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MG ZS EXCITE
MG ZS Excite
THE MG ZS is the Chineseowned, British manufacturer’s new compact SUV. It slots in the middle of MG’s current range, sitting between the MG3 hatchback and MG GS SUV, and the company’s billing it as its ‘greatest car yet’. With six months of development just for the UK, MG is hoping it will be living up to that statement. With the compact SUV market so strong these days, MG are aiming to make the ZS stand out, with a low price and seven-year manufacturer warranty.
Aside from the ZS nameplate – previously attached to a high-performance, Rover 45-based saloon – the compact SUV is an almost totally new car in the MG line-up. It introduces a new design language for the brand, showcasing a much larger grille and more angular styling cues compared to its GS and MG3 stablemates.
A new engine joins the lineup as well – a range-topping, 1.0-litre turbocharged threecylinder engine developed in conjunction with General Motors.
Two petrol engines and gearboxes are available for the compact SUV; the aforementioned new 1.0-litre motor, available with a six-speed automatic, and MG’s own 1.5-litre naturally aspirated unit, which is paired to a five-speed manual.
We spent most of our driving with the 1.5-litre engine. It develops 105bhp and 141Nm of torque, taking the ZS from 0-60mph in 10.4 seconds with a top speed of 109mph. Fuel economy is a claimed 49.6mpg with CO2 emissions of 129g/km.
It’s not the most responsive of units, feeling very sluggish at the low-end, although it picks up fairly well in the mid-to-high rev range, albeit with quite a lot of unpleasant noise.
In urban driving, the MG ZS offers a perfectly fine experience. A high seating position, good all-round visibility, soft suspension and parking sensors, coupled with a camera on higher-spec models, make city driving easy and stress-free. However, do expect plenty of gear changes and highrevving at traffic lights because of the lack of low-end torque. MG also makes a big deal of the car’s three steering modes: urban, normal and dynamic. Each setting has no major effect, with dynamic adding a little more weight, and urban taking some away.
The interior of the ZS looks impressive, offering a visual design of something in a much higher price bracket. It’s certainly a practical car, offering 448 litres of boot space with all seats in place.
Compared with 354 litres in the Juke, 346 litres in the Ford EcoSport, and 350 litres in the Mazda CX-3, the ZS offers class-leading space.
Considering the low price, the MG ZS is generously equipped. Standard on all models are LED daytime running lights, Bluetooth and cruise control. We tested the Excite model, which included 17-inch wheels, air-conditioning, ‘designer’ fabric seats and parking sensors, coming in at £13,995.
The MG ZS isn’t the best-equipped car in its class, nor the most dynamic but what it does offer is sheer value for money that its rivals simply cannot match.