MG ZS EV Owner’s Review

Quick Review

I chose the MG ZS EV on an electric car lease because I wanted a 100% electric SUV but was priced out of the market by popular brands like Tesla. 

Turns out I couldn’t have chosen a better electric car. I drive around 40 miles per day and charge twice per week. My car subscription costs less than my old lease for a smaller diesel car and my running costs have been slashed.

The MG ZS EV is unapologetically affordable, and it does things so well it has made me question the price of other EVs. It has served as the perfect first electric car, giving me all the benefits of going electric without the high initial costs. Overall, I strongly recommend it if you want an electric SUV that does the basics.

Range

When I was shopping for an electric car, I quickly realised that cars with a range of over 250-miles were out of my budget. So I decided to look at the segment below and settle for a car I would only need to charge two or three times a week.

I discovered the MG ZS EV on TV. It looked good and the quoted on the road price impressed me. Then the range popped up - 163 miles combined. That would work if I could get within 20% of the quoted figures!

MG advertises the following range from a single charge on the WLTP combined cycle: Combined Range: 163 miles (263 km); City Range: 231 miles (372 km); Combined Driving Efficiency: 3.3 miles/kWh (18.6 kWh/100km).

So, how have these figures panned out for me?

I consistently get 130 to 140-miles of range in spring and summer and 105 to 115-miles of range in winter when it is very cold.

The worst range I have had when trying to eke out range is 105-miles, which was in February 2021 below 0°C. In those conditions, 105-miles was a godsend. My journey lasted 2 hours longer than it should have.

Have I ever had range anxiety? I haven’t had anxiety, but I do need to plan some trips so that I can top-up the battery.

To give you an example, I regularly drive from London to Birmingham on two charges and I only need a top-up on the way back down. For me, the MG ZS’s consistent 130 to 140-mile range works. It also helps that it charges rapidly…

Charging

The MG ZS EV charges from 5 to 80% in 40 minutes using a 50kW DC charger. These are common and you can use any 100kW or other high output charger because you select the power output. Just set it to 50kW and you’re golden.

A 50kW charger gives me a 50-mile range boost in around 18-minutes. This is handy when I don’t have time to wait around and need a quick top-up.

I have a 7kW AC home charger that tops up the battery to 100% in 6.5 hours. I set it to charge between 11 pm and 4 am so I get cheaper electricity rates. I pay 15p per kWh, so I pay between £4 and £6 depending on how much charge I need.

I haven’t used a 3-pin (13A) charger, but the MG ZS offers this option which is handy if you go somewhere with no AC or DC chargers. This will give you a 100% charge in 14 hours or a 20% charge in about 3 hours. Not good, but not bad.

Performance

The MG ZS is powered by a 44.5kWh lithium-ion battery. This powers a single electric motor that drives the front wheels only.

The official performance figures are 143PS and 260 lb-ft of torque. This is about the same power and torque as you get from a 2.0 diesel. However, the MG ZS EV feels more powerful than the figures suggest. It really is great fun to drive!

Accelerating from 0-62mph takes 8.2 seconds officially but I think this is conservative. The real figure is high 7’s. What this doesn’t tell you is the MG ZS EV responds instantly because the electric motor has no lag. It just goes.

More relevant for me is the 0-31mph time, which stands at around 3 seconds flat. I can beat most cars at the traffic lights which is useful in busy cities.

Driving Experience

This was the first electric car I ever drove, and it blew my mind.

There’s an electronic handbrake and no gears to slog through. The power is instantaneous, and the powertrain makes hardly any noise. You just point and go. It builds up speed so fast that I have to keep a keen eye on speed limits.

I love driving my MG ZS EV. Compared to everything before it, it’s a breath of fresh air. It feels lightyears ahead of my previous car, a relatively new diesel SUV. I get in, start her up and move off silently. It’s a pleasure to drive every day.

Ride Quality

There’s no adaptive suspension or special trickery going on here. The MG ZS has a torsion beam suspension. It is firmer and stronger than most other cars because the battery is heavy. Unfortunately, it also means the ride is a mixed bag.

Cruising on smooth roads is as comfortable as can be but rough roads, uneven surfaces, speed bumps and sharp corners can be jittery. It isn’t a particularly nimble car, and you feel the weight of the battery at higher speeds.

But - and this is a big BUT - it is no worse than my previous cars. It’s no last word in handling or refinement but it is tolerable on pothole-ridden roads.

Interior and Comfort

My MG ZS EV is an Exclusive model, which gets leather style upholstery, a 6-way electrically-adjustable driver’s seat and heated front seats.

The Exclusive model also has a panoramic sunroof. It’s the first of my cars to have one and I have to say it makes a big difference to airiness.

One of the features my son discovered is all the windows are electric. It sounds silly, but some cars still have wind-down windows (I’m looking at you, Fiesta).

While the cabin sets no standards for quality or tactile material appeal, it is rugged, well put together and suitably well-equipped.

Most of the MG’s interior is free from creaks and rattles after 5,000 miles of driving. The electric motor is practically silent, so the only audible noises are tyre noise and wind noise at higher speeds - and both are easily muted by the radio.

Infotainment

The MG ZS has an 8” touchscreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in-built satellite navigation and Bluetooth. The Exclusive model also gets an upgraded 6-speaker audio system with ‘3D Sound’.

The touchscreen is clear, responsive and easy to use. It’s also fast. I use Apple CarPlay most of the time, but the actual system is good too.

The big thing missing here is wireless charging. I don’t know why the MG ZS doesn’t have wireless charging, and it’s an annoying omission. Another annoyance is the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay. Wired is fine, but wireless is better.

Practicality and Boot Space

The MG ZS EV hasn’t lost out on any space in its transition from petrol to electric. MG’s designers have done a great job making it as spacious as possible.

The MG ZS EV has a 470-litre boot with a dual-height floor. There’s storage under the boot floor for the charging cable so it takes up no boot space. The boot also has two storage nets at both sides for holding all your bits and bats.

I have two kids and the MG ZS is perfect for us. There are ISOFIX mounting points on both rear outermost seats and the rear seats split-fold at the press of a button 60-40. Drop the rear seats and the boot expands to a colossal 1,375-litres.

Keyless entry and start come as standard but there’s no electric tailgate. I would have liked an electric tailgate but alas there’s no option.

Driving Aids

The MG ZS EV comes as standard with MG Pilot, a suite of advanced driver assistance systems designed to make driving easier and safer.

These systems include Active Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Bicycle Detection, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning System, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist and Traffic Jam Assist. All models also get Adaptive Cruise Control.

I use Traffic Jam Assist regularly because it combines Intelligent Speed Limit Assist with lane centring technology for easy cruising.

Exclusive models also boast a rear parking camera, Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert. I have found all of these additional driving aids extremely useful. Rear Cross-Traffic Alert saved my skin when I was reversing in a car park once and Blind Spot Detection makes changing lanes safer.

Trim Levels

Two trim levels are available: Excite and Exclusive. I chose the Exclusive model because it gets significantly more equipment and desirable features.

Exclusive models have a reversing camera, an upgraded 6-speaker audio system with 3D Sound, Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, leather style upholstery, an electric driver’s seat, a panoramic roof and silver roof rails.

Standard kit across the range includes an 8” touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, MG Pilot and rear parking sensors.

You can’t go wrong with either model, but the full-fat Exclusive model is worth it. I love the reversing camera and the leather style upholstery adds a touch of class to the cabin. It feels more expensive than it is, and it has everything I need.

Overall

The MG ZS EV is an incredible value proposition. Where else can you get an electric SUV with the latest tech for such a low price? If you keep things simple with a car subscription like I did it makes even more sense. 

Overall, I rate the ZS EV 9/10 because nothing is perfect. I’ll rerate it 9.5/10 if MG ever adds wireless charging and an electric-powered tailgate.

This review is the opinion of an MG ZS EV driver and is not an endorsement from Voltric.