MG ZS EV Review 2024

If you're umming and ahing about making the jump to an electric car, the MG ZS EV could be the perfect introduction to electric motoring. The latest model can officially travel up to 273 miles on a charge (although, as ever, note that a real-world range figure will be slightly less than this), while it costs significantly less to buy than most other brand-new electric SUVs.

It's also considerably more practical than other affordable electric cars. If you need a practical family runabout that's spacious enough for school runs, shopping trips and even weekends away, the MG ZS EV will be much more up to the job than a Renault Zoe or Vauxhall Corsa-e.

There's a lot to be said for stretching the budget for the facelifted MG ZS EV. Not only is it offered as a Long Range model with a bigger battery, improvements to the interior (particularly the infotainment system) mean it feels like a much more modern car. 

Then it comes down to deciding between MG ZS EV SE, Trophy and Trophy Connect models for used buyers - new buyers only have a choice of SE and Trophy trims. The entry-level SE is well kitted out, but we'd hunt out an MG ZS EV Trophy for the heated faux-leather seats, panoramic glass sunroof and upgraded sound system. The live services provided by the MG ZS EV Trophy Connect probably aren't worth the extra cash, but don't dismiss them if you can get a good used deal.

If you're on a budget, an earlier example of the MG ZS EV is still worth considering. Again, the entry-level MG ZS EV Excite trim isn't going to leave you wanting, but the range-topping MG ZS EV Exclusive comes with some desirable kit. There are more Exclusive models on the market, too, so you'll have more choice if one of these is within budget.

If you're in the market for a new electric car, there's no shortage of very good competition – but you might have to pay a little more for something anywhere near as practical as the MG ZS EV. We'd suggest taking a look at electric SUVs like the Vauxhall Mokka-e, Kia e-Niro, Hyundai Kona Electric and Skoda Enyaq iV.

If you're not fussed about an SUV, we'd recommend smaller electric cars like the Fiat 500 Electric, Renault Zoe and MINI Electric. The MG 5 EV electric estate car is also definitely worth a look, too.

This is an area in which you might be very pleasantly surprised, given the MG ZS EV’s low price tag and MG’s status as an unabashed budget brand. 

The MG ZS EV's interior is actually very pleasant. Yes, there are a few functional low-grade panels in the lower reaches of the cabin, but most of what you look at and touch is softly-surfaced and nicely textured. There’s plenty of glossy black panelling and chrome-effect trim to jazz things up, too, and all the various switches and buttons - the rotary gear selector in particular - work with a pleasant slickness and precision that give an impressively substantial feel. 

All in all, the interior of the MG ZS EV doesn’t feel any worse for quality than a Renault Zoe, and in fact, it probably feels better on that score than a considerably more expensive Nissan Leaf. The entry-level MG ZS EV Excite comes with cloth upholstery in a houndstooth design, as does the MG ZS EV SE on later models. This is nice enough, but the reasonably convincing leather-effect seats you get in the Exclusive and Trophy range-toppers do hike the feeling of quality a bit. 

The infotainment is one of the key areas in which the MG ZS EV was improved with the late-2021 facelift. These later cars get a brilliant 10.1-inch tablet-style infotainment screen as standard, incorporating all the tech you could possibly wish for – including sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It's easy to use and fast to respond – although, if we had one criticism, it's mounted a little low down on the dashboard. Some might prefer that to the current 'tacked on the dashboard' trend, but it's not that easy to glance at while driving. 

A fully digital instrument display is also standard but, to be honest, it's not that fancy. You can't do much to customise it, for example, but it looks smart enough and gives you important information (like your current speed). 

Pre-facelift MG ZS EV models get a glossy-fronted 8.0-inch touchscreen, and it supports all the functionality you’d expect it to, including DAB radio, Bluetooth, satellite navigation and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

The graphics look sharp and modern, but the system could be a lot easier to use. For starters, the home screen is central to how you use the system, yet there’s no marking on the button that gets you there. The button in question is the one in the middle of the volume control, which looks like it should turn the system on and off, and until you work this out for yourself by trial and error (mainly error), you’ll be left completely flummoxed. 

Otherwise, the cryptic design of some of the on-screen icons means it’s not immediately clear what many of them do, while the screen transitions and animations are glitchy and slow. The screen is rather lazy in responding to inputs, too, although it does usually register them efficiently.

Compare the MG ZS EV with every other electric car available for similar money in this area, and it absolutely wipes the floor with all of them. For starters, it's considerably bigger than all its rivals, measuring 4323mm long, 2048mm wide (including door mirrors) and 1649mm high (including roof rails).

Meanwhile, the MG ZS EV's 2581mm wheelbase equates to much more cabin space. There’s bags of room up front – as you’d always expect – while in the back, passengers also enjoy really generous knee room and headroom. Even models with the panoramic glass roof have enough headroom for those well over six feet tall to get comfy. 

What’s more, the wide cabin and flat rear floor mean the MG ZS EV is also better than many cars at carrying three in the back. Meanwhile, a pair of bulky child seats will fit without any problem, and there are Isofix mounting points provided to tether them to, although you are required to simply shove the clasp through a tight gap in the cushion to engage it.

The boot, also, is absolutely massive compared with those of most rivals, and all your charging cables are stored in their own handy compartments under the floor, along with your pot of tyre sealant (there’s no spare wheel). Officially, the MG ZS EV can carry 470 litres of luggage in its boot, rising to a massive 1375 litres with the rear seats dropped.

There’s a hefty load lip, but you can reduce this by shifting the moveable boot floor. Doing this also levels out the step in the load area when you drop the 60/40 split rear seats for more cargo space. The backrests lie at a slight angle, meaning your extended load area is a little bit sloped, but again, the space you get is massive compared with that of rivals.

The electric motor in the MG ZS EV Long Range delivers a healthy 156PS. More noteworthy is the 280Nm torque figure which, like in all electric cars, is available the second you hit the accelerator pedal. It surges forward with a surprising eagerness – especially if you've just jumped out of a petrol or diesel car – although it's not quite as rapid as the Hyundai Kona Electric (which, frankly, is quicker than anyone really needs it to be).

Because electric cars have a single gear, the strong acceleration remains constant, uninterrupted by the gear changes you’d get in a regular car, while the experience of driving the car is just like driving an automatic. 

The difference you will notice, though, is the regenerative braking, which has three changeable settings (that's what the weird 'KERS' toggle on the centre console is for). In its default mode, the MG ZS EV slows down noticeably every time you lift off the accelerator, rather more than if you did the same in a combustion-engined car. This is so that the energy that would otherwise be lost in deceleration can be fed back into the battery as electricity. 

For those that find this action too aggressive (which won’t be many because it’s always fairly gentle), the middle mode makes this process less vigorous, while the next mode along dials it back to virtually nothing, allowing you to coast around more freely.

Choose the MG ZS EV with the standard battery and, oddly, it has more power with 176PS on tap. It makes for marginally quicker acceleration, this model needing 8.2 seconds to cover 0-62mph rather than the Long Range version's 8.4 seconds. However, we'd take the added driving range of the bigger battery model instead of the modest performance boost of the base MG ZS EV.

The electric range is another area in which the MG ZS EV has improved dramatically in recent updates. It's now available with a 72kWh battery pack (badged the MG ZS EV Long Range), alongside a standard range model with a 51kWh battery.

That means the standard MG ZS EV will have an official WLTP range of 198 miles, while the bigger-battery model will be good for 273 miles. That's only really beaten by much pricier versions of the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia e-Niro (and, even then, not by much).

If you find a pre-facelift MG ZS EV from 2021 or earlier, it will have a 44.5kWh battery and an official range of 163 miles. That's not quite so impressive but, for the cash, it's fine – and should be more than adequate for the commute or pottering around town.

By electric car standards, the MG ZS EV isn’t a particularly quiet car. You’ll hear more of a whine from the motor than you will in many rivals (although it’s still much quieter than having a combustion engine clattering away up front), along with a fair amount of knocking and clonking from the suspension over lumpy urban surfaces. 

The bigger annoyance comes on the motorway, though, where quite a lot of wind- and road noise make their way into the cabin. It’s nothing that’ll have you reaching for the ear-defenders or screaming to communicate with your passengers, but by the high standards of the class, the MG is noticeably behind.

Another area in which the MG ZS EV does a dazzling job despite its low price. 

The standard safety roster is incredibly generous, with all the stuff you’d expect - six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring and all the usual traction and stability aids - plus a lot of other stuff you might not. Automatic emergency braking is provided across the board, along with lane keeping assistance, speed limit display, adaptive high-beam headlights and adaptive cruise control that can pretty much drive the car for you in a traffic jam. 

MG ZS EV Exclusive, Trophy and Trophy Connect models add a couple more bits to the roster including a blind spot assistant, reversing camera, and rear cross traffic alert. This impressive amount of kit helped the MG ZS EV achieve a full five-star rating when it was smashed to smithereens in Euro NCAP crash tests.

The MG name might have some unfortunate connotations when it comes to reliability, but it's keen to banish these under Chinese ownership. The brand achieved a solid mid-table 18th out of 29 makes in the 2023 HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index.

There's no reason to suspect the electric MG ZS EV would be any less reliable than others in its class. Indeed, electric cars tend to be more reliable than their petrol or diesel equivalents as there are fewer moving parts and, therefore, less to go wrong. You'll get a seven-year warranty on a new MG ZS EV, too.

Regardless of which trim level you choose, your MG ZS EV will fall into the same insurance group, that being group 28. That’s fairly middle-of-the-road considering that insurance groups run from one to 50, one being the cheapest and 50 being the priciest. 

If you’re one of those people who hates handing their hard-earned cash to the Exchequer (aren’t we all?), then the MG ZS will suit you to a tee. Because it’s electric, you'll pay no road tax whatsoever. Nada. Zip. Bubkus.

The MG ZS EV is currently available in two trim levels: SE and Trophy.

The entry-level MG ZS EV SE (now there's a name you won't forget) is very well stocked for the money. Standard equipment includes automatic air conditioning, bi-function LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and push-button start, vehicle-to-load charging, 360-degree parking camera, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, sat-nav and multiple USB charging points.

The MG ZS EV Trophy adds leather-style seats, along with more convenience options such as roof rails, heated front seats, electric driver’s seat adjustment, rain-sensing wipers and wireless phone charging. The Trophy also has live services including weather, traffic and Amazon Music.

Previously, the MG ZS EV was available in Excite or Exclusive models. Standard equipment on an MG ZS EV Excite included air-con, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, four powered windows, alloy wheels, electric door mirrors, a leather steering wheel and automatic headlights. 

MG ZS EV Exclusive trim added a powered driver’s seat, leather-effect upholstery, heated front seats, automatic wipers, a panoramic roof and a reversing camera.