Australia’s cheapest EV here in November: MG ZS to deliver 270km in range

MG is about to set a new electric-vehicle entry point in Australia, with the MG ZS EV around a month away from launching in our market.

The Chinese brand’s first local EV has been undergoing a series of last minute changes, with revisions to the battery pack – understood to be a cooling system given the heat in markets like our own and the Middle East – ahead of its local debut, but the MG ZS is locked in for a November launch.

“The changes will make it more robust, it would have been a cooling system for the batteries,” says MG Australia’s director of marketing and product development, Danny Lenartic.

The MG ZS EV will be equipped with a 44.5kWh water-cooled battery pack, delivering a 262km driving range, while its electric motor will serve up 105kW and 353Nm.

Also impressive, the brand will offer a full seven-year warranty, along with a seven-year, 130,000km warranty on the battery itself.

The offical price point is yet to be confirmed, but the ZS was offered as a pre-sale price of at $46,990 in Australia and NZ – a deal that attracted orders in the hundreds – which undercuts the Hyundai Ioniq, which lists at $48,970 plus on-roads.

“I’m fairly certain people will be excited (by the price). It needs to become part of the mainstream narrative, so you can decide whether you go for a petrol, diesel, hybrid or full EV. That’s the goal,” Lenartic says.

“I don’t think it needs to be (the cheapest EV). It needs to fit into the line-up, that’s more important.”