.

With the battery flat, a pretty weak 75kW/128Nm 1.5-litre petrol engine was left to push the 1390kg (tare) Excite along.

That’s quite a bit less than the 158kW/465Nm combined output claimed, although the torque figure is a multiplication based on its three-speed auto.

When everything’s working properly, the Excite is perky enough, but never ever feels like it’s got that much pulling power.

So, back to the derating. Since the launch MG immediately has performed a software retune which our test car featured.

And try as we might there was no full derating of the battery pack. And that was because the petrol engine intervened early, often and quite obviously to keep the juice flowing.

It was an at times uncultured experience, but certainly better than the alternative.

So maybe, the problem is fixed. Although how on earth a globally significant car company like MG, which is owned by one of China’s biggest auto conglomerates SAIC, actually makes such a fundamental error in the first place is disturbing. It’s not much of a defence, but MG is not alone among the Chinese brands in requiring early retunes of new models.

Reduce the stress levels and the Hybrid+ drivetrain is a co-operative device. Its e-motor provides strong initial shove that’s very handy in town at intersections and roundabouts.

It also seems pretty economical. We absolutely thrashed it trying to flatten the battery and the average came in at 7.6L/100km. That’s well above the 4.7L/100km average. But more sympathetic running will get closer to that.

Sadly though, the powertrain requires 95 RON fuel rather than the cheaper 91 RON.

Other aspects of the ZS Hybrid+ Excite driving experience are not going to get you excited. The ride is uncultured on its bargain basement suspension set-up and the electric-assist steering overly-weighty for what is a shopping trolley.

The power and torque available through the front wheels can trigger tugs on the steering wheel and chirps from the tyres. The chassis does struggle to cope.

Tuning of auto lane-keeping is good by Chinese standards. Sadly though, when it does get too intrusive, it’s a bit of a process to turn it off.

It’s also a shock to settle into the driver’s seat and find no steering wheel reach adjustment, In 2025, that’s a rarity.

The best bit about the Excite’s interior is the sheer space it offers. This is a big vehicle by class standards and that is obvious with enough space in the rear seat to accommodate taller people and the sizable boot.

However, while there’s acceptable storage up-front, rear-seat passengers will feel a bit hard done by for creature comforts.

It all looks pretty good inside though, perhaps a bit better than the exterior with its guppy mouth and anodyne profile.

2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ Excite: Verdict

For all MG’s over-estimation of the aspirational leap the ZS has made from old to new generation it’s still a fundamental improvement.

Yep, even with the issues we’ve chronicled here.

But it’s definitely still a generation shy of being able to match the best vehicles on offer in this segment.

So for now MG, don’t get too ambitious with your ZS Hybrid+ Excite pricing.

SCORE: 3.0/5

2025 MG ZS Hybrid+ Excite specifications

Price: $33,990 (plus on-road costs)
Basics: Petrol-electric, 5 seats, 5 doors, compact SUV, FWD
Range: None claimed
Battery capacity: 1.83kWh
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Combined output: 158kW/465Nm
Transmission: 3-speed hybrid auto
Fuel: 4.7L/100km (ADR)
CO2: 110g CO2/km