2022 MG ZS EV SUV Review

MG's electric crossover gets more range and tech updates for 2022

Review

This is the updated MG ZS EV, arguably one of the best value electric cars on the market right now. The new ZS EV comes with subtle styling changes outside, upgraded infotainment inside, and most importantly a larger battery and increased range. Prices for the ZS EV start from around €32,000 in Ireland including grants, and it has an electric range of up to 440 kilometres from a full charge. It goes up against other popular electric cars like the Nissan LEAF, Hyundai Kona and Kia e-Niro.

Styling:

Starting outside, the ZS EV has received some subtle styling updates. The most noticeable change is a new body-coloured grille up front and redesigned LED headlights. There is a new charge port door which is better than the somewhat flimsy setup on the previous model, along with LED lights to show how what percentage it is at when charging.

Along the sides there are no real changes, but it is worth noting that the ZS EV gets keyless entry as standard, while higher specification models get silver roof rails. As standard, it has restyled 17-inch alloy wheels, but there isn’t currently the option to upgrade to a larger wheel size. Towards the rear the changes are minimal with updated rear lights and updated bumper designs. There are five colour choices and Arctic White is standard, but colours like this Brilliant Blue metallic are an optional extra.

In Ireland, the entry model is the ZS EV Excite and it has a 72.6kWh battery with a claimed range of up to 440 kilometres, while it gets 100kW rapid charging. Prices for the entry Excite model start from €31,995. This higher spec Exclusive model starts from €34,995 and it has the same battery and charging setup, but with upgrades including the roof rails, a panoramic sunroof, heated door mirrors and lots more.

Stepping inside, the ZS EV’s interior is surprisingly good, given its competitive price tag and there are some updates with the new model, including a 10.1-inch touch screen system which is a good improvement. The touch screen itself is responsive and the system is relatively easy to use with Android Auto and Apple Car Play built-in as standard which is good. It’s good to see that there are some physical buttons for controlling the infotainment system too, along with controls for the air conditioning too.

While there are better infotainment systems on the market and some of the menus are difficult to access at times, it should cater to most buyer’s needs. There is also a new digital driver’s display behind the steering wheel which displays key driving information and battery usage, although some of the text displayed is rather small. The overall fit and finish of the interior is quite good, with soft materials across the dashboard, although there are some harder plastics on the doors and lower down in the cabin, which is to be expected.

The ZS EV feels quite spacious up front and the driving position feels high with good adjustment available through the seats, although the steering wheel only adjusts for rake, and not for reach. There’s good storage too with a small area underneath the driver’s armrest, two cupholders and additional space in the doors for water bottles. There is also a wireless smartphone charger in this higher spec model, along with USB and USB-C charge points and a 12-volt socket. It’s also nice to see that there is another USB charge point beside the driver’s mirror for dash cam users. The centre console area has a nice dial control to select park, drive and reverse and a button for the electric hanbdrake. There is also toggle controls to adjust the level of regenerative braking and select different driving modes.

The ZS EV has good room in the rear seats with enough room to accommodate two adults, three at a squeeze. There is decent legroom and headroom for taller passengers, while this higher spec exclusive model has a full length panoramic sunroof which floods light into the cabin. Elsewhere there is a usb-c charge point and a standard USB charge point, storage pockets on the back of the seats and a comfortable armrest with cupholders built in. There’s also two sets of ISOFIX mounts in the rear for family buyers, while the raised ride height of the car will be good for those using car seats.

Boot space in the ZS EV is good. With 470 litres of space it’s slightly bigger than what you get in the Nissan LEAF. It has a height adjustable boot floor as standard too, with an area to store charge cables and other items. Drop the rear seats down and space increases to over 1100 litres. There is a noticeable step up from the boot to the seats however, which may make it difficult to slide large items in and out. That is because the batteries are located under the rear seats, but you can solve this issue by adjusting the height of the boot floor. Unfortunately, there isn’t any storage space under the bonnet in the ZS EV like you get in other some other electric cars.

Driving:

The new ZS EV has a larger 72.6kWh battery with a claimed range of up to 440 kilometres, which is a big improvement on the old ZS EV which had a smaller 44.5kWh battery and 263 kilometre range. The new model also has more power than before, with 156 horsepower going to the front wheels through a single electric motor, with 0-100km/h taking 8.4 seconds. The ZS EV isn’t especially heavy though which means it is quite efficient and it feels responsive to drive at lower speeds, offering plenty of performance for day-today driving. There are three different levels of regenerative breaking available through a toggle switch on the centre console, varying from light to what feels almost like one-pedal driving in the highest setting.

It is also possible to adjust the responsiveness of the acceleration with different driving modes available including Eco, Normal and Sport. While the ZS EV feels lively in sport mode the wheels tend to spin easily in wet conditions, as a result we spent most of our time driving it with Eco mode to achieve the most battery range. In terms of efficiency, we achieved around 18.5kWh per 100 kilometres of driving in cold wintry conditions on mixed driving routes, or approximately 370 kilometres from a full charge.

For the most part the ZS is relaxing to drive, it’s quiet around town and smooth at motorway speeds with light steering and decent sound insulation. It’s also worth noting that the electric motor doesn’t whine as loudly as before, it’s seemingly quieter. On bumpier road surfaces the ZS EV can feel unsettled however, this is more noticeable than before due to the extra weight of the larger battery and the suspension bounces noticeably. In terms of charging, the ZS EV can charge at up to 100 kilowatts, so it will take around 42 minutes to charge up to 80% with a rapid charger. Charging at home with a standard 7kW domestic charger can deliver a full charge in around 10.5 hours overnight. The ZS EV also gets MG’s Pilot driver assistance systems as standard including Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Active Emergency Breaking and lots more. 

Models:

The MG ZS EV is available in two different specifications in Ireland, Excite and Exclusive. The entry Excite starts from €31,995 including the SEAI grant and VRT relief, and it is well equipped with features such as LED headlights, rear parking sensors, electric mirrors, keyless entry and start, the digital driver’s display and 10.1-inch touch screen infotainment system, a 360 degree parking camera, SAT Nav, 17-inch alloy wheels and lots more.

The higher spec Exclusive model is the one that we tested and it starts from €34,995 including grants, and it gets additional features such as silver roof rails, heated mirrors, rain sensing wipers, a panoramic sky roof, a six speaker audio system with 3D sound, a wireless smartphone charger, leather style upholstery, electric driver’s seat adjustment, heated seats and lots more. The ZS EV is also fitted with MG’s Pilot Advanced Driver Assistance System as standard, which includes traffic jam assist, intelligent speed limit assist, lane keep assist, intelligent high beam assist and more.  

Verdict:

So should you buy the MG ZS EV? Well if you are looking for an affordable and practical electric car that now has increased range and a strong level of standard equipment, it is definitely one to consider. There are some cheap materials to be found inside the ZS EV however while it’s styling isn’t as eyecatching or as fun to drive as some of its other EV rivals. That said, most buyers will be able to look past this, as the ZS EV is competitively priced and offers a long warranty perid too. For that reason, it will be high on the list of many buyers who are are thinking of making the switch to electric motoring.